I was looking on Target and everything is really expensive for kids who are on FA. Does anyone have any advice for how to shop for BS supplies on a budget? Are there any good stores for relatively cute things that are also cheap? Thanks.
Walmart I think is cheap also local 99 cent store could have somethings for really cheap like pencils and notebooks.I always go to Walmart every year for back to school shopping.Also you should check out amazon they have stuff for cheap at times. 
@CottenCandyTrill I appreciate it, but I really need things like bedding/lamps/chair(s)/power strips which really seem to add up fast :(. Also, Target (which is notorious in my family for not being all that cheap) was cheaper than amazon and even with just the bare minimum of stuff it was almost $300!
Bedding is the main expense. Lands’ End is a great site with frequent deep discounts (30-40%) and awesome clearances. Highly recommend their supima sheets, as they are super soft and strong and do not wear out after a year or two. (Consider the cost of not having to replace after two years.) They also frequently have great sales on duvet covers, as well as the actual duvets. You can never go wrong wih white bedding with an accent throw and pillows. (All that being said, a lot of the girls at my daughter’s school use Roberta Roller Rabbit quilts. ) And, if you purchase items closer to start date of school, you can have them shipped directly to school in your kids’ name and avoid having to ship separately or carry an extra suitcase. School supplies themselves can be purchased on Amazon or Walmart and shipped to school. As to clothing and other items, most of it can wait until after school has started to decide whether it is truly necessary. With Amazon Prime, your kid can tell you they need something and you can have it there in two days.
For “relatively cute items” to personalize your room and add some color, haunt the sale section of PB Teen and Pottery Barn Kids. A lot of great items that get deeply discounted after a bit.
Finally, I love NameBubbles labels. Forces borrowed and misplaced items to be returned. I use the plain black labels which sort of blend in. They are slightly pricey, but easy to apply and if they cause one Patagonia jacket to be returned, they have made back my expenditure four times over.
@ekstatikk - first see what you really need for the room. S only needed a desk lamp two years, a floor lamp one year and always used the provided desk chair.
Bedding - absolutely necessary. S only uses blankets no comforter.
A friend just posted about a sale on towels at Costco. In the summer they have mattress toppers on sale with a coupon too.
Anything Pottery Barn even on sale will be expensive. Consider waiting a bit when all the back to college sales start, Scope out bedding at Bed, Bath and Beyond and also at Kohls then wait until they are on a super sale.
I agree with @MA2012 -the kids don’t seem to need very much. My kiddo’s roomy is international and really has just the bare minimum but seems to be doing just fine with that. The most important purchase for the kids was definitely a fan! Tuesday Morning and Home Goods are favorites of mine for bedding and accent pieces and there are often great finds in the clearance section.
Home Goods, TJ Max and Marshalls often have clearance bedding, towels and even decorative pillows and room decor at very cheap prices. Lands End also has great quality and sales (as previously mentioned). Goodwill, consignment and second hand stores can be a good source for collared shirts, jeans, etc. We live near one that has lots of name brands, sometimes with tags still on them.
One thing to keep in mind - there are certain times of year that different things go on sale. One year, at Target, we bought Fieldcrest Bath Sheets, currently selling for $19.99 for $5.99.
Also, it can be worth signing up for cash back cards like Ebates, ActiveJunky, etc. if you do a lot of online shopping. In addition, Raise.com is a good source for discounted gift cards. You can stack the discounts - for example, if Macy’s is having a 40% off sale, you can buy through Ebates and get 5% cash back and add another % off if you use a discounted gift card.
Shop sales. Don’t over buy. Bedding will take up a chunk but good quality can sometimes be worth spending money on. My kids used the same stuff for college that they used for 4 years of boarding school because we bought decent stuff.
JCPenney can be good for sheets, IKEA for duvets and pillows. Target is not usually the best option; as others have mentioned, you can usually get better quality items at lower prices if you buy things on clearance at better stores or Marshalls and the like. Just get what you really need and add on gradually.
I am totally in the IKEA/tj maxx/homegoods camp! I plan on take SwimKid with me to ikea and will let him run wild. Well not really he might get lost in there or I will find him buried in cinnamon rolls and $.99 ice creams.
I spent a lot of $$ on things it turned out that guskid DIDN’T need. (overzealous mom) Things he uses: 2 sets of sheets, one a jersey set from target that was maybe $15, the other a microfiber set from Wal-Mart that was less that $10. Pillows were JC Penny $3 on sale ones. He uses towels from our overflowing linen closet and a afghan crocheted by his great mammaw in the 70s. Desk lamp from IKEA (less that $10), Shower caddy a few bucks from eBay. His comforter was kind of expensive, but I figured I’d throw him a bone on that one. Stopped at IKEA on the way and bought a rug, so that was an expense, too. Uses gusdad’s vintage foot locker. His fan came from sears when they sent me a coupon for $15 off or a $15 purchase, so that cost very little. Other than a few posters, I think that’s about it. So my advice, especially to a fellow FA parent, don’t overbuy, don’t be afraid to use what you have, and in my kid’s case, no one is going to make fun of you if you don’t have all the nicest, newest, trendiest things. Good Luck!
Definitely don’t overbuy, and look for bedding on sale. Also many schools have a “swap” at the end of the year where seniors leave their room items that they don’t want anymore, and the underclassmen can take them. DD started with very little beyond good bedding bought on sale, and over the years has accumulated some additional items for free - mostly thanks to outgoing graduates.
Walmart and JC penny’s
Are the beds usually the Twin XL size?
I’m in the Homegoods/TJMaxx/Marshalls camp too! Although ordering and shipping directly to school is a huge benefit when it’s a school requiring plane flight to get there!
@sunnyschool the beds at my school are Twin XL
Beds vary by school. Hill’s are regular twin.
I actually recommend Zulily if you are willing to shop online. You have to watch and wait for what you really want but they have dorm days in the summer. Buy one thing pay shipping, then for the next 24 hours shipping is free, so you can really save that way!
I should add we live in a town ONLY 1 store for clothes, bedding, supplies etc (okay we have more clothing stores but they are boutiques). so I am a seasoned pro for shopping online 
I am hoping to actually take DD shopping in the city before school Winnipeg is like 4 hours away and we will probably make a day trip once sales start.
Foam toppers are best ordered from Amazon. We bought one for our oldest for close to $200 at bed bath and beyond. When we realized we needed 4- we realized you can get the same model for less than $50 on Amazon.