Get the Most from Tax Free Back to School Shopping
Can you believe summer is coming to a close soon and the Back-to-School sales are in full swing? We love this time of year. I think being a homeschool mom makes the school supply sales super exciting. When we live in a state with a tax-free holiday we love to take advantage on everything from printer ink to cloth diapers.
Get the most from tax-free back to school shopping
Check your state’s tax-free holiday list. You will be amazed at the things that qualify from school supplies to cloth diapers, and even prepping supplies!
Start with making a list of everything your family needs that qualify for the tax-free holiday. Be sure to list things like t-shirts and shorts in a size up fro next year because these are on clearance this time of year with the bonus of no sales tax.
Check the local sales ads to see what is on sale during your tax holiday. Most stores want you to shop with them during the tax-free shopping and will be holding big sales to get you to come in. Many stores will be competing with each other to have the lowest price. If you are limiting how many stops you make pick stores that have a bit of everything and clearance sales going on is a bonus.
Clean out the trunk. This is the time to really stock up on things you need like school supplies, clothes, and electronics you need for the year while everything is both on sale and tax-free. By giving your car a good clean out before you go you will not need to worry about if you have room to get everything you find in your budget.
Look beyond school supplies. Many states that offer tax holidays for back to school include things like computers and clothing. This is a great time to replace your work computer or grab some cute baby clothes to have on hand for baby showers coming up during the year.
Stock up on basics. This is the time to stock up on notebooks, pencils, crayons, and other basics you go through so much of all year long. Over buying now will save you money all year long. Not only are these items tax-free they are on sale too. You can even gather supplies for things like Operation Christmas Child boxes.
Bring a friend. Shopping can be so much more fun with a friend along and you can work together to catch the really great deals. My sister and I do big shopping like this together and it is always so much fun. Last year the day after Christmas we hit Walmart when they opened and walked out with a cart full of goodies… She may have gotten enough make up to last a couple years.
Plan ahead before the Tax holiday comes to make room in your budget. While it may be late this year you can take even more advantage of tax-free back to school shopping next year by starting your planning early. Save up for big things you will be buying during the back to school sales like computers, printers, and high-end items.
