The class list comes home and the total climbs before you’ve even hit checkout. These ten school supplies all ring up under a dollar at Target — the kind of haul where you actually feel good about the receipt.
1. 24ct Crayons Classic Colors – Mondo Llama™: School Supplies for Kids, Low-Odor, Multicolor, Ages 3+ – $0.25
At $0.25 for a 24-count box of low-odor crayons, this might be the most obvious stock-up on the entire list. Classic colors, rated for ages 3 and up — everything preschool and elementary classrooms need at a price that makes grabbing a few extra boxes completely sensible.
Parting Thoughts: Twenty-five cents per box means you can outfit an entire classroom table without thinking twice.
2. 10ct Washable Markers Fine Tip Classic Colors – Mondo Llama™ – $0.50
Fine-tip washable markers at 50 cents for 10 — these are the ones to grab when kids need precision on a project but you’re not spending real money on supplies. The 1.0mm point is genuinely fine, and the washable formula means cleanup is survivable.
Parting Thoughts: At half a dollar, toss a set in every backpack and call it done.
3. Elmer’s 4oz Washable School Glue – White – $0.90
The 4-ounce Elmer’s bottle has been on school supply lists longer than most of us can remember, and picking it up for under a dollar is exactly what back-to-school season is supposed to look like. Washable, non-toxic, and recommended for paper — it checks every box.
Parting Thoughts: Elmer’s at under a dollar is a deal that basically guarantees it lands in your cart.
4. Subject Spiral Notebook Wide Ruled Purple – Dealworthy™ – $0.45
Seventy wide-ruled pages, 3-hole punched with perforated sheets, in a spiral-bound notebook — all for $0.45. That’s enough notebook for a full school subject at a price that makes buying one per class the obvious move.
Parting Thoughts: For under 50 cents a notebook, buying one per class is a completely obvious call.
5. 2 Pocket Plastic Folder with Prongs Blue – up&up™: School Supplies, Polypropylene, 50 Sheet Capacity, 2 Internal Pockets – $0.69
Polypropylene holds up better than paper when a folder lives in a kid’s backpack all year, and this one has both prongs and pockets — the combination most teacher supply lists actually require. At $0.69, stocking one per subject is a completely reasonable call.
Parting Thoughts: This is the folder that survives the year; $0.69 is exactly what it should cost.
6. #2 Wood Pencils – $0.39-$0.99
No item disappears faster from a backpack or gets chewed through sooner, which is why buying the bigger pack at $0.39–$0.99 is just smart math. Stock up now while the price is low — you’ll be glad you did by November.
Parting Thoughts: Stock up heavy in August and you won’t be hunting for pencils until spring.
7. Cap Erasers 25ct – $0.49
Twenty-five pencil cap erasers for $0.49 — this is the item nobody thinks to buy until mid-October, when every pencil eraser has worn down to nothing. Cheap insurance at a price that makes it a no-brainer add-on.
Parting Thoughts: Forgot about erasers until the school year started? At $0.49 for 25, these are the easy fix.
8. Pencil Sharpener 2 Hole 1ct – $0.49
Handheld and dual-hole, this sharpener handles both standard and colored pencils for $0.49. It’ll get tossed into a backpack on day one and quietly do its job for the next ten months.
Parting Thoughts: Every backpack needs one, and at $0.49 there’s no excuse to leave it off the list.
9. BIC 10pk Xtra Life Ballpoint Pens Medium Tip Black ink: School Supplies, Stationery, 1.0mm Point, Office Essentials – $0.99
Middle schoolers burn through pens like nobody’s business, which is exactly why a 10-pack of BIC medium-point black ballpoints for $0.99 makes so much sense. Name-brand reliability at 10 cents a pen.
Parting Thoughts: Ten cents a pen from a brand that actually writes — this is a buy-two situation.
10. 100ct 3" x 5" Ruled Index Cards – $0.79
A hundred ruled index cards for $0.79 — the flashcard staple teachers have assigned as a study tool for generations. Use them for flashcards, notes, and study aids across every subject.
Parting Thoughts: For flashcards, notes, or study aids across every subject, a hundred cards for $0.79 earns its spot in the cart.
