Happy Friday: Bigger is NOT Always Better
Sent from reader, Stefanie:
Hello Collin! I saw this in the back-to-school area at Walmart and just had to share. All three of these items were on the same display– a 6 ct. package of glue sticks for $1.97 (around 33 cents each); a 2 ct. package of glue sticks for 50 cents (25 cents each), and single jumbo glue sticks 4/$1 (25 cents each for jumbo size!). All were the same brand. Clearly the single glue stick is the best deal by far, with the 2 ct. coming in second, but I saw shoppers around me picking up the 6 ct.! I think this serves as a great reminder that bulk-size packages are NOT always a better deal 😉 Love your site!
HAPPY FRIDAY! 😀
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I’m so glad I’m not the only one who does this. Between my 2 kids, they need a total of 20 (yes 20!!!!) Glue sticks.
Hey, a dollar saved is a dollar I can spend elsewhere… like on those expensive expo markers. Please tell me there’s a deal on them somewhere haha!
Keep a close eye on Staples daily deals. A few weeks ago, I purchased a pack of 6 Expo markers, which included an organizer case and eraser for $4.00. It is now retailing for $14.69!
Oooh! That’s fantastic!!! Thank u so much!
Yes there is usually a deal that pops up for the multipack for a dollar or two.
My son needed a 4 pack of black expo and my local family dollar had the 2 packs on sale for $2 so I only paid $4 for the 4 I needed.
Staples has the two pack for $2 right now.
Walmart has 4 black expos for 3.97 and it came with a bonus one.
I remember Office Depot had them for $1 last year.
In my Target store they had a 4 pack of Expo low odor dry erase markers for 2.99 but they are funky colors (not black) I don’t know if this is Targets normal price, the price they chose to mark them for this week since Staples had the 4/pks for 3.00 this week or if they are on sale this week. The 4pk of black Expos were 3.99 but you could price adjust them for the 3.00 Staples ad through tomorrow! and the best deal from this week was the Ticonderoga pencils 24/pk for 2.00!!! I matched 6 packs at Target from the Staples ad. I also texted for the 5/25 purchase of school supplies and used it on EACH of my 25.00 transactions and got back 20.00 worth of Target Giftcards….this week was a good week to shop/match at Target for BTS! There was also a 10% off Up and Up cartwheel and printable Target coupon for 5/30 Up&Up purchase.
That’s funny! Def making us do our math. I do know though that my children have needed particular sizes and colors before. Could be why some people chose the more expensive ones. 🙂
As a teacher I really don’t think size matter when asking for donations from students. I would just be appreciative for the glue. This is one of the things that really go fast and has to be replaced often especially in lower grades.
Don’t be sucked into that trap! Our school asks for ridiculously specific items–then the following grade, requests the opposite (e.g., one year it is a clear plastic ruler, the next it is a wooden ruler; one year blunt-tipped brand-name scissors, the next pointy tipped). I toed the line for years, but after seeing the parents who sent school supplies subsidize those who don’t, I don’t sweat the details, and I’ve found that it is no big deal at all.
Notice the coloration of the sale signs. The Red banners attract while the blue banner may not get as much attention since many associate sales/clearance with Red tags. It’s interesting they did that and it may not have even been intentional just something I noticed…
I agree. Plus the “4 for” is much smaller and doesnt stand out. People looking quick might think they are actually a dollar each.
It would be interesting to know what the mark up on each different unit is.
I was going to drive to another Target for the Head and Shoulders deal (Coupon was $5 off 2 and if you bought 4 you got a $5 Gift Card). Well with my luck the shelves were of course totally cleared. All that were left were the larger sizes, but those were also part of the deal. I thought about it and pulled out my phone/calculator and did the math and I was actually saving more money per ounce by purchasing the larger sizes! So I agree sometimes it PAYS to do the math! 🙂
Toilet paper at Target is the same way sometimes. You have to pay close attention anymore to almost anything.
I agree. I feel like I see this every time I go out shopping. They advertise a ‘deal’ such as a product selling 2/4, but the size that’s bigger or equivalent is $3.80, lol. It’s crazy that people don’t notice it!
And to be fair, I do see the different colors in the bigger package deal, so maybe they are raising the price because of the style? I am not familiar with glue sticks 😛
And notice how small the print of “4 for” is when compared to the big “$1.” If you’re just glancing at it quickly you might think they were $1 each, not $.25 each. Very clever.
Lol i just posted this on another reply before seeing your comment.
I was at the supermarket getting cheese last week when a guy on a cell phone walks up and says “the 24 pack is $4.99 how’s that?” Whoever was on the line must have said that’s fine. But if he just did the math he could have gotten the 16 packs for $2.50. So for the same $5 he could have gotten and extra 8 slices. Too funny.
As a mom of 5 I pinch everywhere I can. Especially when you need 60 glue sticks, 18 boxes of Kleenex, and you can only imagine the rest. I checked prices on Amazon and ordered everything that worked out to the same price as the typical Walmart sales, they pick the rest up as stuff goes on sale. Also don’t forget to buy extra for all of those annoying school projects!
You have to factor in convenience though. A seed 6ct package is less of a hassle than 6 single sticks. While us deal seekers and penny pinchers wouldn’t think about it twice, a lot of parents will grab the 6ct package since it’s just easier.
These glue stick prices are this way every year @ walmart.
I admit to clearing the container when these glue sticks go on sale. As a 2nd grade teacher I can say we never have enough. I buy enough to get my students through the spring semester.
My son came home from second grade with the saying ” dot- dot not a lot “. His teacher said it every time they glued. She had them put a dot in each corner of what they would glue.
My son got in trouble because he was using too much glue. I felt bad because I’m always telling him to use more at home so they stick. I’m sending in extras this year just to make sure no one gets in trouble because they are using too much.
My students who use too much glue use WAYYYY too much. It usually soaks right through the paper, is all over the table, etc. So possibly the teacher wasn’t concerned about the amount used, but the mess.
Lolll @ this post’s heading
I believe that both Office Max/Depot and Staples will have their brand of 4 pack glue sticks for .25 next week.
I hope this sale sticks around for the summer!!! LOL 🙂
Someone posted on another forum that single glue sticks were marked 4 for $1 but ringing up 10 cents each….worth checking if you’re there anyway! Makes for an even better deal.
Yes Megan , I went to walmart today and sure enough they were 10 cents each. Even though the sign said 4/$1!
Check your clearance section at staples! Mine had 3 packs of scotch smart glue sticks and avery 4 packs for 25¢ each they had a ton of each too.
Thanks for this, my 1 1st grader has to have 24 glue sticks!! This will definitely help!
You really do have to research things anymore. My daughter is going off to college and the cost of things needed is adding up fast. Looking for under bed storage. Target has the 41qt bins for 7.99 each. Walmart has the same 41qt in a 4pk, not singles, for $71.88! That makes them +\- $18 each! Huge price difference. Walmart not always the cheapest place to go.
Think we’ll see the Elmer’s glue sticks under $.25, or is this a hot deal?
I’d say good, not hot. They’ve been known to be free! I wouldn’t go out of my way, but if I was at Walmart, I’d pick up some. Can’t have too many glue sticks in a public school!
For .10 this would be hot. Usually the 6pk goes on sale for .99 at some point. I got the 12 pack for 1.18 last year when target started clearancing their school supplies. Hopefully they r still good for my kindergartener this year. Ha!
Can I say, I’m just excited that I get to “buy school supplies” for my baby starting Kinder this year! It’s like a right of passage I get to partake in and I’m so happy about this new milestone! I know…….pretty sure it will wear off once all 3 are needing supplies and it adds up, but this year, ….I’m enjoying the moment 😉
One thing my mom always did when I was in elementary school was that she would only send me to school with the supplies I needed and when I needed more, I would ask. My mom always hated it that other kids would use my stuff because the teacher would just put all the school supplies together and if the teacher insisted my mom would put my name on everything. I remember as a kid always getting my crayons stolen because I would let other kids use them and they would not return them to me so my mom made me stop sharing haha.
School supply shopping is my favorite time of year!
As a teacher, Elmer glue sticks are so much better than the dollar store. Usually the cheap ones are dried out or dont stick. And the purple glue is easier for kids to see, thus they seem to use less. I buy lots of glue sticks bc we go through then like crazy! And you always have kids that can’t get a hold of any and there is no reason to give them crappy dried out ones. Thanks for the post!