DALLAS (TSWT) – Just in case you need a reminder, it’s a holiday weekend for your wallet or purse.
The state’s annual duty-free weekend coincides with back-to-school shopping every August.
We’ve never had a tax-free weekend in Texas with inflation at levels like we’re seeing now.
So financial experts recommend that you buy big or stay at home.
Jack Casey had finished shopping for the 18-year-old, who is soon going to college.
“So we get all the latest supplies, school supplies, clothes, shoes,” Casey said.
They were waiting for this weekend to buy clothes and school supplies in Texas with no sales tax.
“We probably spent a few hundred,” said Meredith Casey, Jack’s mother. “So you know 8% of that is about $20. But that’s, you know, these days… that’s a tank of gas.”
Many of the items under $100 that you can buy tax-free are things you probably already know, such as clothing, footwear, backpacks, and school supplies.
But the list also includes medical scrubs, religious clothing, fishing and hunting vests, and baby supplies.
“A savings of 8%, that’s great, but it’s no reason to drop everything and run to the store,” said financial advisor Bill Dendy.
Dendy said people who get the most bang for their buck this weekend are buying a lot or at least more expensive items near the $100 limit.
“In general, savvy savers are looking for the bigger ticket items that are on sale, but also those that are 8% off,” Dendy said. “So buy things like shoes that are on sale.”
The state expects the weekend’s total savings to be about $112 million.
