15 Back-To-School Supplies To Buy In Bulk That'll Save You Money All Year Long

Because the beginning of school year doesn't need to break the bank.

1. A pack of Elmer's glue sticks because let's face it, kids go through glue like it's *candy.* With this value pack, you can ~stick~ with a tried and true brand at nearly the same price as its generic (aka clumpy!) counterparts.

Amazon, amazon.com

Promising review: "This is by far the best price around for glue sticks, and on top of that these are great Elmer's brand sticks that really work well. At the dollar tree by me you can find a two-pack of generic glue sticks for one dollar. Those are nowhere near as good as Elmer's and clump up when used. Not to mention it's $15 for 30 of them and you still have to drive to the store. These were shipped next day to my house for $8.38 cents! This is a fantastic price for quality glue sticks. Let the crafts begin!! =)" —Just trying to help =)

Get a pack of 30 from Amazon for $9.60.

2. A pack of cult status Crayola crayons to ensure each one of your kids (or students!) has an *infinite supply* and to save you from listening to them squabble over crayons ever again.

Amazon

Promising review: "Finally, a package of crayons large enough to make it through an entire school year! This was my best school supply purchase ever!"—Meredith

Get a pack of 24 (24 count each) from Amazon for $32.75.

3. Or a pack of pre-sharpened Crayola colored pencils that are always *on point* for any classroom art project. ~Color me happy.~

Amazon

Promising review: "Crayons is a trusted name for quality art projects for children. These pencils were a bargain. True clean colors. No iffy pinks instead of reds. Great price. Would buy again."—fattymoko

Get a pack of 24 (12 count each) from Amazon for $39.96.

4. A pack of waterproof name labels to Marie Kondo the heck out of your kid's supplies and to add a hint of ~pearly sparkle~ to their return to school.

Twinkle Label / Etsy

Twinkle Label is a small biz based in Los Angeles founded by a mother of one, who became obsessed with making sure all of her daughter’s belongings were labeled after her daughter entered preschool, but didn’t like the quality of many of the labels she used.

To personalize the labels, choose one font and place the order in your cart. At check out in the "note to seller" box, please write the name you want. Please write one word.

Promising review: "I really like these labels so far. Since the kids won't be sharing school supplies this year and need everything labeled. These labels are great since you get so many. All the others I looked at were so much more expensive."—terribeth07

Get a pack of 240 from Twinkle Label on Etsy for $9.99.

5. A pack of Play-Doh that'll last for months and inspire hours of ooey gooey creative fun during class, at recess and even after school's out.

Amazon, amazon.com

Promising review: "This is a great value for the money. I'm a teacher and I purchase this set for my class twice a year. It's great as a first day of school ice breaker and later on as a Christmas gift. There are enough cans so every child can have a choice and the extra cans go into the prize box. My students love it! This Play Doh is a nice size that gives kids just enough dough to make special creations. It leads to plenty of creative playtime fun! Teachers can make it more educational by allowing the children to create and then write about their creations. My second grade students never complain about creating, writing, and sharing when we use Play Doh."—CidyLouWho

Get a pack of 36 from Amazon for $24.99.

6. A pack of solid essential low-cut kids' socks to ~sock up~ on before the school year and to prevent those mad scrambles in the morning to find a sock's missing buddy.

Amazon

Promising review: "I bought these for my son for school. The value is amazing considering how many come in the pack! My son loves these socks and they have held up."—MaKayla Woodard

Get a pack of 15 from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in sizes 12 Months–15 years and in eight color combos).

7. A pack of folders to save you the agony of running from store to store trying to find the colors you need (Why are they always sold out?!?).

amazon.com

Promising review: "I bought a box of these for my kids for school after every store locally ran out of school supplies. I was very happy when I saw the heavier stock than what you get in the 'back-to-school specials bin.' Not only are they cheaper to buy this way, but they seem durable enough that they may actually make it through a full school year."—AC2MO

Promising review: "Excellent price and savings! I bought three boxes of these for my home office, for my high school daughter and for my work office. These folders are very good quality and the colors are bright and vibrant. They are very durable. This was an excellent buy!"—Seashelly1

Get a pack of 25 from Amazon for $9.90.

8. A pack of #2 pencils made with high-quality wood that come *pre-sharpened* because "I enjoy sharpening pencils" — said no parent, ever.

Amazon

Promising review: "Been buying these boxes of pencils for the past year or so. We are now on our third box (yeah, that's what happens when our teen boys fail to put their pencils back in their backpack or pencil bag in their binder! Really, it's not hard, but they have yet to reach this developmental milestone). Thus, I love buying Amazon's bulk pencils. So glad these now come pre-sharpened! That little meaningful improvement cuts 30 seconds of pencil sharpening stress as we are trying to run out the door in the morning and someone realizes they don't have any pencils on hand. I put a bunch of these pre-sharpened beauties in a large clear mason jar, near where they store their backpacks. No excuses for being without a writing utensil! These are high quality pencils and an excellent value. Way to go, Amazon, for keeping our whole family stocked with quality school supplies like these pencils."—E. Huinda

Get a pack of 150 from Amazon for $12.49.

9. A pack of leak-proof water bottles perfectly sized for backpacks, lunch boxes and cupholders with a handy wrist sling and a spout that's easy to snap open and close. Oh..and they're such a bargain, you won't have a total meltdown when your kiddo inevitably loses a bottle (or two). *Sigh*

Amazon, amazon.com

Promising review: "These are a great value for your money, I was looking for something affordable AND durable that I could send with my kids to school, since they lose water bottles left and right (at $10–$20 a pop that adds up with three kids) and I have gotten so tired of cleaning out the plastic straws that come with most bottles, these solve that issue, they do have a smaller opening on the lid but since I bought these for my younger girls school backpacks I don't mind, I was also delighted to discover they are safe to put in the dishwasher."—naluheart

Get a pack of six from Amazon for $13.99.

10. A pack of vivid dry-erase markers so you're well-equipped to solve (or teach!) math problems on whiteboards. Reviewers swear these last *wayyyyy* longer than Expo markers.

Amazon, amazon.com

Promising review: "Great value! I bought this 52-pack instead of buying smaller packs for school supplies. My kids then picked out how many they needed for the school year. I have enough markers for next year too. (Hoping they don’t dry out) These were much cheaper than the brand-name markers!"—S. Benson

Promising review: "Ever since I found these, they have been the only whiteboard marker I trust in my classroom. They last longer than an Expo marker for less cost. Additionally, this pack has such a great selection of colors that it is easy to write notes, graph, or do data with my students. LOVE LOVE LOVE."—TJ

Get a pack of 52 from Amazon for $27.99.

11. A pack of felt tip pens so ~ink-credible~ they won't bleed through paper and so vibrant that they'll add a little pizzazz to note-taking or grading papers.

Amazon, amazon.com

Promising review: "THESE ARE MY FAVORITE MARKERS EVER!!! I am a college student and color coating is how I live my life. These markers are SO expensive in the stores, for example at Walmart they were $32.99 and at Staples they are $39.99 so finding these on Amazon for only $20 was a STEAL! These markers last forever, depending on how much you use them. I use mine every day and they last me over six months. They are not too big and not too fine. Also, the best part is that they do not bleed through the pages!!! Unless you underline things or go over things multiple times then yes its obviously going to bleed through but if you are just writing normal it will not bleed through like a sharpie will. I am so pumped to use these markers this semester."—Amazon Customer

Get a pack of 24 from Amazon for $20.02.

12. A pack of college-ruled pastel colored notebooks (with perforated edges that make tearing out pages a breeze!) that are both pretty *and* practical.

Amazon, amazon.com

Promising review: "Great price for a bundle. Really cute colors! Bought them for back-to-school for my niece entering seventh grade. Now she has a notebook for each subject, with a spare, which she donated to her class. Would buy again."—Kindle Customer

Get a pack of six from Amazon for $13.73.

13. A pack of Sharpie highlighters proven to help you ace that biology test. Just kidding — but these will def make studying a lot less painful.

Amazon

Promising review: "Bought this for my children's teachers. Split one box between each kid and found it way cheaper than the $4 pack of three skinny ones from local stores. It also helps the teacher out by donating to a child whose parents may not be able to get the basic resources for them. Also because the marker is thick and round I believe it helps young kids grasp better."—Dustin F.

Get a pack of 36 from Amazon for $13.46.

14. A pack of erasers to reassure your little scholar that it's 100% ok to make mistakes and to ensure they can still turn in flawless homework assignments...without any smudges left behind.

Amazon, amazon.com

Promising review: "Loved the price. We couldn't beat the price when we were comparing school supplies to Walmart. When you're shopping for four kids (5th, 5th, 7th & 10th) cost of items is very important for our family!"—C. Miller

Promising review: "I have bought literally hundreds of these erasers for school supply donations. They’re huge and the price is the best out there. Trust me. I’ve searched. Thanks Amazon."—M~

Get a pack of 12 from Amazon for $5.47.

15. A pack of soft and stretchy Fruit of the Loom underwear with 20,000 5-star reviews (!!!) made from 100% cotton that'll give your kids full coverage without pinching or riding up. Reviewers swear these stand up to frequent machine washing.

Amazon

Promising review: "When you find comfortable underwear for your kids, it's awesome to be able to buy a large amount! This brand and style were perfect for my daughter, and I wanted to make sure that she was comfortable each day at school. I will continue to buy these as she grows!"—Sarah K. Dolan

Get a pack of 20 from Amazon for $17.98.