Families are expected to spend close to $900 on back-to-school purchases this year; that's nearly 13% of the average monthly income in America, according to a LendingTree study.
CBS LA consumer investigator Kristine Lazar went to three retailers to compare the prices of a typical basket of school supplies to find out which store had the best deals. Lazar visited Target, Walmart, and Dollar Tree, all in a 5-mile radius.
Lazar's experiment is an unscientific way of comparing values, starting with a composition notebook.
Prices of a composition notebook:
* Walmart: 38 cents
* Target: 39 cents
* Dollar Tree: $1.25
"One thing to keep in mind, it's still called the Dollar Tree, but everything is now $1.25, no longer a dollar," Lazar said.
Next, we have pencils. In order to compare fairly, Lazar picked pencils from the same brand, Ticonderoga. Dollar Tree only sold a smaller pack of four, while Target and Walmart sell them in a larger pack of 12 pencils.
Prices for a pack of pencils:
* Walmart: 47 cents
* Target: $2.99
* Dollar Tree: $1.25
Walmart clearly had the better deal for a pack of pencils.
Now for a 24-box of Crayola crayons.
Prices for a box of crayons:
* Walmart: 50 cents
* Target: 50 cents
* Dollar Tree: $1.25
Dollar Tree was a close second to Walmart when it came to Expo dry-erase markers. You only get one at Dollar Tree for $1.25, while a four-pack at Walmart was $4.47 and $5.29 at Target.
Dollar Tree is a winner when you're not picky about the brands you buy.
"You can get the name brand, four of them, for $1.25 or you can do the off-brand, 24 of them for the same price," Lazar said.
We also looked at rolls of scotch tape.
Prices for a two-pack of scotch tape:
* Dollar Tree: $1.25
* Walmart: $3.32
* Target: $4.59
Finally, lined paper, 200 sheets at the dollar tree are on sale for $1, whereas 150 sheets are 84 cents at Walmart and 100 sheets are $2.79 at Target. Dollar Tree is the cheapest option.
If you add up all the prices in our basket, Walmart was the most affordable.
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