Supply list sticker shock: I took my son’s Pre-K supply list to 3 top retailers, prices couldn’t be more different

HOUSTON – I’ll be honest — I had no idea what I was getting into. Buying school supplies for a 4-year-old can’t be that hard, right?!

Wrong! Kind of.

This is my first year sending my son to Pre-K within Houston Independent School District, and when I received that school supply list, I did what I always do. Open the Amazon app on my phone. It’s just easier, right? Everything shows up at your door in two days, you don’t have to drag a 4-year-old through store aisles, and in my experience, the prices have always been pretty comparable to what you’d find in a store. Or so I thought.

I added all 21 items from his Pre-K supply list to my Amazon cart, and when I saw the total, I actually had to stop and stare at the screen for a second.

$183.35. Before tax.

For a Pre-Kindergartener.

At that point my thumb absolutely refused to click the yellow “Proceed to checkout” button. Something told me to shop that same supply list both at Walmart and Target, and I’m so glad I did.

For the exact same items, Walmart rang up at $86.27. Target came in at $141.20. That’s a difference of more than $115 between Amazon and Walmart — for the same list, the same brands, the same quantities.

I’m not exaggerating when I say I was speechless. I’ve always trusted Amazon as a convenient, reasonably priced option. This was a wake-up call for this online-shopping mom.

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So what’s behind the prices differences?

The school list was pretty specific in it’s instructions. Buy this amount of these brand-specific items in this quantity. That doesn’t leave much wiggle room to compare other brands. But I love following the rules, so I did what I was told. So why were some totals so much higher than others?

Take the plastic school box. Yes, the hard plastic one that every kid has had since the beginning of time. Amazon had it for $8.99. Walmart? $0.92. I had to double-check that one.

The Crayola washable markers also caught my attention at $14.99 on Amazon. But let me give credit where it’s due, that price is for a 2-pack of 8 markers. The supply list only needs one pack of 8 markers, though, and Walmart had a single pack for $5.94 while Target carried a 10-count for $2.84. More isn’t always better when you’re paying that much of a premium for it.

Next was the manila drawing paper — one of those items I didn’t even know I needed until I read the list — which ran $15.86 on Amazon for 100 sheets. Walmart had it for $3.93 and Target for $4.74, both for 70 sheets. Even with fewer sheets, it wasn’t close.

Then there’s the rest mat.

If there is one item on this list that deserves its own paragraph, it’s the rest mat.

Pre-K kids take naps — I knew that going in. What I did not know is that a 1-inch rest mat could cost wildly different amounts depending on where you shop. At Walmart, the cheapest option was $12.97. At Amazon, it was $35.99. And at Target? $55.99. That is not a typo.

Because the rest mat creates such a dramatic swing in the overall totals, it’s worth looking at the numbers both ways:

Totals with the rest mat:

• Amazon: $183.35
• Walmart: $86.27
• Target: $141.20

Totals without the rest mat:

• Amazon: $147.36
• Walmart: $73.30
• Target: $79.51

Once you take the rest mat out of the equation, Walmart and Target are actually pretty close — separated by about $6. Amazon is still nearly double either store.

At this point in the story, I had 3 different carts filled with the exact same items. So I ended up buying a mix of the supplies from Walmart and Target, and yes, Amazon. My grand total, tax-included price was $99.59.

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A word for fellow first-timers

If you’re a first-time school parent this year, you are not alone in the overwhelm. Navigating a school supply list for the first time, with specific brands, colors, quantities, etc., was a learning curve I was not anticipating.

I’ll be the first to admit I don’t have all the answers. Honestly, I probably don’t even have half the answers. I went into this assuming the most convenient option would also be a reasonable one, and I was wrong. What I walked away with is simple: it pays to price compare, even when it feels easier not to.

For the parents who have done this before — yes you, who can spot a good deal on a 3-pack of Elmer’s glue sticks from across the aisle — I want to hear from you. What back-to-school tips do you wish someone had told you in the beginning? Drop your advice in the comments. First-timers are listening. (Yes, I am 100% talking about myself.)

If you made it this far, first, thank you. Second, here’s the exact school supply list I was tasked with getting. And below, was my price breakdown for each item at each retailer.

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School Supply List:

• Binder - Durable - View - 1 Inch - White - Avery (1)
• Crayons - Crayola - 16 Count (3)
• Dry Erase Markers - Expo - 4 Color Set - Fine (1)
• Folder - Plastic Pocket & Prong - Purple (1)
• Glue Stick - Elmers - Washable Glue Stick - Purple - .77 oz - 3 Pack (2)
• Markers - Washable - Crayola - Classic - 8 Count – Thick (1)
• Paint – Watercolor Set – Crayola – 16 Oval - Washable (1)
• Paper - Construction - 12x18 - Assorted Colors - 50 Count (1)
• Paper - Drawing - Manila - 12x18 - 50 Count (1)
• Pencils - Triconderoga Tri-Write - Number 2 - 8 Pack (1)
• School Box - 5.6 in x 8.4 in x 2.5 in - Plastic - Assorted Colors (1)
• Scissors - Fiskar - Kids - 5 Inch - Blunt (1)
• Tissue - Kleenex - 100 Count (2)
• Disinfectant Wipes – Clorox – 75 Count (1)
• Zipper Bags - Glad - Gallon - 20 Count (1)
• Zipper Bags - Glad - Sandwich - 50 Count (1)
• Rest Mat – 1 Inch (Thin Rest Mat) (1)

(One small disclosure note on Target: Target did not appear to carry Glad-brand zipper bags, so Ziploc brand was substituted as a comparable alternative. That substitution is reflected in the Target total.)