School supplies at 5 stores: 5 On Your Side finds the cheapest place to shop

Back to school sticker shock is real. The cost of back-to-school essentials is up 8 to 18 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

While you can't control inflation, you do have lots of power over where you shop.

“Because of inflation and the increased cost of goods, people must shop smart to get the biggest bang for their buck,” said WRAL Smart Shopper Faye Prosser.

5 On Your Side used a school supply list from Farmington Woods Elementary in Cary to compare the prices of popular back-to-school items at five different stores.

Busy parents don’t have time to browse, so 5 On Your Side did the busy work, visiting four major retailers and online giant Amazon to find the cheapest prices. The items compared were a pack of sticky notes, highlighters, glue sticks, colored pencils and disinfectant wipes. Here's the price breakdown:

• At Dollar Tree, the five items totaled $10.73
• At Target, the items totaled $11.06
• At Walmart, the items totaled $13.10
• On Amazon, the items totaled $23.14
• At Office Depot, the total was $24.52

Five items for $25 is a lot more expensive than the total would have been in previous years. The National Retail Federation predicts shoppers will drop an average of $864 on back-to-school clothing and supplies per household, $168 more than before the pandemic.

Due to inflation and the increased cost of goods, people need to shop smart to get the biggest bang for their buck.

WRAL's Smart Shopper shares five ways to save:

1. Shop around -- browse prices online before entering a store.
2. If you don’t have time to shop around, Walmart tends to have the best prices and inventory overall.
3. Buy generic. The national brand that everyone knows might be 50 cents for the 24-pack of crayons, but the store brand might be a quarter or 35 cents.
4. Shop your home first. You probably already have unused or gently used folders, pens and pencils.
5. Use this as an opportunity to teach your child good money habits.

If your child wants a special backpack or notebook that costs more, Prosser suggests explaining the need to stay within budget.

“Tell your child ‘You can get the character backpack or that special notebook you want, but we have to stay within this budget so that means we are going to have to cut in other ways,’” Prosser said.

WRAL Smart Shopper releases a list of the best back-to-school deals in the Triangle each week.

Help others afford school supplies

The items WRAL News purchased in the experiment were dropped off with principal Catie Burnett and assistant principal Joyce Ratley at Washington Magnet Elementary in Raleigh.

One-third of parents surveyed said they were concerned about even being able to cover the cost of school supplies. Families who want to help can contact their local school district to see what items are most needed.

Helpful links

• WRAL's complete back-to-school coverage
• What vaccines are needed for the school year