HOUSTON — Heads up, parents getting ready for back to school. Tax-Free Weekend in Texas kicks off Friday and runs through Sunday.
Back-to-school shopping can get pretty pricey, so shopping on Tax-Free Weekend is a must-do for some families looking to cut costs.
Stores like Target also use the weekend to push their newest back-to-school deals.
“Anything you need essentially to be successful in the classroom for the school year, 20 items all for under the price of $20 total,” Aubrey Brent, Target store director Houston South, said.
Those back-to-school items for tax-free purchases this weekend include mostly clothing, footwear, school supplies, and backpacks sold for less than $100.
One shopper shared a back-to-school shopping memory with her mom and siblings.
“Every Tax-Free Weekend she would load me and my brothers up and we would go buy all of our clothes, all of our supplies no matter the crowd,” Rachel Morrison, a shopper, said.
Now, she’s continuing that same tradition with her son and plans to get to the store first thing in the morning when they open.
“We would get there early, and we would buy everything that day. So, I was just raised like that so I’m going to keep it going,” she said.
The store director at Target’s Houston South location said during Tax-Free Weekend their stores usually get packed with people as early as 8 a.m.
“I’d say it’s a pre-Super Bowl. When I think of Super Bowl, I think of all things Black Friday shopping, so back to school is the pre-version of that. Everybody is ready for school. Everybody is getting a ton of essentials,” Brent said.
If you want to avoid the crowds but still capitalize on Tax-Free Weekend products, here’s a convenient shopping alternative.
“We have drive-up orders where parents can place orders for their students and pick those up front of the store or have those delivered out to their cars,” Brent said.
“It’s worth it to save because taxes are awful right now,” Morrison said. Remember Tax-Free Weekend in Texas ends this Sunday at midnight.