A Love Song to Target

Oh, Target.  How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways:

(1)  You have all sorts of amazing cheap things for my life, home and wardrobe.  Even if I weren't a Cheaper Teacher, we'd be pals.

(2)  Your August School Supply Sales are amazing.  So far I have gotten:

(3)  10-pack wide Crayola markers for $1 each!  This may sound expensive considering that Rose Art goes for about half that on sale, but kids, let me tell you something, Rose Art markers are the WORST.  You'll pay 3X as much if you get that junk.  I got 15 packs of markers and they should last me the year.  Target is also amazing because they have no limits on how many of a sale item you can buy.  <3

(4)  24-count Crayola crayons for 25-cents.  I know I said that I got these cheaper at Staples the last few years, but Staples is holding out on me and I couldn't pass this deal.  Again, with no limits, I got crayons to last the year and then some (32 boxes, if you're wondering - they break and get lost so easily that I'd rather be safe than sorry) for $8.  A steal!

(5)  Target Dollar Bins:  This is the first place I go when I walk into a Target.  They have all sorts of amazing things for teachers.  Just last week I got:

(6)  4-packs of magnetized clips for $1.00 (that's 25 cents a clip, kids!).  While cheaper to buy clothespins for hanging charts, having magnetized clips for your whiteboard or magnetized chalkboard is magical.  They can also put charts on a clothesline in a pinch.

(7)  Happy Birthday / Super Student Certificates:  24 in a set for a dollar.  At the time I bought them I thought my class might be changing to a class of 27 (from my Special Ed 12) but I got my class back, and I've got extras for next year.

(9)  Student Name Plates:  24/$1.  Last year I got red ones with monkeys and bananas.  This year they're blue with stars.  They had all sorts of selections, all cute for different age groups.  Last year when I got these they lasted all year with a strip of clear packing tape over them.  Made of good card stock.  A teacher supply store would easily get $3-5 for a pack of 12 of these babies.

(10)  The Prize Box.  Target's dollar bin keeps me in prize box purchases all year.  They're also great for holiday and year-end gifts for your students if you do that.  My year-end gifts for the kids cost me $40 TOTAL (only a few cents over $3/kid) and were adorable - each child got a pail and shovel set ($1 each), sports bottle (50 cents each), pack of sidewalk chalk ($1 each), bath squirty, bubbles, pencils and bookmarks.  It was insane!  I plan to post lots of prize box finds as I come across them.

(11)  Tupperware!  Both for storage and for lunches!  

There are a million and one other reasons I love Target, but man, I'm tired!  More later.