I’m a Parent: Here Are the 7 Things I Buy From Costco for Back to School
Written by
Angela Mae
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Amber Barkley
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A CapitalOne Shopping report found that the average cost of back-to-school shopping per child is around $597 for school-aged children. Meanwhile, the typical household budget for back-to-school shopping is $890 a year.
Costs vary widely based on where the family lives, their needs and how many children they have. But for busy parents who don’t want to spend a ton on back-to-school supplies, there’s one reliable place to shop: Costco.
GOBankingRates spoke with two parents — Betsy Brook of Little Beauties Home and Amanda Schmitt of LifeAsMama — about what they buy at Costco for their kids who are going back to school.
Markers and Pens
Brook, a stay-at-home mother, said she homeschools her kids but still shops at Costco for certain classroom essentials each year. Among those are Sharpie markers and Flair pens.
“Costco typically has two big sets of Sharpies, one multicolored and one classic black, on sale this time of year. This is a must-buy item for me — I use Sharpies all the time. Great for labeling back to school items or for sports/after school activities,” she said.
As for Flair pens, Brook said, “They have a huge pack at a great price for back to school. Kids and adults love these pens. These also make a great teacher gift!”
Costco also sells large packs of other must-have back-to-school writing implements. For example, there’s this 18-pack of dry erase markers for just $17.99. This 15-count of mechanical pencils costs $10.99.
Other Bulk School Supplies
As a parent, some of the top things Schmitt buys from Costco are bulk school supplies. This isn’t too surprising, considering the generally low per-unit prices and how easily — and frequently — these things get lost, worn out or run out of ink. Shopping at Costco means she only has to get these items once a year, rather than multiple times throughout the year.
In particular, Schmitt said she gets pencils, notebooks, markers, glue sticks and more from the members-only warehouse club.
Brook also said she gets spiral notebook bundles from Costco. “I think the brands vary from year to year, but this is a good item to buy during back to school sales at Costco,” she said. “Great value.”
Backpacks and Lunchboxes
Schmitt said she always goes for backpacks and lunchboxes at Costco — when a replacement is needed. This is largely because these items are durable, long-lasting and affordable.
Here are just a couple of options are Costco:
- Three-pack of Bentgo kids’ lunch boxes for $29.99
- Puma Challenger backpack (for older kids) for $39.99
Vitamins for Kids
Costco seemingly sells bulk everything, including children’s vitamins. For Brook, back-to-school shopping is a good time to stock up — and to look for some deals.
“This is the time to buy any supplements or vitamins for your kids,” she said. “Once fall and back to school are here, some of the more popular brands of vitamins get harder to find. I know the Smarty Pants chewable vitamins for kids are currently on sale at Costco.”
Here are a few prices on children’s vitamins right now:
- Kirkland Signature Children’s Multivitamins for $14.49 (320 gummies)
- L’il Critters Immune C Gummy Vitamin for $16.99 (290 gummies)
- SmartyPants Kids Formula Multivitamin for $16.29 (180-count)
Snacks
What’s better than scoring savings on essential school supplies? Getting those deals on snacks the kids will love.
“Costco has a great Kirkland big bag of trail mix we love in our household,” said Brook. “I always make sure to pick up a bag or two this time of year. Also, this is a good time to stock up on things like granola bars, dried fruit, chips or anything that your kids like for snacks and lunches.”
These are just a few snacks for the kids at Costco:
- Kirkland Signature Soft & Chewy Granola Bars for $12.59 (64-count)
- Kirkland Signature Trail Mix for $15.99 (four pounds)
- Frito Lay Classic Chip Mix for $23.99 (54-count)
- Variety pack of Kind Mini Bars for $20.99 (36-count)
Apparel and Accessories
For busy parents like Schmitt, it’s hard to beat the convenience of shopping at Costco for back-to-school clothes and accessories.
“The main draws for me are the value and convenience,” she said. “I can get everything in one trip, and the bulk sizes mean the kids are set for the year. The prices can’t be beat and the quality is always great.”
For clothes, she typically goes for things like jeans, t-shirts and socks. “The quality is good and sizes run a bit big, so the kids get extra use out of them.”
Costco sells all sorts of kids clothing, including activewear, shoes, dresses, socks and underwear, outerwear, clothing sets and individual pieces like shirts, shorts or pants. Prices range depending on factors like the brand, clothing type and age, but it never hurts to check what’s on sale.
Post-it Notes
While the little ones might not get as much use out of sticky notes, older kids definitely can. And so can parents.
“More for me than my kids, but this is another must have each year when back to school shopping at Costco,” said Brook. “Really great value and fun colors.”
At Costco, you can get Post-it notes in bulk for $11.99. This pack includes 100 sheets and 24 pads in assorted colors.
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