August is the time to get children ready to go back to school. Buying all the necessary school supplies for students can be a challenge during these tough economic times. Fortunately, in the Bay Area there are a number of options for parents on a budget.
A great way to search for new and used school supplies is on Craig’s List. Go to the SF Bay Area Craig’s List homepage at http://sfbay.craigslist.org, and type in “school supplies” in the Search Craigslist box on the left side. Make sure the For Sale category is selected. This search will produce quite a few results. In San Carlos on August 13th, there will be a Teacher Swapmeet that is open to the public. The swapmeet will be at Morrison’s School Supplies located on 400 Industrial Road from 10am-2pm. Teachers will be selling their supplies at very low cost. There is also a posting for low cost school supplies in San Mateo, listing a wide variety items ranging from binders, notebooks, and crayons, to pencils, pens, and erasers.
Morrison School Supplies also has a location in Sunnyvale located at 560 East El Camino Real. They have a wide selection of materials for parents, students, and teachers. Currently, they are offering 50% off of all clearance prices on school supplies. There is also a coupon for 15% off an any one item. The coupon is located on their website at http://morrisonschoolsupplies.liveonatt.com. They can be reached at 408-749-1114.
Another way to find out about sales on school supplies is to log onto the Facebook page for School Supplies for SF Bay Area Kids at http://www.facebook.com/pages/School-Supplies-for-SF-Bay-Area-Kids/129935003709799. Their Facebook page posts information about school supply discounts for different stores around the Bay Area (Office Depot, Target, Office Max), and works with local churches to provide school supplies for children in San Francisco, Contra Costa, and Monterey Counties. Eric and Linda Bergquist are working with San Francisco Bay Area Churches and non-profit groups to provide school supplies to children who need them.
All Office Depot stores in the Bay Area are having a sale this week on school supplies. This sale runs through August 13th. Permanent markers, white paper, and glue bottles are $1. 1″ poly binders are 50 cents. Notebooks, water bottles, and pencil pouches start at 99 cents, and backpacks are 25% off. More information about specific Office Depot locations and weekly sales can be found on their website at www.officedepot.com.
Walmart stores throughout the Bay Area are also having weekly sales on school supplies. They have a school uniform bundle (5 shirts & 2 pants) on sale for $43, as well as pens, mechanical pencils, a 4-pk of 1.5″ binders for $18, and a 45-pk of eraser for $5.88. The Walmart website also has school supply bundles (backpack, glue, erasers, pencils, crayons, notebook) starting at $18, and includes free shipping on eligible school uniforms and supplies. Their website is www.walmart.com.
Jennifer Myers provides an informative view on discovering low cost school supplies in the Bay Area. Thorough research and previous experience as a teacher and tutor provide her with a unique knowledge of locating the best deals on school supplies in the Bay Area.