Back to School Shopping List: Core Supplies for Under $100

School supply costs have climbed in recent years, but with a clear list and a plan you really can cover the core supplies for one child for under $100. Here is how, store by store and item by item.

The short answer

Yes — for supplies plus a backpack, not for a whole back-to-school shop. The supplies themselves come to roughly $13–29 depending on grade, which leaves most of the $100 for a backpack and a lunch bag.

What does not fit under $100 is clothing, shoes and electronics. The National Retail Federation puts average 2026 back-to-school spending at $863.86 per family, and electronics alone averages $293.11. This page is about the smallest of those categories — the one you have the most control over.

Available in: United States

Pair this list with a full back-to-school budget so nothing catches you out.

Is $100 Back to School Shopping Really Possible?

I want to be honest about what "possible" means so you do not feel let down at the register. The average American family spends far more than $100 per child once you add clothes, shoes, a backpack, and a long teacher list. The headlines lump all of that together. But the core school supplies — pencils, paper, folders, glue, and a sturdy backpack — genuinely fit under $100. Map them into our free back-to-school budget planner to see the whole picture.

Three things make it work:

• Dollar stores price small consumables well below big-box shelf prices for the same function.
• Store brands (Walmart's Pen+Gear, Target's up & up) are worth a look: compare store-brand and name-brand options on both price and the features you actually need before choosing.
• Reusing last year's items — scissors, rulers, lunchboxes — removes them from the list entirely, which beats any discount.

The goal is not the cheapest possible junk that falls apart in October. It is the right things at the right price so you are not back at the store in three weeks.

Complete Shopping List by Grade

Every school sends its own list, so always check yours first. These grade-by-grade lists cover what most teachers ask for, priced at typical Walmart, Target and Dollar Tree levels. As flagged above, treat every figure as illustrative rather than a current quote — the subtotals are what matter, and they are what leave room for a backpack.

Kindergarten

Little ones need more of the shared, washable, oversized stuff.

• Box of 24 crayons (Crayola): $0.97
• Washable markers, 8-count: $1.97
• 4 jumbo glue sticks: $2.50 (or 4 from Dollar Tree at $1.25 each pack)
• Blunt-tip kids' scissors: $1.00 (Dollar Tree)
• 2 plastic folders: $2.00
• Pack of #2 pencils, 12-count: $1.00
• Pink eraser 2-pack: $1.25 (Dollar Tree)
• Box of tissues: $1.25 (Dollar Tree)
• Supplies subtotal: about $12

Elementary (Grades 1 to 5)

• Wide-ruled notebook paper, 150 sheets: $0.97
• 4 spiral notebooks: $2.00 (Dollar Tree, 2 packs)
• 6 plastic folders with pockets: $3.00
• 24-count #2 pencils: $1.50
• Crayons, 24-count: $0.97
• Colored pencils, 12-count: $1.50
• 2 glue sticks: $1.25
• Handheld pencil sharpener: $1.00 (Dollar Tree)
• Ruler with inches and centimeters: $1.00 (Dollar Tree)
• Supplies subtotal: about $13

Middle School (Grades 6 to 8)

• 5-subject notebook: $3.97
• College-ruled filler paper, 200 sheets: $1.97
• 1-inch 3-ring binder: $3.00
• Pack of dividers: $1.25 (Dollar Tree)
• Mechanical pencils, 10-count: $2.50
• Blue and black pens, 10-count: $2.00
• 2 highlighters: $1.25 (Dollar Tree)
• Pocket folders, 4-pack: $2.00
• Scientific calculator (only if required): $9.88
• Supplies subtotal: about $18 without the calculator, $28 with it

High School (Grades 9 to 12)

• 3 college-ruled notebooks: $3.00
• 2 binders, 1.5-inch: $6.00
• College-ruled filler paper, 400 sheets: $3.94
• Pens, blue and black, 10-count: $2.00
• Mechanical pencils, 10-count: $2.50
• Highlighters, 4-pack: $2.50
• Sticky notes, 3-pack: $1.25 (Dollar Tree)
• USB flash drive (often reusable from last year): $5.00 to $8.00
• Supplies subtotal: about $21, or $29 if you need a new flash drive

Across the grades the supplies run about $12 to $29, which leaves $71 to $88 of your $100 for a backpack and a few clothing or lunch basics. A solid kids' backpack runs $9 to $20 at Walmart, and a lunch bag is another $5 to $8.

What to Buy Where

Different stores suit different parts of the list. You do not have to drive all over town — pick two stops and compare the items whose prices differ most between them.

Dollar Tree

Worth checking for basic consumables. Compare the unit price against the same quantity elsewhere before you buy:

• Erasers, glue sticks, and folders
• Scissors, rulers, and pencil sharpeners
• Tissues, hand sanitizer, and zip-top bags for shared classroom supplies
• Sticky notes, index cards, and highlighters

The quality on crayons and markers can be hit or miss, so I usually skip those here and compare the name brands at a big-box store instead.

Walmart

Worth comparing for name-brand supplies such as Crayola crayons, store-brand notebooks and bulk pencils, and for a backpack and basic clothes in the same trip. Compare the shelf prices against your other stops rather than assuming one store is cheaper across the board.

Target

Worth checking for current promotions, clearance and store-brand options such as the up & up range. Check the app for the week's offers before you go, and compare them against your other choices rather than planning the whole list around them.

Items to Skip Completely

Stores are very good at getting you to add "just one more thing." Here is what to leave on the shelf to protect your $100.

• Character-branded everything. Compare character-branded folders and notebooks with the plain alternatives beside them; if the design carries a premium you do not value, choose on function instead.
• Fancy mechanical pencils and gel pen sets. Compare decorative or designer sets with the simpler options that meet the same item on the list, and pay the difference only if it matters to you.
• Trendy fidget and locker decor. Cute, but not on the teacher's list and not in the budget.
• Oversized supply caddies and desk organizers unless specifically requested.
• Duplicate tech. If last year's calculator or flash drive still works, do not rebuy it.

If keeping impulse buys in check is a constant struggle, you might enjoy my guide on the things to stop buying to save money, which uses the same say-no-kindly approach.

Items to Borrow or Get Free

Some of the best supplies cost zero dollars. Before you buy, do a quick scavenger hunt at home and around your community.

• Last year's leftovers. Half-used notebooks, unbroken crayons, and intact backpacks are perfectly good. Empty the junk drawer first.
• Community supply drives. Many churches, libraries, United Way chapters, and Salvation Army locations host free back-to-school giveaways in July and August. A quick call can save you the whole list.
• School counselors. Most schools keep a quiet stash for families who need it. Asking is normal, and the answer is almost always a kind yes.
• Buy Nothing groups. Search Facebook for your local Buy Nothing group and post a simple request. Neighbors regularly pass along gently used backpacks and unopened supplies.
• Teacher wish lists. Some teachers will tell you the truly optional items so you can skip them guilt-free.

The $100 Budget Shopping Day Plan

Here is the exact step-by-step plan I would follow to walk out at or under $100 with everything your kid needs. Treat it like a recipe.

1. The night before, do a home inventory. Gather every reusable supply you own, scissors, rulers, backpacks, half-full crayon boxes, and cross those off the school list. This step alone can take several items off the list before you spend anything.
2. Set your hard cap and bring cash. Pull out a single $100 bill or set a $100 limit in your banking app. Cash makes overspending impossible because the wallet simply runs empty.
3. Check the Target and Walmart apps for the week's deals. Check notebook prices and other basic supplies, and note anything currently discounted, backpacks included. Plan your route so you hit the discounts you found first.
4. Start at Dollar Tree. Knock out erasers, glue, folders, sharpeners, tissues, and hand sanitizer. Expect to spend $10 to $15 here.
5. Go to Walmart next. Grab crayons, markers, pencils, store-brand notebooks, the backpack, and any clothing basics. This is your biggest stop, around $40 to $55.
6. Stop at Target only for the doorbusters you flagged in step 3. Skip it entirely if the trip is not worth the gas.
7. Tally as you go. Keep a running total in your phone's calculator. When you hit $90, stop adding anything that is not on the school list.
8. Save your receipts. If a backpack zipper fails in week two, you can return or exchange it for free.

Stretching a tight food budget at the same time? The same store-brand strategy works at the grocery store, and my posts on how to save money on groceries as a student and building a cheap grocery list for one person both lean on the exact swaps we used here. And if you want a simple place to track this back-to-school spend so it does not blindside next month's bills, try the free budgeting tools at BudgetCalm to map it all out in a few minutes.

A clear list, two store stops, and a firm $100 cap are all it takes to send your kid in with everything on the supply list.

How we evaluated these options

BudgetCalm evaluated publicly available product information, pricing, features, availability, and official documentation. We did not test every product hands-on, and we say so rather than implying otherwise.

What we compared

• Grade lists built from what school supply lists commonly request
• Every subtotal recomputed against the items above it
• National spending context taken from the NRF rather than estimated
• Prices labelled as illustrative throughout, because they were not re-checked in store

BudgetCalm did not visit a store or price a basket for this revision. The item prices are typical US big-box and dollar-store levels at the time the list was written; they are not a 2026 price check and are flagged as such at the top of the page. The worked example previously stated a $74 total that could not be reconciled against the item prices listed; it has been rebuilt from the Elementary subtotal so a reader can check it. The frontmatter carries no priceVerifiedAt date because no price on this page has been verified.

This comparison was last worked through in September 2026.

Sources

1. National Retail Federation — 2026 back-to-school survey with Prosper Insights & Analytics — average spend per family and category breakdown (checked September 2026)