Tax-Free Weekend Shopping Tips!

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Tax-free weekend in South Carolina is coming up this Friday, August 6th – Sunday, August 8th. While this is a great time to shop for back-to-school items, it can really add up and drain our wallets quickly. Fortunately, we have some great tips for you when shopping this weekend and also some information about what items are considered tax-free, and which ones are not.

Tax-free shopping applies to:

  • Clothing
  • Accessories
  • Footwear
  • School supplies
  • Computers
  • Computer Equipment

Tax-free shopping cannot be used to buy:

  • Jewelry
  • Cosmetics
  • Eyewear
  • Furniture
  • Items placed on layaway

Tips before buying

  1. Make sure to get your child’s school supply list first so you know exactly what they need. If your child’s school list isn’t available yet, tax-free weekend is still a good time to stock up on some basic school supplies. If you’re going to be homeschooling or doing virtual school and are new to it, do some searching online to find supply lists from veteran homeschoolers.
  2. Take advantage of curbside pickup! This is a service that many of us have probably used and is definitely a time and sanity saver for a lot of moms!
  3. Compare prices online before heading to the store. Although the tax-free savings are great, it may still be cheaper to buy some of the supplies online.
  4. Some stores do not allow you to use coupons during tax-free weekend. Make sure to check ahead with your favorite stores to see if this is the case.
  5. Classrooms often run low on supplies at some point during the school year. Plan ahead and stock up on supplies you know will go quick, either at school or home (think: pencils, tissues, glue sticks, etc.) so you can accumulate some savings!
  6. Make a list and stick to it. It’s easy to impulse buy when you feel like you’re “getting a deal”, but big sales will be happening at the end of the season too, so ask yourself if you really need that extra item before purchasing.
  7. Shop local. There are so many great local stores in the Charleston area that would love your business.
  8. Take inventory of what clothes and shoes fit/don’t fit your kids. They grow out of things fast, and the last thing you want on your first morning heading out the door is to realize that your child’s sneakers don’t fit them anymore! Read some of our tips about saving money by buying second-hand, and also where to locally donate used items.

Do you have any tips to add to this list? Let us know in the comments below!