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This time of year, office supply stores become back-to-school supplies stores.

We’ve made Office Depot (and their sister store OfficeMax) a non-negotiable stop during our back-to-school shopping, because their sales offer the same low prices you may find at Target back-to-school and Walmart back-to-school. Keep reading to learn some of our favorite tips for how to save at Office Depot during back-to-school season.

Don’t forget to bookmark our back-to-school page to follow all the best Office Depot back-to-school deals.

 

1. Join Office Depot/OfficeMax Rewards to get 2% back on nearly everything in store.

A person's hand holding up an Office Depot rewards brochure and a receipt outside of an Office Depot store.
  • Join Office Depot/OfficeMax Rewards for free and you’ll earn 2% back on nearly everything in the store.
  • Rewards certificates are sent out once a month and are valid for 60 days.
  • Watch for member-only savings to earn up to 100% back in rewards when you purchase specific products.
  • Receive $2 back in rewards for every ink cartridge you recycle with a minimum purchase of $10.
  • Earn $2 back in rewards for reviewing products online, with a limit of three per month.

 

2. Watch for Office Depot/OfficeMax Rewards Offers to score school supplies for free.

A person's hand holding a 14-pack of PaperMate gel pens in front of a display with more pens at Office Depot.

What’s better than picking up school supplies for cheap? Getting them for free, of course! One of the best perks of having an Office Depot/OfficeMax Rewards membership is the members-only rewards offers. Look for rewards opportunities offering 100% back in rewards for purchasing specific products. 100% back in rewards = free. In recent years, we’ve seen Office Depot back-to-school rewards offers on the following items:

 

3. Shop Office Depot back-to-school sales to stock up for the same prices as Target and Walmart.

A person's hand holding a box of Ticonderoga pencils above a shopping cart filled with other office and school supplies.

Watch for Office Depot’s school supply sales to start in July. You’ll find name and store brand school supplies for prices that rival Target’s back-to-school and Walmart’s back-to-school sales. It’s not uncommon to see the following sale prices for popular school supplies at Office Depot, so take that as your cue to stock up.

  • Office Depot pens: $0.15 each
  • Elmer’s glue sticks: $0.25 each
  • Crayola crayons, 24 ct: $0.49
  • Office Depot composition notebooks: $0.50
  • Office Depot filler paper: $0.75
  • Crayola markers, 10 ct: $0.75
  • Crayola colored pencils, 12 ct: $0.75
  • Office Depot pencils, 12 ct: $0.75
  • Office Depot mechanical pencils, 6 ct: $0.99
  • Office Depot 1″ binders: $0.99
  • Ticonderoga pencils, 12 ct: $1.49
  • Office Depot backpacks: $10

 

 

4. Office Depot’s back-to-school sales have offered some of the lowest prices we’ve seen on Crayola.

Two packs of Crayola 24-count crayons leaning up against a sale tag advertising a 2 for $1 sale at Office Depot.

Let’s face it — every kid wants the classics when it comes to school supplies. That means Crayola is likely on your back-to-school shopping list (no hard feelings, Cra-Z-Art.) Shopping for high-quality name brands doesn’t mean you have to break the bank, though.

Office Depot actually has some of the lowest prices we’ve seen on Crayola markers and colored pencils in recent years. In 2020, Office Depot offered Crayola colored pencils and markers and colored pencils for only $0.75. Walmart usually has Crayola markers and colored pencils for $0.97. Crayola crayons should be purchased for around $0.50 per box, which is the standard across most of the common back-to-school retailers.

 

5. Office Depot’s Give Back to Schools program allows you to donate 5% to your designated school.

A screenshot from Office Depot's website about their Give Back to schools program that reads, "Simply make a purchase of qualifying products, provide your school ID at checkout and we'll receive 5% back in credits for FREE supplies"

Office Depot has come up with a super-easy way to donate to the school that has your heart. To participate in Office Depot’s Give Back to Schools program, contact your school for their unique ID number.

Then provide your school’s ID when making a purchase in store or online and your school of choice will receive 5% back on your qualifying Office Depot school supply purchase. Once your school has earned more than $10 in a quarter, they’ll be mailed a merchandise certificate that can be used in-store or online at OfficeDepot.com.

Office Depot reports that they’ve given $38,000,000 back to schools since the formation of the program, with some schools receiving up to $3,000 a year.

 

6. Teachers can save with exclusive coupons.

A graphic of two coupons, both titled "Teachers mean the world to us", one offering 20% off a qualifying purchase and the other offering 20% back in rewards at Office Depot or Office Max.

Worrying about the cost of stocking a classroom before a new school year should be the last thing on a teacher’s mind. Office Depot may be able to help. If you’re a teacher, check the Rewards Offers section for exclusive coupons to use during back-to-school season.

I spotted coupons specifically for teachers that offered 20% off any purchase and 20% back in rewards. To receive the savings, you must be an Office Depot/OfficeMax Rewards member and have a valid teacher ID.

6 Reasons to Shop Office Depot During Back-to-School Season