Community Corner
The Best Back-To-School Deals This Week
The Patch Deal Hound sniffed out out the best online back-to-school deals. Click early and often. Woof! Woof!
Trekking out to Walmart or Target to battle the crowds swarming for back to school shopping can raise your stress to levels to heights that you probably last felt during a Christmas Eve dash to the store for that "one last" gift.
To that we say: Relax. Really.
Grab your laptop and spend some quality time with that couch you've been neglecting. You don't have to go to the school supplies and clothes. Order them online and let them come to you.
The Patch Deal Hound found some real bargains out there for everything from paper clips to kids clothing you'll need for the little ones who seemed to have spent their summer growing.
If you're among the skeptical when it comes to online shopping, consider this: Aside from keeping you out of the bumper-car game in store parking lots, the online shopping experience has improved dramatically from even a year ago. You can strategize to get your order delivered for free in as little as two days, and, in certain markets, same-day delivery is available.
You can try the delivery part for free by joining Amazon Prime, the dealer's yearly membership program that offers free, unlimited two-day shipping for $99 a year. If you're not convinced you'll get your money's worth for the fee, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial here. As long as you cancel before the 30 days is up, you won't pay a dime. You can get those school goods sent to you for free and then cancel, no charge.
Odds are pretty good that you'll like it. Amazon has included unlimited streaming television shows and movies in the Prime package. The company says that more than half of its customers have joined Prime, bringing its membership in the United States to more than 60 million people.
(Amazon has an even more generous program for college students. Check out Prime Student for details on a free six-month trial.)
OK. Now to the deals sniffed out by the Patch Deal Hound. Serious bargains are out there on everything from pencils to clothing you'll need for the little ones who may not be so little after a summer of growing.
At some point, you have to knock out the nitty gritty, not-so-fun school shopping. So, here are some deals on the essentials:
- Eight binder dividers for $2
- 1500 sheets of printer paper for $15
- 6-pack of Five Star spiral notebooks ($9 off)
- 12 mechanical pencils for $3
- 6 colored highlighters for $3.68
- 12 colored Sharpie pens for $7.19
- 200 sheets, wide-ruled paper, for $2.45
- 200 sheets, college-ruled paper, for $4.35
- 12-pack of colored composition notebooks for $19.99
Find more school supplies here.
Don't send the kids off to school in the same stuff they wore last year! For one thing, the pants are almost certainly grass-stained. To find some discounted - but stylish - new threads for school, click here for boys and here for girls.
Play-Doh Case of Colors, Pack of 10 For $8
Get those creative juices flowing in your little one with 10 Play-Doh cups for $8. Want more? Here's a 24-pack for less than $20.
HP DeskJet Compact All-in-One Photo Printer For $70
Here's a cheap and reliable printer you can use to get the kids' homework done or get that last-minute term paper in on time. You get a printer that lets you print wirelessly from a phone or computer, plus 50 percent off future ink purchases.
Rubbermaid Easy Find Lids Food Storage Container, 42-piece Set For $16
School season means more leftovers. Re-stock your pantry with plastic food containers. Here are 21 containers, plus lids, for $16.
TaoTronics Aluminum Alloy LED Desk Lamp (Save $38)
Another dorm room must-have — a cool desk lamp. This one has different temperature and brightness settings for working all hours of the night.
The best way to hang stuff in a new dorm room and keep the R.A. happy. Choose the discounted command hooks here.
36-Pack Travel-Sized Purell Hand Sanitizer With Jelly Wraps For $29
You can't have enough hand sanitizer once the kids start running around spreading germs like the plague. Put these all over your classroom — or send them to school with your kid to do the same. (Be sure to clip the coupon on the page before checking out.)
4 Packs Of 80 Lysol Disinfecting Wipes For $13
Again, you can never be too clean when germs are lurking at every corner. Wipe off everything your kid touches with this discount on Lysol wipes in bulk.
Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus Graphing Calculator (Save $12)
You're probably going to be buying one of these for a math or science class anyway. You might as well get a discount on it.
Vintorio Wine Aerator Pourer (Save $26)
The kids are finally back at school all day. Time to break out the vino! And why should all the deals be reserved for the kids anyway?
Amazon has also put several different models of its Kindle e-readers on sale for back to school. You can get a basic Kindle for just $59, Kindle Paperwhite for $99 or the Kindle Fire kids edition for $79.
On the other end of the power spectrum, the Fire HDX 8.9 is $100 off.
Here's a group of backpacks under $30 for both kids and college students. We're a fan of this Everest bag for laptops, and this quilted animal bag is adorable for kids (or adults, we won't judge).
Check out more backpack options here.
To pair with that new back pack, here are several lunch boxes you can browse through, many of which have great discounts attached.
Twin XL Sheets Starting at $15
For those with kids going off to college: Twin XL sheets can be tough to find (or totally sold out in-store). eBay is running a sale of several different styles, starting at $15. Browse through them here.
Sleep Innovations 2-Inch Memory Foam Twin XL Mattress Topper ($60)
The best way to turn a shoddy dorm bed into something semi-sleepable? Throw this $60 mattress topper on top, and know that your kid will actually be getting some sleep in the dorms.
Whitmor Crystal Clear Over The Door Shoe Organizer For $8.75
Closet space in college dorms is at a premium. For the off-to-college kid (or just the generally shoe-obsessed), heres an over-the-door organizer for under $10.
20 Percent Off At Macy's This Weekend
Stock up on back to school clothes and accessories with this 20 percent off sale from Macy's. Browse clothing options for men, women and kids here.
All prices and savings are as of publishing and could change, and Patch may earn a small commission on some purchased items. See a deal you think should be here? Send us an email at deals@patch.com, and we may feature it! And be sure to follow us on Twitter here and like us on Facebook here to keep up with all the latest deals.
