HOUSTON \u2013 I\u2019ll be honest \u2014 I had no idea what I was getting into. Buying school supplies for a 4-year-old can\u2019t be that hard, right?!<\/p>\n
Wrong! Kind of. <\/p>\n
This is my first year sending my son to Pre-K within Houston Independent School District, and when I received that school supply list, I did what I always do. Open the Amazon app on my phone. It\u2019s just easier, right? Everything shows up at your door in two days, you don\u2019t have to drag a 4-year-old through store aisles, and in my experience, the prices have always been pretty comparable to what you\u2019d find in a store. Or so I thought.<\/p>\n
I added all 21 items from his Pre-K supply list to my Amazon cart, and when I saw the total, I actually had to stop and stare at the screen for a second.<\/p>\n
$183.35. Before tax. <\/p>\n
For a Pre-Kindergartener. <\/p>\n
At that point my thumb absolutely refused to click the yellow \u201cProceed to checkout\u201d button. Something told me to shop that same supply list both at Walmart and Target, and I\u2019m so glad I did.<\/p>\n
For the exact same items, Walmart rang up at $86.27. Target came in at $141.20. That\u2019s a difference of more than $115 between Amazon and Walmart \u2014 for the same list, the same brands, the same quantities.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not exaggerating when I say I was speechless. I\u2019ve always trusted Amazon as a convenient, reasonably priced option. This was a wake-up call for this online-shopping mom. <\/p>\n
So what\u2019s behind the prices differences?<\/p>\n
The school list was pretty specific in it\u2019s instructions. Buy this amount of these brand-specific items in this quantity. That doesn\u2019t leave much wiggle room to compare other brands. But I love following the rules, so I did what I was told. So why were some totals so much higher than others?<\/p>\n
Take the plastic school box. Yes, the hard plastic one that every kid has had since the beginning of time. Amazon had it for $8.99. Walmart? $0.92. I had to double-check that one.<\/p>\n
The Crayola washable markers also caught my attention at $14.99 on Amazon. But let me give credit where it\u2019s due, that price is for a 2-pack of 8 markers. The supply list only needs one pack of 8 markers, though, and Walmart had a single pack for $5.94 while Target carried a 10-count for $2.84. More isn\u2019t always better when you\u2019re paying that much of a premium for it. <\/p>\n
Next was the manila drawing paper \u2014 one of those items I didn\u2019t even know I needed until I read the list \u2014 which ran $15.86 on Amazon for 100 sheets. Walmart had it for $3.93 and Target for $4.74, both for 70 sheets. Even with fewer sheets, it wasn\u2019t close.<\/p>\n
Then there\u2019s the rest mat.<\/p>\n
If there is one item on this list that deserves its own paragraph, it\u2019s the rest mat.<\/p>\n
Pre-K kids take naps \u2014 I knew that going in. What I did not know is that a 1-inch rest mat could cost wildly different amounts depending on where you shop. At Walmart, the cheapest option was $12.97. At Amazon, it was $35.99. And at Target? $55.99. That is not a typo.<\/p>\n
Because the rest mat creates such a dramatic swing in the overall totals, it\u2019s worth looking at the numbers both ways: <\/p>\n
Totals with the rest mat: <\/p>\n
Amazon: $183.35<\/p>\n
Walmart: $86.27<\/p>\n
Target: $141.20<\/p>\n
Totals without the rest mat: <\/p>\n
Amazon: $147.36<\/p>\n
Walmart: $73.30<\/p>\n
Target: $79.51<\/p>\n
Once you take the rest mat out of the equation, Walmart and Target are actually pretty close \u2014 separated by about $6. Amazon is still nearly double either store.<\/p>\n
At this point in the story, I had 3 different carts filled with the exact same items. So I ended up buying a mix of the supplies from Walmart and Target, and yes, Amazon. My grand total, tax-included price was $99.59. <\/p>\n
A word for fellow first-timers<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re a first-time school parent this year, you are not alone in the overwhelm. Navigating a school supply list for the first time, with specific brands, colors, quantities, etc., was a learning curve I was not anticipating.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll be the first to admit I don\u2019t have all the answers. Honestly, I probably don\u2019t even have half the answers. I went into this assuming the most convenient option would also be a reasonable one, and I was wrong. What I walked away with is simple: it pays to price compare, even when it feels easier not to.<\/p>\n
For the parents who have done this before \u2014 yes you, who can spot a good deal on a 3-pack of Elmer\u2019s glue sticks from across the aisle \u2014 I want to hear from you. What back-to-school tips do you wish someone had told you in the beginning? Drop your advice in the comments. First-timers are listening. (Yes, I am 100% talking about myself.)<\/p>\n
If you made it this far, first, thank you. Second, here\u2019s the exact school supply list I was tasked with getting. And below, was my price breakdown for each item at each retailer. <\/p>\n
School Supply List: <\/p>\n
Binder – Durable – View – 1 Inch – White – Avery (1)<\/p>\n
Crayons – Crayola – 16 Count (3)<\/p>\n
Dry Erase Markers – Expo – 4 Color Set – Fine (1)<\/p>\n
Folder – Plastic Pocket & Prong – Purple (1)<\/p>\n
Glue Stick – Elmers – Washable Glue Stick – Purple – .77 oz – 3 Pack (2)<\/p>\n
Markers – Washable – Crayola – Classic – 8 Count \u2013 Thick (1)<\/p>\n
Paint \u2013 Watercolor Set \u2013 Crayola \u2013 16 Oval – Washable (1)<\/p>\n
Paper – Construction – 12×18 – Assorted Colors – 50 Count (1)<\/p>\n
Paper – Drawing – Manila – 12×18 – 50 Count (1)<\/p>\n
Pencils – Triconderoga Tri-Write – Number 2 – 8 Pack (1)<\/p>\n
School Box – 5.6 in x 8.4 in x 2.5 in – Plastic – Assorted Colors (1)<\/p>\n
Scissors – Fiskar – Kids – 5 Inch – Blunt (1)<\/p>\n
Tissue – Kleenex – 100 Count (2)<\/p>\n
Disinfectant Wipes \u2013 Clorox \u2013 75 Count (1)<\/p>\n
Zipper Bags – Glad – Gallon – 20 Count (1)<\/p>\n
Zipper Bags – Glad – Sandwich – 50 Count (1)<\/p>\n
Rest Mat \u2013 1 Inch (Thin Rest Mat) (1)<\/p>\n
AmazonWalmartTargetBinder$6.49 $5.84 $5.59 Crayons$8.99 $5.12 (4 pack of 16)$5.29 Dry Erase Markers$4.49 (for 12 count)$4.47 $4.27 Folder$5.50 $0.25 $0.47 Glue Stick$2.88 $2.88 $5.03 (for 6 count)Markers14.99 (2-pack, 8 count)$5.94 $2.84 (for 10 count)Watercolor Paint$8.49 $4.48 $4.36 Construction paper$4.79 $4.79 $6.16 Manilla Paper$15.86 (for 100)$3.93 (for 70)$4.74 (for 70)Pencils$2.97 $2.97 $2.84 School Box$8.99 $0.92 $3.79 Scissors$7.90 $1.58 $1.51 Tissue$17.19 (for 500)$6.28 (for 480)$5.01 (for 240)Disinfectant Wipes$4.99 $5.52 $4.25 Gallon Zipper Bags$5.99 $8.07 $4.32 (Ziploc brand)Sandwich Zipper Bags$5.99 $6.89 $3.18 (for 105 count, Ziploc brand)Rest Mat$35.99 $12.97 $55.99 <\/p>\n
(One small disclosure note on Target: Target did not appear to carry Glad-brand zipper bags, so Ziploc brand was substituted as a comparable alternative. That substitution is reflected in the Target total.)<\/p>\n
Start Here, Houston<\/p>\n
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