Back to school shopping can kill your bank account if you’re not careful. But if you ditch the big box stores and hit up the dollar store, you can get your kids everything they need for a fraction of the cost. The List spoke to Manuel Becerra, District Manager for 99 Cents Only Stores to give you four school supplies you can get at the dollar store.

1. Backpacks 

That’s right. You can find some amazing backpack options at your local 99 Cents Only Stores. “You can choose any of them, and they’ll carry the same thing as a $50 backpack,” Becerra explains. Compared to the big box stores, you’ll save a bagful of cash with prices starting at $1.99 and up. Their prices even beat Walmart’s $5.99 deals on backpacks, and Target’s price at $9.99. 

2. Pens, Pencils, Crayons & More School Supplies

Writing utensils are one of the most important back to school supplies the kids will need. At the dollar store, you can load up on mechanical pencils, refills and ballpoint pens of all kinds. They currently have their ten-pack of pencils for 99 cents. And don’t forget the crayons. You can get a 48-pack of those for the same price. 

The total on pens, pencils and crayons at the 99 Cents Only Stores rounds up to $4.96, whereas Walmart gives us a $17 total, and $18 at Target. Dollar store again for the win! 

3. Notebooks 

We’re flipping the page to paper products, the third item on our list. We all know that even though we’re on the digital age, we still need paper! We saved some serious cash on notebooks and loose-leaf filler. Our total at the 99 Cents Only Stores gives us $3.96, while you could be spending $12.88 at Walmart and $9.99 at Target. 

4. Calculator 

While our back to school shopping spree is adding up, we still need to get a calculator. A lot of schools don’t allow smartphones in class, so kids might still need a calculator. You can get a full-feature scientific calculator at the dollar store for $1.99. As you can imagine, we added up huge savings on this one. Walmart’s price on calculators comes to $8.77 and Target’s at $8.99. 

Back to school shopping shouldn’t make your wallet tremble. While the big box stores do offer great deals, it’s hard to beat the dollar store for the basics!  

Related Articles 

Back to School Sales 2018: 9 Places Offering School Freebies & Deals Under $1 

Back to School Apps: 3 Free Apps to Simplify Your School Year

August Deals 2018: 9 Places Handing out Free Food & Sales