Over the last several years, a nice new addition to back to school time has made the potential for savings even greater. It's the tax-free weekend, and while it may not seem like a huge deal, every little bit helps, right? We're breaking it down in our latest edition of Steals & Deals.
According to the National Retail Federation, "the average family with kids in kindergarten through high school will spend about $669.28 getting ready to head back to school this year," said Click 2 Houston.
With that kind of expense, any savings is appreciated. Many states with a tax-free weekend held them earlier in the summer, but this weekend is one of the biggies, Texas. Maryland's tax-free weekend is August 10-16 and Connecticut's tax-free sale will be August 17-23.
According to Deal News, eligible items for Texas include clothing, footwear, backpack, and school supplies up to $100. Maryland includes clothing and footwear up to $100 and Connecticut $300.
"Items like computers and electronics have higher thresholds like $1,000 to $2,000," said Forbes. "It could be a good time to buy an Apple product, since they are typically more expensive and rarely go on sale."
"Tax-free weekend is one of the best times of the year to buy clothing, shoes and school supplies," said US News. "Many stores are already running great back-to-school sales and offering high-value coupons, so when you combine the sales, coupons and tax-free savings, that can really help you make the most of your back-to-school budget."
About those sales that are already going on…Bargainist noted a great Back to School sale at JC Penney. A "JC Penney coupon provides savings of up to 50% on select merchandise + up to $30 off purchases," they said.
Target is offering special savings on back to school items including school supplies such as post-its, highlighters, and scissors for just 99 cents, notebooks and crayon packs for 50 cents, and 30 percent or more off of dorm seating.
This Room EssentialsTM Jacqueline Futon in black is just $99, down from $160.
And for students looking to save some cash, Amazon is offering savings of up to 90 percent off on textbooks.
