How to Save on Target Back to School—From Supplies to Backpacks

It doesn’t matter if you’re shopping for pencils, backpacks, or new school clothes; Target back-to-school deals can save you serious cash!

We’ll show you how to get the best Target deals for back to school, no matter what you’re shopping for.

You should also follow our back-to-school deals page, because we seriously have you covered. You’ll get our back-to-school stock-up price list, links to our favorite stores, and all of the latest school supply deals.

And of course, don’t forget to download the official KCL app and toggle on notifications for Target deals.

1. When Does Target Put Out School Supplies?

Target back-to-school deals are the best starting the second week of July through the last week of August. Target uniforms and clothing deals start first in July; then the Target school supplies sales will roll out after. Keep in mind that the closer you get to the start of the first day of school (for your area), product availability will become scarce.

Don’t forget, you can always price match at Target too.

2. Use Target Circle—even if you’re shopping for Target school supplies online.

Target Circle lives inside Target’s official app. It has hundreds of manufacturer and in-store coupons and savings you should consider for Target school supplies. Download the Target app, tap “Target Circle Offers,” and load whatever offers you’re interested in.

Circle offers range from as low as 5% off all the way up to 20% or more off Target back-to-school essentials. You’ll find deals on clothes, supplies, and snacks in the Circle section of your Target app.

Here are some back-to-school shopping savings I found last time I visited the app:

• 10% off Prismacolor Markers
• 10% off Good & Gather Snack Bars
• 25% off Crayola Color Wonder Activity Pads

PRO TIP: The manufacturer coupons on Target’s Circle app can only be redeemed once, so if you’re buying more than one of a product, check our coupon database for more offers that you can use.

3. Buy Target backpacks when they’re at least 25% off.

Target backpacks come in a wide variety of sizes, patterns, and themes. You can truly find a backpack for every student in your family at Target. We see name-brand backpacks like JanSport on sale for up to 25% off in July and August.

In August 2021, Target had the Trans by JanSport Super Cool 17″ Backpack on sale for $33 (regularly $44.99). Plus, Trans by JanSport has a lifetime warranty. They’ll fix it or, if they can’t, replace it instead. Can’t beat that.

Check out these backpack deals too.

4. While you’re grabbing Target school supplies, pick up clothes like leggings for 50% off.

Cat & Jack leggings are some of the best out there, and they run $6 a pair without sales. (Plus they have some awesome designs your kids will love.) But here’s the thing: Target always runs mega sales on kids’ clothes at the end of July and early August for back to school.

Look for 50% off or even a gift card promo (like $10 off of $25 spent on kids’ apparel) while you’re doing your Target back-to-school shopping.

Considering Kohl’s Jumping Beans leggings are regularly priced at $12, you’re better off sticking with Target.

Make sure to check out the KCL School Supply Stock-Up Price List so you know the best prices for your school supply haul.

5. Buy Target school uniforms and save 50%-75%.

School uniforms don’t have to break the bank. Old Navy and Target are both popular picks for uniforms, but buying Target school uniforms will almost always save you money over Old Navy’s prices. Check it out:

• Cat & Jack Boys’ Uniform Pants: $12.99
• Old Navy Uniform Flexform Pants: $24.99

Bottom Line: Target is 48% less.

• Cat & Jack Boys’ Uniform Short Sleeve Jersey Polo Shirt: $4
• Old Navy Uniform Stain-Resistant Polo: $16.99

Bottom Line: Target is 76% less.

 

 

6. Only buy back-to-school shoes when you have a Target Circle offer or there’s a sale.

As long as you’re shopping for Target back to school, don’t forget to keep an eye out for shoes. I like to wait until there’s at least a 20% off Target Circle offer to buy shoes, but 30% off has happened in the past too.

Or you can take advantage of sales. In August 2021, Target offered kids’ shoes on sale, buy one get one 50% off. I was able to get two pairs of sneakers for just $14 each.

7. Use manufacturer coupons to get Target office supplies like pens on the cheap.

Make sure to keep an eye out for BIC coupons to pick up Target office supplies like pens pretty cheaply.

I’ve seen a manufacturer coupon that brought 10-packs of BIC pens down to $0.37 each when you bought a pack. Plus, I’ve seen nice Target Circle offers that helped me get cheap pens.

8. Look for Target gift card deals to earn at least $5 back on back to school.

Target gift card deals can vary. Most commonly, these deals pay anywhere from $5 to $20 for buying an item or combination of items. Here are a few common gift card promos:

• Buy 3 of an item, receive a $5 gift card
• Spend $20, receive a $5 gift card
• Spend $25, receive a $5 gift card

Some of our favorite deals for back to school are on apparel, like this one: spend $50 on apparel and receive a $10 gift card. Make sure to keep an eye on Target’s promotions page as we get closer to school time to find gift card deals on school supplies and grab yourself a gift card completely free.

You can use any type of coupon — manufacturer or store — and still earn the gift card for these promotions.

9. Use the Ibotta app for rebates on Target back to school.

Get some money back on your Target back-to-school shopping when using the Ibotta app. Add the offers you want before you shop, link your Ibotta and Target accounts, and start shopping. It’s possible to find some pretty great offers. For example, in August 2021, Ibotta offered a $1 rebate valid on any Five Star school supplies.

Also in August 2021, Ibottta gave full-price rebates on items from Ticonderoga, Kleenex, Smucker’s, and more at Target, making it super easy to load up on school supplies. Look out for offers like this again for the 2022 back-to-school season.

10. Use the Target school supplies list to get the deals without the crowds.

Don’t want to fight the crowds while shopping for Target school supplies? This nifty little service will pull up your exact school list and help you shop for it, sans crowds.

Here’s how it works:

• Visit the School List Assist on Target’s website.
• Select “Find your list.”
• Choose your delivery method — pick up in the store or get free shipping if you spend $35 or more (or if you’re paying with a RedCard).
• Enter your zip code.
• Choose your store location.
• Enter your school’s zip code. (I tried with just my school’s name, and it didn’t pull up, but the zip code worked like a charm.)
• Choose your child’s grade.
• Enter your email.

You’ll get a complete supply list as soon as they’re ready. Once the list is ready, you can automatically populate your cart with items at the click of a button. Of course, these are the name-brand, most expensive items.

To get less expensive substitutions, hit “Find Replacement” on any item you want to change and you’ll be shown all of the options available — less expensive.

 

 

11. The Target Teacher Discount get 15% off during Target’s Teacher Prep Event.

A one-time, 15% off discount on eligible Target school supplies is available to all preschool, K-12, and homeschool teachers, as well as college professors. This Target teacher discount is accessible for teachers in July and August 2022 as part of their Teacher Prep Event they’ve held annually since 2018. The Target teacher discount will run from July 17 to Sept. 10, 2022. That’s a total of eight weeks long—six weeks longer than last year.

Teachers need to be verified through Target Circle before getting the discount.

12. Pay with your Target RedCard debit card to save an extra 5% on school supplies.

Using Target’s RedCard is an easy way to save. It’s a debit card that links directly to your bank account, so no fees or credit checks are required. Why not use it for buying Target school supplies?

If you’re a frequent Target shopper, then you need the Target RedCard. The best part? You’ll save 5% on pretty much everything Target-related, even if you do Shipt same-day delivery.

I just saw a sign-up promo for May 2022 that gets new sign-ups a coupon for $40 off a $40 purchase.

PRO TIP: There’s also a RedCard credit card, but the deals aren’t any better than the debit card, so we recommend the debit version for most people.

13. Stock up on Target back-to-school clearance in September and get notebooks as low as $0.02.

Target back-to-school clearance is the perfect time to stock up for the future. I’m talking about Target deals with essentials at 50%-90% off as the store gets ready for Halloween. I’ve even grabbed notebooks for $0.02 and folders for $0.05 I don’t know about you, but my kids need school supplies year-round, so I like to have these extras on hand.

Plus, if you don’t use them, you can always donate extra school supplies to your child’s teacher.

What deals did you score on your last Target back-to-school shopping trip? Drop a comment below.