Costco school supplies are showing up to win Back-to-School 2022. Shop as soon as you can because some of these items have Instant Savings offers only through July 24. And you know how Costco can be—when it’s gone, it’s gone, even if that happens before July 24.
To prove how low Costco’s prices are on these items, I’m comparing them to Walmart’s prices for identical or near-identical items. Walmart traditionally has uber low prices on back-to-school supplies, and the fact that Costco blows them out of the water in these categories makes Costco worth your time.
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1. Pentel mechanical pencils are almost $1 cheaper per pencil at Costco compared to Walmart.
Need mechanical pencils? Load up on these Pentels because this price is amazing. You’ll find 6-packs of Pentel Twist-Erase mechanical pencils for $6.99 at Costco.
- Costco: Pentel mechanical pencils, $1.70 each
- Walmart: Pentel mechanical pencils, $2.67 each
2. Costco’s binders are $2.50 each, $0.46 cheaper per binder than Walmart.
Costco’s D-Ring binders come out ahead of Walmart’s pricing—especially if you’re buying multiple binders for multiple kids.
- Costco: 1.5″ D-Ring binder, $2.50 each
- Walmart: 1.5″ D-Ring binder, $2.96 each
3. Gel pens are $0.06 cheaper per pen at Costco over Walmart.
G2 gel pens ring up at $1 per pen when you buy them at Costco. Even though Costco’s pack holds fewer pens in quantity, you’ll still save money when compared to Walmart.
- Costco: G2 gel pens, $1 each
- Walmart: G2 gel pens, $1.06 each
4. Expo dry erase markers are only $0.61 per marker at Costco.
If your children’s classes require a certain number of Expo markers, break open this pack of 18 markers and split it between multiple classes to save yourself even more money.
- Costco: Expo dry erase markers, $0.61 each
- Walmart: Expo dry erase markers, $0.69 each
5. Get two and a half Sharpies from Costco for the price of one at Walmart.
Sure, half a Sharpie isn’t literally a thing. But to put the price difference in perspective, when you buy Sharpies at Costco, you’ll get almost three markers for the price of one at Walmart.
- Costco: Sharpie fine-point permanent markers, $0.34 each
- Walmart: Sharpie fine-point permanent markers, $0.85 each
6. Get two Zebra retractable pens for the price of one at Walmart.
Are you feeling Costco’s theme of cheap writing implements? Costco is the place to buy pens this year. And you can get two for the price of one if you compare with Walmart’s price!
- Costco: Zebra retractable pens, $0.15 each
- Walmart: Zebra retractable pens, $0.36 each
7. Scotch tape rolls are bigger than Walmart’s and $0.67 cheaper per roll.
Listen up, if you use tape or are planning to use tape, even if not until Christmas, buy it at Costco. You’ll get more tape per roll, and it still costs less than Walmart!
- Costco: Scotch tape, 1,500 inches $1.25 per roll
- Walmart: Scotch tape, 1,000 inches $1.92 per roll
8. Costco scissors are $0.99 cheaper per pair than at Walmart.
These come in a 3-pack, so I’m sure you’re thinking you can split them among your kids, just like with the Expo markers. Another thought: Buy an extra package for your craft drawer.
- Costco: Scotch 8-inch scissors, $2.63 each
- Walmart: Scotch 8-inch scissors, $3.62 each
9. Paper Mate Flair markers squeak out at $0.60 per pen, compared to $0.79 per pen at Walmart.
I could say it about almost anything on this list, but if you know you’re going to be buying kid birthday presents in the near future, buy an extra pack of these. Toss them in your gift stockpile for the next time you forget about a birthday party until an hour before it starts. Oh wait, maybe that’s just me.
- Costco: Paper Mate Flair markers, $0.60 each
- Walmart: Paper Mate Flair markers, $0.79 each
10. Sharpie highlighters are a few pennies cheaper than Walmart’s price.
Last on the list is Sharpie highlighters, which are cheaper at Costco, but just barely. Hey, might as well grab them while you’re there cleaning Costco out of all the other great deals.
- Costco: Sharpie highlighters, $0.44 each
- Walmart: Sharpie highlighters, $0.50 each
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