10 Best Items To Buy at Costco Before School Starts

It’s still the middle of summer, but back-to-school season is right around the corner. And looking for — and scoring — deals ahead of time is always a great idea. It can save both time and money, as well as help you avoid those last-minute shopping rushes.

Warehouse giant Costco has a slew of deals for the occasion ranging from bulk school supplies, dorm essentials and bulk snacks. Whether you’re shopping for a kindergartner or a college student, here are some of the best deals still available.

• Price: $37.99

Buying coffee can rapidly add up and take out a good chunk out of a college student’s budget. This is why Scott Lieberman, founder of Touchdown Money, recommends taking advantage of deals on bulk coffee pods.

He said, “If you buy from Costco, you’ll get 120 pods for $37, which comes out to about 31 cents a pod. For other brands, you’ll pay about 56 cents per pod.”

• Price: $79.99

This dorm essential is perfect for coffee on the go and offers two ways to brew: a pot or a single-serve cup.

• Price: $11.99

These black and blue retractable pens come out at $0.24 each — a steal and a headache-avoider if you know someone who always misplaces them.

• Price: $17.99

These 100-sheet notepads come down to only $2 each.

• Price: $12.99

This 36-item bundle is a steal and can be split among several back-to-schoolers.

It includes the following:

• six PaperMate classic mechanical pencils;
• six PaperMate woodcase pencils;
• four PaperMate ballpoint pens;
• four PaperMate flair pens;
• three Sharpie fine point permanent markers; 
• three Sharpie pocket highlighters;
• three Expo chisel dry erase markers;
• two Sharpie ultra-fine permanent markers;
• two Elmer’s disappearing purple school glue sticks;
• two PaperMate profile ballpoint pens; and
• one PaperMate pink pearl eraser.

• Price: $199.99

Mini fridges can be pricey but can help students in dorms stick to a budget by filling it with leftovers, snacks and beverages.

• Price: $12.59

Snacks such as granola bars, microwave popcorn, nuts and other non-perishable items are great choices among Costco’s offerings, said Lieberman.

“If you’ve only got 15 minutes between classes, a snack can help you stave off hunger and keep your focus on your studies,” he added.

These soft and chewy Bars are made of whole rolled oats and semisweet chocolate chips. At 100 calories per bar and $0.19 each, these are also a great deal to enjoy guilt-free.

• Price: $24.49

By buying these in bulk, you’ll only pay $1.36 for each protein bar. The variety pack includes brownie crunch and creamy peanut butter flavors.

And with 20 grams of protein and zero-gram sugar, these make for a great post-workout or pick-me-up snack.

• Price: $13.99

These bar soaps are made with all-natural oils, butters — including shea butter. By buying them in bulk, you’ll pay $0.93 each.

Lieberman said toiletries are also great essentials to buy in bulk — and perfect to stock up on before school starts back up. He pointed out that soap, shampoo, contact lens solution, toilet paper and medicines are all worth buying.

“Make sure to hit the health and beauty section near the front of the store,” he suggested. “You’ll usually get necessities at a great price. Soap, for example, comes out to about 75 cents a bar.”

• Price: $16.99

This box of 580 bags, “designed to seal in freshness,” are great “for packing sandwiches, pizza slices, subs, cookies, fruit, carrot sticks, chips and more,” according to Costco.

And you’ll pay just $0.03 for each.