Can you feel it in the air? It's school time again! Even if you don't have kids, please continue reading. I've got info on how you can get items for free to donate.
This week, the school supply deals begin. There are a few freebies this week which I'll talk about in a minute. The deals WILL get better. The office supply stores, specifically Staples, always have lots of freebies &/or items for literally pennies each.
Before we get to the deals, I want to talk about why you should get the deals even if you don't have school-age kids.
I'm sure we've all heard about the current state of our schools. Teachers are often left paying a good amount out of their pockets towards school supplies. Many not only have to supply their own copy paper but must also have supplies on hand for kids who've either forgot theirs or don't have the money to buy supplies.
Last time I checked, teachers got a tax credit of $250 for purchasing supplies. Teachers I've talked to say that doesn't even come close to covering what they've actually spent every year on supplies.
There are school supply drives in cities big and small nationwide. If you don't have school-age kids or can buy extra supplies, I would encourage you to find a drive in your area. If you can't find a local drive, contact a local school and offer to donate the supplies directly to them. I don't know any school that would turn away supplies if they are offered.
If you're Southern Nevada, we're having a school supply drive at SOS Radio. You can drop supplies off at SOS Radio on 2201 S. 6th St. in Vegas from 9-5 Monday through Friday.
To keep all of the information in one place for you, I will update weekly with what the freebies and extra good deals are on school supplies throughout this season. If I can get all of the ads in time, I'll post on Saturday for the following week. If I can't get the deals ahead of time, I'll have them posted by Sunday afternoon. If there's a school drive supply in your area, feel free to post the info in the comments to let others know about it.
On a related note, I'm working on my couponing series right now. I've gotten several questions already. If you want to make sure I address any questions you may have, be sure to let me know by commenting here or sending me a message on
Twitter,
Facebook, or by e-mail.
And without further ado, here are the freebies and great deals on school supplies for this week:
Staples: (If you are a teacher, you can get 25 of the limited items here)
- 2 pocket folders w/ or w/out fasteners $.01 (Sun-Wed. only w/a $5 minimum purchase) (lt. 10)
- Pencils (8ct) $.01 (Sun-Wed. only w/a $5 minimum purchase) (lt. 2)
- Staples multi-purpose paper (500ct) $4.99 - ($4.98) ESR = $.01
- Staples Photo supreme 8 1/2 x 11 paper (50ct) $14.99 - ($13.99) ESR = $1 (lt 2)
- Quartet 8 1/2 x 11 dry-erase board $1 (lt 2)
- $5/30 coupon which can be used on ESR items to make them moneymakers
- Office Depot has a $10/$25 ip which Staples will match to make an even better moneymaker when used with ESR items.
Office Depot:
- Mr. Sketch Markers $7.99 - ($7.99) Rebate = Free (lt. 1)
- Swingline Light Touch Reduced Effort Stapler (what a name!) $13.99- ($13.99) Rebate = Free (lt. 1)
- Office Depot Multi-purose Paper (500ct) $6.29 - ($5.29) Rebate = $1 (lt. 2)
- Office Depot Color-coded heavy weight sheet protectors (25ct) $7.59 - ($6.59) Rebate = $1 (lt. 3)
- $10/$25 ip (see above) can be used to make these deals moneymakers
Wal-Mart:
- Composition Notebooks $.25
- Crayola Crayons $.25 (this price is varying from $.25-$.35, depending on your area)
- RoseArt Crayons $.20
- Other decent deals worth checking out but not listed in the ad
CVS:
- Complete Multi-Purpose Contact Solution $7.99 - ($2) 5/16 RP - ($7.99) ECB = Free + $2 (I know this isn't a school supply item, but it's a money maker so I included it.)
- Caliber Scissors (5") $.99 - ($.99) ECB = Free (Sun-Tues only) (lt. 1)
- Papermate Pens 1.2 (10ct) $.99 - ($.99) ECB = Free (Sun-Tues. only) (lt. 1)
Office Max: (These deals are online only and you must have their card to get the deals.)
- (In)Place Heavy Duty Binders $6.49 - ($6.49) MPR = Free (lt. 6)
- (In)Place Heavy Weight Manilla File Folders (50ct) $8.99 - ($8.99) MPR = Free (lt. 6)
- Office Max Filler Paper College or Wide (150ct) $1.50 - ($1.50) MPR = Free (lt. 6)
- Office Max 2 pocket folders (24pk) $8.99 - ($8.99) = Free (lt. 6)
- Buy 2 any brand ink packages get $10 MPR back
- Free shipping with $50
- If you don't have an Office Max in your area, you can still sign up and do these deals. As of this past November, you could spend your rewards back on online purchases. (I don't mind having huge amounts like this coming back on items...like the folders...that I buy anyway...I just turn around and use it on printer ink since mine isn't refillable for $10 at Walgreens.)
If you have any questions about a particular abbreviation or word, check out my
coupon definitions. If you still can't find the answer, post here or shoot me an e-mail. Want to see the best grocery deals for your area? Check out
Savings Angel. I use them when I'm short on time or not feeling well but still need groceries for the week.
