Office Max and Staples are offering a nice opportunity to save on office supplies this week:

Staples is offering a great deal on copy paper this week -- a five-ream case for just $4.99 after rewards. And both Staples and Office Max are offering 20 percent off "bag sales" -- meaning you get 20 percent off everything you can stuff into a shopping bag.

The back-to-school deals on supplies are winding down. This week the list is even shorter than last week so get those bargains while you can.

Of course, the big-box stores will be putting their school and office supplies on clearance very soon.

If you spot a deal, please post the details.

In the meantime, here's the very best of this week's back-to-school bargains:

When it comes to school supply deals, don't be a procrastinator. The deals are still plentiful at the office supply stores, but elsewhere the super-low prices are starting to disappear.

In another week or two, all those penny, nickel and quarter deals will all but vanish, though you'll still have a few weeks of clearance at the big-box stores.

Here's the very best of this week's deals:

As summer winds down, now is the time to buy pens, pencils, computer paper, binders and other items considered school supplies.

If you don't have kids, think about stocking up your home office or buy the ultra cheap deals and donate them to a nearby school or charity.

But do your homework! That includes reading the fine print. Some deals, especially some of those enticing free and penny deals, require a minimum purchase or involve a rebate.

Take a look at the very best of this week's deals:

Deal of the week: Buy two Five Star Mead 4-pocket portfolios for 50 cents each at Target and get them FREE with the $1/2 coupon from the 8/5 Red Plum insert.

Even if you don't have kids, now is the time to buy pens, pencils, computer paper and other items considered school supplies.

Think about stocking up your home office or buy the ultra cheap deals and donate them to a nearby school or charity.

But do your homework! That includes reading the fine print. Some deals, especially some of those enticing free and penny deals, require a minimum purchase or involve a rebate.

Take a look at the very best of this week's deals:

The back-to-school deal of the week has got to be the 1-cent backpacks at Office Max.

Buy any backpack priced $11.99 up to $139.99 and end up paying a penny after MaxPerk Bonus Rewards, which is the Office Max rebate program.

Keep reading for all the best of this week's back-to-school deals:

(And remember, you don't have to have kids to take advantage of great prices on  pens, pencils, computer paper, ink and and other handy items that come under the broad category of school supplies.)

Even if you don't have kids, now is the time to buy pens, pencils, computer paper and other handy items that come under the broad category of school supplies.

Think about stocking up your home office or buy the ultra cheap deals and donate them to a nearby school or charity.

But do your homework! That includes reading the fine print. Some deals, especially some of those enticing free and penny deals, require a minimum purchase or involve a rebate.

Take a look at the very best of this week's deals:

Back-to-school deals are in full swing with prices as low as a penny. Some are even free.

The deals can be found at the office supply stores and big box retailers, of course. But don't forget the drugstores and supermarkets. They are getting in on back-to-school sales as well.

Even if you don't have kids, think about stocking up your home office or buy the ultra cheap deals and donate them to a nearby school or charity. I know they will greatly appreciate it.

But do your homework please! That includes reading the fine print. Some deals, especially some of those enticing free or penny deals, require a minimum purchase or involve a rebate.

Take a look at the very best of this week's deals:

The calendar may still say early July, but the retailers are getting a jump on back-to-school sales on school supplies.

That's perfect timing for Triangle parents who send their kids to year-round schools, most of which begin a new school year on Monday.

For the rest of us, it's a chance to score yard-sale priced school and office supplies while still shopping in the air-conditioned comfort of major retail stores.

As always, however, do your homework before opening your wallet on back-to-school deals. Many sales have fine print attached to them.

Some of the sales - especially some of the 1-cent deals - require a minimum purchase of $5. That's not hard to rack up if you're doing all your school supply shopping in one store. But if you're store hopping for the lowest prices, you might be better off skipping the penny sales with strings attached.

Here's a cheat sheet of the very best deals this week. I'm not including those that require a minimum purchase. And remember, if you have the luxury of a later start date for school, be patient and collect the free and under 50-cent deals each week.

Office Max and Staples are both offering good deals this week on office suppies -- some as cheap as a penny after rewards.

At Office Max, 12-packs of legal pads, 12-packs of Post-It Notes, binders and 10-packs of storage boxes are all a penny each after MaxPerk Bonus Rewards, which means you do have to lay out the cash in advance. Office Max issues the rewards in the form of store credit.

Get more details and join the MaxPerks Rewards program HERE.

Over at Staples, take note of the coupon for $10 off a $75 in-store purchase in Sunday's circular. It's valid through Saturday, May 26. The coupon excludes HP and Epson ink and toner, copy services, gift cards and postage stamps.