When it comes to back to school shopping, many teachers will tell you, shopping for school supplies on a budget is a lesson mastered very early.
So, ABC11 polled a few Triangle teachers to get some tips on the best ways to save. A few stores you would expect came up, including Amazon, Goodwill, as well as thrift and dollar stores.
But, there are also a few stores unique to the Triangle to save.
In Raleigh, Stones Education and Toys is a nearly 17,000 square foot independent store that sells educational toys, games, books, and teacher supplies. This store sometimes holds their own pop-up sales including a recent tax free shopping weekend. So for extra savings, follow them on social media.
For books in Raleigh, The Dollar Book Exchange has 100,000 books in a giant warehouse store and they are all just $1. Kids can stuff a provided bag full of books from the kids bin for $10.
They also buy textbooks on the spot and work with schools in need of books. The Dollar Book Exchange opens a few weekends a month, making announcements on social media.
In Durham, The Scrap Exchange is a huge store full of reclaimed and recycled materials from corporate plants and other businesses across North Carolina.
It's a huge go to for art supplies, but, there are also lots of other school supplies from binders, papers, to pencils and pens. And, there is an area in the store that is known as the 'Fill A Bag Zone' full of crayons, pencils, and pens among others. Shoppers can fill a bag with anything in the zone for $5.
August is also teacher month at The Scrap Exchange, so, teachers get 20 percent off their purchase.