school supplies

Back to School Haircuts and Supplies 8/9/2025!

Abby H.

It’s back!

The Larry Himmel Neighborhood Foundation’s biggest event is back!

Saturday, August 9, 2025

9AM -1PM at Skyline Church in La Mesa11330 Campo Road La Mesa, CA 91941

It’s the annual Back-to-School Haircut Event — a day dedicated to supporting local families with free haircuts, school supplies, food, and fun.

Last year’s event was a huge success. Over 1,000 kids attended, and more than 400 walked away with fresh haircuts — ready to start the school year with confidence.

This year, It’s even bigger and better. Here’s what you can expect:

  • Free school supplies for students

  • Free haircuts for kids

  • Free tickets to local attractions — including Padres games

  • Live DJ, games, and kids’ activities

  • Free food for the whole family

This is a first-come, first-served event — so be sure to arrive early and enjoy the festivities while supplies last.

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Free Backpack Giveaway- 8/9/2025

Abby H.

It’s back- 10 years and going strong!

This event is SUPER popular, and supplies run out quickly.

A  backpack and school supply giveaway courtesy of SMOAC on August 9, 2025, at Rio Seco School in Santee, starting at 9AM. It is a drive-thru event. People start lining up as early as 7:30AM, and the line moves FAST!

I’m working on collecting more info on Back to School supply giveaways, and I’ll have another post coming up soon!

Back to School Amazon Coupon Codes- Save up to 50%!

Abby H.

I love good deals. I recently stumbled across a few great deals on Amazon on back-to-school essentials.

As someone who works in a school, this is my number one deal- 72 Pack Black Whiteboard Erasable Markers at 50% off with coupon code 50T375GI. (deal ends 8/9/2024 at 11:59PM PDT)

I have already ordered this one- The charging cables in my house are out of control. Electronics Organizer bag 9.45″x7.09″x3.94″. 50% off with coupon code 507ITYG2. (deal ends Aug 11, 2024 at 11:59 PM PDT)

Daily and Weekly Planners in various pastel colors 8.4’x6.4″ 40% off with coupon code 40Y873CB. (deal ends 8/13/2024 at 11:59 PM PDT)

Sticky Notes – 12 Pads, 3”x3” – Colorful Self-Stick Post Notes 50% off with coupon code 50IOUFN5. (deal ends Aug 14, 2024 at 11:59 PM PDT)

Acrylic Paint Markers– These are awesome for painting rocks among other things. Two varieties 50% off with coupon code 50Q1I3IN. (deal ends Aug 17, 2024 at 11:59 PM PDT)

Acrylic Magnetic Whiteboard Acrylic Calendar, Monthly and Weekly Calendar – 16″x12″ Size- includes 6 Color Dry Erase Markers.   50% off with coupon code 50N7O8VA. (deal ends 8/18/2024 at 11:59 PM PDT)

Talk Back: I love hunting for good deals- If you are looking for a deal, please let me know- I’d love to help!

Walmart: School Supplies starting at .25!

Abby H.

I know we just finished school and there is a vast ocean of time before we need to buy supplies, however- Walmart has already dropped the prices on classroom supplies.

Seriously, from Crayola markers, to pencils, Filler paper, spiral bound notebooks, highlighters, and crayons. I’ve already placed my order!

And if you aren’t sure what is going to be on your kids back to school list, here are a few things that classrooms always need:

  • Glue sticks
  • Erasers– the ones that go on the end of pencils are always a hit with my kids. The large pink ones usually end up getting stabbed with pencils and not used as erasers. I have no idea why.
  • Pencils- Ticonderoga are the best pencils. They cost a little more, but they last longer and don’t break as easily (in my experience).
  • Tissues
  • Disinfecting wipes- The first month back at school is peak illness time. We are all getting to know each other and new germs are popping up left and right.
  • Whiteboard markers– In most classrooms these days, the kids each have their own whiteboards (in place of scratch paper), so whiteboard markers are a must.

This post contains affiliate links, to learn more about how affiliate links work, check out my disclosure page.

The Back To School Countdown has Begun!

Abby H.1 Comment

I know some of your kids have already started school for the 2022-2023 school year, but my kiddos don’t start for another few weeks.

The Back to School countdown has begun, and here is how we are saving money.

School Supplies: Most schools’ public supply lists by class on their website. Once you know who your child’s teacher is going to be, you can purchase supplies. Most teachers like trusted name-brand supplies like Ticonderoga pencils, Crayola crayons, Crayola washable markers, and Expo whiteboard markers.  Here are a few of the stores that have great prices on school supplies!

Target: School supplies starting at $0.25
Walmart: Up to 75% off select school supplies
Office Depot and Office Max: Up to 60% off bestselling school supplies. Save 25% off on backpacks excluding Jansport
Michaels: Teacher Must-Haves, Art Supplies, and more all under $10.00

There will be several backpack giveaways throughout August. There is one tomorrow in Lemon Grove. Information can be found here. 

There will be a backpack and school supply giveaway courtesy of SMOAC on August 20, 2022 at Rio Seco School in Santee. It is a drive-thru event.

Clothing/Shoes: If you are like me, you grab kids’ clothes at swaps all year, but there are some things that you need to buy new. Once you’ve set your budget for clothes/shoes/accessories, keep an eye out for BTS sales (which are in full swing right now).

Because Southern California doesn’t get chilly in the fall, a lot of the standard BTS clothing fare isn’t great for our kids- long pants, turtlenecks, sweaters, jean jackets- I’m sweating just thinking about those! Don’t forget to scope out the sale and clearance racks for shorts and short sleeve shirts!

I love shopping Kohl’s and JCPenney. They frequently have sales, coupon codes, and deals where you can earn Kohl’s Cash/JCP Rewards for future purchases. Earn even more cashback when you shop online and opt for in-store pickup. I like shopping through Mypoints or Ibotta (make sure to check out both of their browser extensions to help you earn points/cashback). This is also a hot tip for Target and Walmart shoppers!

If your budget is a little too tight, check out local clothing swaps! Porchlight is holding one on 8/27/2022 for womens’ and kids’ clothing. More information can be found here.

We also shop a lot at thrift stores- Amvets and DAV are two of my favorites here in San Diego.

Food: I know this might be weird to include, but kiddos have to have healthy food to function and grow. Thanks to the California Universal Meals program, all kids in k-12 education settings will receive free breakfast and lunch if wanted. And I will continue to post about free opportunities for food each month, and more often as they come across my desk. Feeding San Diego Tour is a great resource that has locations all over San Diego County!

 

 

 

 

Looking for a Smartphone? Check out Gazelle for Deals on Pre-Owned Smartphones!

Abby H.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Back to school means that some of us will need new phones. Why pay extra for a brand new phone, when you can save some money and pick up a pre-owned smartphone from Gazelle?

Gazelle has tons of great deals right now:

OR, if you need a laptop:

You can also sell your unwanted smartphones and laptops to Gazelle to earn money! I’ve sold a couple of our old phones and iPads to Gazelle. It’s a great way to earn some cash and keep electronics out of the landfill.

 

August 2021: New Month, New Coupons!

Abby H.

file000786402730Here is your monthly reminder!  A new month means new printable and electronic coupons!

The printable coupon market is slowly coming to an end. Smartsource no longer offers printable coupons, and you may notice that there are fewer coupon inserts in your Sunday newspaper. This is in favor of more offers available on apps. But if you love printable coupons….

  • Coupons.com (printable coupons, e-coupons, and a cashback app)

One of my favorite websites is the Sunday Coupon Review.  It helps me plot out scenarios in advance and I can email friends to ask for coupons in advance. Remember if clipping coupons isn’t your thing, but saving money is, check out my list of Smartphone apps that can save you the big bucks! New offers are added on the Smartphone Savings Apps all the time!

August is back to school time! Deals on School supplies, lunch food, kids clothes, and electronics. Ibotta has a great cashback deal right now on school supplies and lunch food, check my post here. 

For a complete list of types of foods and items that will be on sale, check out this post on the cycle of sales.

Here are a few of my favorite new coupons:


Save $1.00 on ONE (1) DANIMALS® 6pk Smoothies
Save $2.25 on ONE (1) Chameleon Whole Bean Coffee, Ground Coffee, or Cold Brew Concentrates – Shelf stable packs
Save $1.00 on ONE (1) Undercover Snacks 2 oz pack of Quinoa Crisps
Save $1.00 on ANY TWO (2) Clorox® Cleaning or Laundry Products (*excludes $1, trial size and travel size).
Save $1.50 on Any ONE (1) Finish® Quantum® 22ct+, Finish® Max-In-1® 24ct+, Finish® Deep Clean 38ct+ Dishwasher Detergent, Finish® JET-DRY®
Save $2.00 on ANY ONE (1) MAUI MOISTURE® Shampoo or Conditioner (excludes all Travel & Trial Sizes)
Save $1.00 on ANY ONE (1) Garnier® Fructis® shampoo, conditioner, treatment or styling product. (exclusions apply)

Tryazon Event- Organize the Kids’ Clutter with Deflecto!

Abby H.

Tryazon has another really cool party/event opportunity- perfect for families that are homeschooling, distance learning, or are a teacher in school.

Clean up the kids’ clutter while fighting germs with Tryazon Featured Party opportunity, from Deflecto. Featuring a diverse line of antimicrobial storage and organizational products for kids specifically designed for the art, craft, and education markets. Deflecto’s kids storage now includes SteriTouch® an antimicrobial agent used to inhibit the growth of odor-causing microorganisms, mold and mildew. Durable, stackable and washable storage to keep parents and teachers organized!

Tryazon has100 hosting spots open for this opportunity! Those selected get to receive a party pack valued at $75+ with a variety of Deflecto products to share with friends and family! Learn more and apply here.

If, you’ve never heard of Tryazon (pronounced Try-uh-zon ☺), Tryazon is a service dedicated to getting innovative products into people’s hands and mouths, in fun settings like the party we had today. They offer excellent product samples and savings for all who participate.

Free Backpacks and School Supplies for 2020!

Abby H.

10997200_1551314338450648_5653174165881717305_nThis article contains location specific giveaways- for nationwide info, scroll to the bottom of the article.

For the past few years the great folks over at SMOAC have been doing an incredible service to the Eastern San Diego County school kids by offering free backpacks and school supplies.

And this year is no different! This year, they are hosting a drive-thru style event at two locations:

  • Rio Seco School 9545 Cuyamaca Street or Pride Academy 9303 Prospect Ave (Both in Santee)
  • August 16, 2020
  • 10AM until supplies run out
  • Kids must be present in the car
  • 1 backpack per child
  • This will be a contactless delivery event- Please Print the form here and complete it per the directions.

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And for those of you not in the immediate area, there are all sorts of other free school supply and backpack giveaways going on.

Boost Mobile is giving away backpacks and school supplies. More info is here. In San Diego County, there is 1 Boost Mobile in Oceanside that is participating.

Operation Homefront is having giveaways for military families on bases all over the US. Here is a list for 2020.

Rentacalc does free giveaways for backpacks, graphing calculators and protractors! You can learn more and enter to win here.

Dollar Tree has Disposable Masks In Stock!

Abby H.

 

Mask.jpg

** This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Dollar Tree has masks in-stock, and only available online! I’ve been making masks, but I do keep the disposable masks on hand in our car (in case our reusable/washable masks get sweaty or soiled, or if we happen to forget them when we leave home).

These masks are a great price too!  .50/each, with a minimum of 25 masks.

3-Ply Thermosealed Disposable Face Masks: Made of 3 layers of fluid-resistant, antistatic, hypoallergenic non-woven fabric, these pleated disposable face masks are soft to the touch. The elastic ear loops on either side of the face masks are thermally sealed and help to conform comfortably to adult-sized faces, and the pleats expand to provide coverage of the nose and mouth. The non-woven fabric of these face masks makes them breathable, lightweight, and comfortable to wear. Light blue shade of the face mask may vary slightly.

Orders are limited to 600 units (3 cases) per customer.

In addition to masks, Dollar Tree has started carrying some really great art and craft supplies! I’ve been working on some home decor projects with supplies from Dollar Tree- I’ll be posting pics on Instagram in the next few days.