As the mother of a first grader, my new favorite time of the year is fast becoming back to school time. It’s not because I get to send Ayva out of the house. I like having her around in the summer, even if she does drive me bonkers every once in awhile! See, back to school time is my favorite time of the year because we get to go shopping for school supplies! As a writer and an office supply lover, the sales on paper, pencils, and pens make my heart explode with nerdy joy! Walmart sent me a gift card to check out their deals and get Ayva everything she needs for school in one stop.

This year, a lot of people seemed to be complaining about the amount of school supplies that their school requires. We’re fortunate that Ayva’s teacher is very practical and doesn’t try to break our bank. In fact, we were able to get everything that was on Ayva’s school supply list, including the community items like baby wipes, Kleenex and pencils for just $34 at Walmart! I saved the list that her teacher sent us on my phone so that we could make sure we got everything we needed, but if you forget your list, just check out Classrooms By Walmart to find your school’s list anywhere. Even better, just by searching you’re child’s classroom list, you’ll be entered to win a concert by The Vamps.

I have to admit, I did pick up a couple of notebooks for myself, too. Why not? At 17 cents apiece, they were practically begging for me to take them home! Don’t have time to shop at the store but don’t want to wait for your supplies to be delivered? That’s where Walmart Pickup comes in. Order your supplies at Walmart.com and pick them up for free at your local store.

However you choose to get your school supplies, just remember to let your child participate. After all, it’s their supplies. If they want a notebook with a puppy on the cover (and the list doesn’t specify a certain kind), why not let them have it? The low prices at Walmart make it so you can get your kids what they need and want at a price you love.

Are you all set for back to school shopping? How much did you spend on school supplies this year? Check out everything we picked up in this haul video and join the conversation on Facebook!