HOT Crayola Crayon Deal at Kroger!

At this time of year it's a given that there are going to be school supply sales all over the place, specifically at office stores and supercenters. I'm still reeling from the fact that it is even time for Back to School sales; it is, afterall, only the end of July. But, kids gotta go to school, so we gotta have sales. I was surprised to see that even grocery stores are getting in on the action. Maybe they do every year, but since I'm new to the whole savings/couponing game, I guess I never really paid attention to where the best deals were.

Right now, the best deal on Crayola crayons that I've seen is at Kroger. Yes, Kroger, a grocery store. Kroger currently has the 24-packs of Crayola crayons on sale for $.25 each. That right there is a savings, since I hear that the price of these same boxes at WalMart is $.30. Kroger is also running a Catalina promotion to save you even more money. A Catalina is the coupon that prints out at the register as you're paying for your purchase. If you shop at Walgreens, the Register Rewards are officially Catalinas.

Here's the Kroger School Supply Catalina deal:

• Buy $10 of selected products, receive a $2 Catalina coupon
• Buy $20 of selected products, receive a $4 Catalina coupon

There are other participating products, not just Crayola; I'll list those below.

The great thing is, even though the crayons are on sale for $.25 a box, the register will recognize the shelf, or regular, price which is $2.39 (that's what it was at the Kroger near work - prices may vary by location). So based on the regular price of $2.39, you would only have to buy 9 boxes of crayons to receive the $4 coupon. Essentially you're spending $2.25 to get $4 back. That's a moneymaker, in my book.

Here's a breakdown:

• Nine boxes with a shelf price of $2.39 = $21.51
• Product total is over $20, so that generates a $4 coupon for your next purchase
• Your out of pocket is $2.25, plus tax

Deal idea:

Transaction 1:
Buy 9 boxes of crayons, $.25 each
Total: $2.25, plus tax; receive a $4 coupon

Transaction 2:
Buy 9 more boxes of crayons, $.25 each = $2.25
Buy Kroger everyday paper towels, 3 roll pk, $1.79 (filler item)
Total: $4.04
Use $4 coupon from previous transaction
Total: $.04, plus tax, plus you'll get another $4 coupon for the next time!

See how that works? $2.30 isn't too bad for 18 boxes of crayons and some paper towels. And, you could just keep rolling the coupons and get more crayons, or other products that will generate the Catalina. Even if you don't have kids, all of those crayons could be donated to local school supply drives, or added to your shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.

Brands participating in the Kroger School Supply Catalina deal are: Expo, Papermate, Mead, Sharpie, Crayola, Avery, Five-Star, Uni-ball, and Bic. Keep in mind that not all brands may be participating in all areas, so your mileage may vary.

...Thanks to Thrifty Stories and MommySnacks for the info!