5 Back-to-School Supplies To Skip at Dollar Tree — and Where To Buy Instead
Written by
Seychelle Thomas
Edited by
Cory Dudak
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When you’re trying to save money, it’s almost a force of habit to head to Dollar Tree to pick up the basics for less. However, if you have to buy the same item twice because it doesn’t work or breaks quickly, then you’re not actually saving money.
With back-to-school season in full swing, you’ll want to skip these Dollar Tree duds to make your money work smarter.
Jot Activity Crayons
- Price: $1.25
A 48-count of crayons for $1.25 sounds like a great deal until you start using them. Unlike the brand-name alternative, these crayons are prone to breaking and aren’t as smooth to color with. The price per crayon on Dollar Tree’s brand is about 2 cents per crayon, but if they break quickly, you may have to spring for another set halfway through the year.
Walmart has a set of 48 Crayola crayons for $2.84, which is about 5 cents per crayon, but they’re better quality and won’t break as easily.
Jot Glue Sticks
- Price: $1.25
Glue sticks are a common back-to-school item on any child’s supply list. The 4-count of glue sticks from Dollar Tree might leave you sorely disappointed, though. According to customer reviews, these glue sticks dry out quickly, which makes them unusable. Even if they aren’t dried out, the glue doesn’t roll smoothly onto the paper, and many reviewers complained that it was clumpy and didn’t stick well.
Instead, get the Elmer’s disappearing purple glue sticks from Walmart. A two-pack is on sale for $0.50, so even if you bought two, you’d still spend less than at Dollar Tree. Plus, they’d actually work.
Black Marble Composition Book
- Price: $1.25
Composition notebooks are pretty standard in quality across the board, but Dollar Tree doesn’t have the best deal on these. Right now, most major retailers are running sales on school supplies, which significantly undercuts Dollar Tree’s $1.25 price.
For example, Staples has slashed the price of its composition notebooks to $0.50 each, which makes it a great deal.
Jot Classic Yellow No. 2 Pencils, 24-ct
- Price: $1.25
It’s not hard to find a good deal on No. 2 pencils, but you might want to skip Dollar Tree to save a little more on this classic back-to-school item. A 24-count of Jot No. 2 pencils from Dollar Tree costs $1.25, but you’ll find a better price at Target, where a 24-count of up&up pencils costs $0.99.
Licensed Cartoon Character Backpack with Adjustable Straps
- Price: $5.00
Dollar Tree Plus items have a higher price, but that doesn’t always mean better quality. The cartoon character backpacks might be appealing to younger children, but the quality feels questionable compared to backpacks at other major retailers. Avoid stuck zippers and easy wear-and-tear by opting for better quality at a slightly higher price.
Old Navy is currently running a 50% off sale on character backpacks, where you can find this clear pink Barbie backpack or a Sonic the Hedgehog canvas backpack for $17.49. There are also other character selections like Hello Kitty, Lilo & Stitch and Minecraft.
Bottom Line
Even though Dollar Tree’s $1.25 price is tempting, it’s not always the best price or the best quality. Once you factor in poor performance, frustration and potential kid meltdowns over a broken item, it’s usually not worth the “savings”. Instead, it could be worth it to spring for the slightly more expensive supplies that are higher quality from retailers you trust.
Disclaimer: Prices and availability accurate as of August 10, 2025 and subject to change.
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