JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A guide on how to shop for inexpensive school supplies written by Lewis Turner.
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Sometimes we can complicate things more than they need.
For instance, when researching this story - how to get school supplies cheaply - I called a local, non-chain supply store to ask for advice.
I'll leave the store's and manager's name out of it, but when I asked them how to get the cheapest supplies, her response was:
"Have you tried Walmart yet?"
Touché.
Walmart has the reputation of being the cheapest way to go but we also put Amazon and Target to the test as well.
We visited actual stores and also shopped online.
So that things are controlled in this experiment, we used the 4th grade Duval County supply list provided online.
We didn't bother with the expensive electronics, because there is a tax-free holiday beginning August 2nd that'll save you some cash on those big-ticket items -- up to $1000.
In our shopping here's how it played out for the items on that specific list:
1. Amazon: $163.00
2. Target, in-store buying Target brand and sale items when possible: $67.67
3. Walmart, online shopping with FREE pickup from the store: $42.79
So it seems the manager from that original store was right.
However, you get the two-for-one bonus of also shopping online, saving money there and having someone load your car up with the items.
You never have to actually go into the store, thus saving you time.
Remember: Time = money.