I took my kids shopping for school supplies at Walmart and Target. I found way better clearance deals at the latter.

Terri PetersAug 27, 2024, 02:24 IST

I went back-to-school shopping at Target and Walmart.Terri Peters<ul class="summary-list"><li>I took my two teenagers <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-shop-for-back-to-school-without-spending-tons-2024-8">shopping for school supplies</a> at Target and Walmart.</li><li>We live in Florida, where school starts in mid-August, so there were lots of clearance deals.</li></ul>My family has been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/back-to-school-season-homeschooling-benefits-2024-8">homeschooling for the last four years</a>, but my kids grew up attending public school, so we're no strangers to back-to-school shopping.Although most of my kids' schoolwork these days only requires their laptops, we still stock up on essentials like notebooks, mechanical pencils, and three-ring binders at the beginning of each school year.My kids are teenagers now, so we also get them new backpacks and lunch boxes since they often do their school assignments on the go.Target and <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trader-joes-vs-walmart-grocery-shopping-which-is-better-review-2024-8">Walmart</a> are usually our go-to spots for supplies. The discount department stores tend to have a broad selection and decent prices, so I was curious how they compared. Here's how our back-to-school shopping trips at Target and Walmart stacked up.

My local Target had mostly emptied its back-to-school section, but I found great clearance deals.

The back-to-school section at my local Target was mostly gone by the last week of August. Terri Peters

I spotted a few clearance sales at Walmart, too.

My local Walmart had a few markdowns. Terri Peters

Although empty in spots, Target's back-to-school section had lots of essentials.

I found a lot of school supplies for cheap prices at Target. Terri Peters

My local Walmart's back-to-school section had, for the most part, been set up for Halloween.

It was nice to see Halloween stuff out but I wished Walmart had more discounted school supplies.Terri Peters

This was apparently a great time to buy cute back-to-school accessories at Target.

Some supplies aren't essentials but are nice for students to have. Terri Peters

Walmart seemed to have more supplies geared toward teachers and their classrooms.

It was nice to see some products for teachers. Terri Peters

The non-clearance school supplies in both stores seemed similarly priced.

Target (left) had prices similar to Walmart (right).Terri Peters

I recommend visiting Target during its back-to-school clearance if you can — it's a great time to stock up.

My Target had some school supplies on clearance in late August. Terri Peters

I asked 5 Starbucks baristas to make me their favorite off-menu drinks. I'd order them all again despite the prices.

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