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If you’ve already grabbed a cart of school supplies just because you saw a sale sign, I need to stop you right there — because back-to-school sales season isn’t one event. It’s six different sales, each peaking on a different week, and buying the wrong category at the wrong time can cost you real money.
Here’s the breakdown so you’re not blowing your budget on the wrong stuff too early.
Buy Now (Mid-July)
School supplies. This is the moment. Target, Walmart, Staples, and Office Depot all have supplies marked down to almost nothing right now — pens, highlighters, correction tape, and pencils are hitting 50-68% off, with some individual items as low as $0.25. Stock up on the basics while they’re this cheap; these prices won’t last through August.
Tech. If a laptop, tablet, or headphones are on your list, mid-July is your window. Best Buy is running Member Deals Days with up to $500 off select Windows laptops and $150 off MacBooks, and Apple’s education pricing runs mid-July through October if you’ve got a student in the house.
Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. It just opened up to cardholders, with over 300 back-to-school items — Abercrombie Kids, Converse, New Balance, UGG. If you’re a cardholder, this is worth a look now before it opens to everyone.
Buy Soon (Late July)
Dorm essentials. If you’ve got a kid heading off to college, Wayfair’s “Black Friday in July” event has dorm gear discounted up to 80%. This clears out fast, so don’t wait too long into August.
Laptops, round two. If you missed the mid-July window, there’s a second dip the last week of July (July 27–August 2), and another in mid-August (August 10–16).
Hold Off (Early-to-Mid August)
Kids’ clothing. Old Navy, Gap, and Target discount clothing hardest between August 4 and 18. Resist the urge to buy the first backpack-and-outfit bundle you see now.
The rest of the supply list. Staples and Target’s deepest supply cuts actually land August 2–10 — so if you’re not desperate, a second wave of savings is coming.
Don’t Forget
Your state’s tax-free weekend. Several states run sales tax holidays on supplies, clothing, and sometimes electronics — timing varies by state, so it’s worth a quick search for your specific dates. Florida, for example, runs tax-free shopping for the entire month of August.
Late-August clearance. If you miss every window above (no judgment, life happens), Walmart, Target, Old Navy, and Best Buy all drop into clearance pricing in the final stretch before school starts.
The short version: supplies and tech now, dorm gear by end of July, clothes in August. Set a reminder if you have to — future you will thank present you.
