On the job hunt or working for yourself and need to upgrade your computer, your wardrobe and replenish your office supplies but funds are tight right now? You’re in luck because right now is the best time to buy everything you need to keep your closet and supply cabinet stocked for the next year.
Back to School sales are ideal to grab all of the pens, pencils, glue sticks and paper clips you could possibly need. Start stocking up in bulk if you have the means because as soon as school supply lists come in the stores start to run out of all the good stuff pretty quickly. Kids might not realize the difference between Rose Art and Crayola crayons and markers but graphic designers sure do.
Better than simple sales, many states also participate in tax-free weekend holidays during the month of August. In order to give parents’ pocketbooks a break, states offer items needed for children to go back to school that are exempt from state and local sales tax. That can equate to quite a sizeable savings especially if you’re stocking up.
Many items are price capped at $100 to qualify but most fall well within that range. Office supplies covered by the exemption can include:
- Binders
- Calculators
- Composition books
- Crayons
- Erasers
- Folders; expandable, pocket, plastic, and manila
- Glue, paste and paste sticks
- Highlighters
- Index cards
- Index card boxes
- Legal pads
- Markers (including dry erase markers)
- Notebooks
- Paper; loose leaf ruled notebook paper, copy paper, graph paper, tracing paper, manila paper, colored paper, poster board, and construction paper
- Pencil boxes and other school supply boxes
- Pencil sharpeners
- Pencils
- Pens
- Rulers
- Scissors
- Writing tablets
Clothing and footwear are also on the list of items to splurge and save on over the holiday. Items listed below that retail for less than $100 are typically exempt during a tax free holiday weekend:
- Belts with attached buckles
- Boots - cowboy, hiking
- Caps/hats - baseball, fishing, golf, knitted
- Coats and wraps
- Dresses
- Gloves (generally)
- Gym suits and uniforms
- Hooded shirts and hooded sweatshirts
- Hosiery
- Jackets
- Jeans
- Jerseys - baseball and football
- Jogging apparel
- Neckwear and ties
- Pajamas
- Pants and trousers
- Raincoats and ponchos
- Robes
- Shirts
- Shoes - sandals, slippers, sneakers, tennis, walking
- Socks (including athletic)
- Shorts
- Suits, slacks, and jackets
- Sweatshirts
- Sweat suits
- Sweaters
- Swimsuits
- Underclothes
- Work clothes and uniforms
Jewelry, accessories, handbags, purses, briefcases, luggage, umbrellas, wallets, watches and items that are designed specifically for sports (like cleats) don’t qualify.
Some states also allow a tax break on computers if you shop the holiday sales. Most allow computer purchases up to $1,000 but North Carolina caps the limit at $3,500 for a savings of more than $200 if you take full advantage of their offer.
Don’t put yourself in debt but it can be worth it to brave the crowds of excited kids and parents to pick up what you need. So if you’ve had any doubts about if you can afford to spend a little right now, you need to ask yourself, can you really afford not to?
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