Apply Now! The USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Cardoffers a 5% rebate on gas and military base purchases, a 2% rebate on supermarket purchases, and a 1% rebate on all of your other purchases with no annual fee. This is of the highest paying gas cash back cards for those long summer road trips. The main catch is that USAA products are only available to military members, veterans who have honorably served, and their eligible family members.
The 5% cash back is limited up to $3,000 in gas and military base purchases per year. While the 2% cash back is maxed out at $3,000 in supermarket purchases per year. The great thing is that you have unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases and any gas, military base, and supermarket purchases that exceed the yearly maximums.
If you haven’t been to a Dave’s Hot Chicken they have locations on the strip in Las Vegas to Bricktown in Oklahoma City to California or New York.
We happen to be in Oklahoma City and were unaware that they have one of these in the Bricktown district. We opened up the app we already have and this Free offer was already into the app we were signed into from when we were in Las Vegas. We will be eating our free chicken sandwiches soon!
National Coffee Day is finally here for all of us coffee lovers. There are already 27+ different freebies available. Each of these freebies vary and are hosted by different companies. We have take the time to list them along with some info about each so that you can take advantage of the ones that interest you most.
Friday, Sept. 29 is National Coffee Day 2023, and we’ve got the best National Coffee Day freebies and deals to help you celebrate this food holiday, including how you can get free Dunkin’ coffee.
Whether you’re a fan of free Starbucks, Panera unlimited coffee, or even brewing your own beans, there’s something for you. Heck, there’s even free coffee at Duck Donuts for National Coffee Day, and we rounded up all the National Coffee Day deals so you can get a free coffee.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to check out these freebies such as BOGO pizza day and $30 off a DoorDash order.
Here is the big list of National Coffee Day Freebies for 2023
Barnes & Noble Free tall hot or iced coffee with the purchase of any baked item from any of their in-store cafes.
Biggby Coffee Free 20oz hot-brewed coffee to customers in-store all day long.
Burger King Free Small Iced Coffee with an app or online purchase of $1+ during breakfast hours through 9/30! This deal is valid for Royal Perks members until 10:30 AM local time each day (or until the end of regular breakfast hours) at participating locations from 09/26/2022 until 09/30/2022 when you order on the BK App or bk.com. Royal Perks account registration is required and you’ll need to add the coupon before placing your order.
Caribou Coffee $3 medium handcrafted beverages for Caribou Perks members on National Coffee Day. If you’re a new Caribou Perks member, you’ll get a free drink after your first visit when you sign up.
Death Wish Coffee Various sitewide deals and a free branded tote bag with every order.
Duck Donuts Free medium hot coffee or cold brew with the purchase of a donut. When ordering online, use the code COFFEEDAY at checkout.
Dunkin’ Donuts Free medium hot or iced coffee with any purchase for DD Perks members.
Dunn Brothers Coffee Free medium brewed coffee when you use the Dunn Brothers reward app.
On National Coffee Day, Dutch Bros will be selling a hat for $20 that says “Drink More Coffee”. Customers who purchase the hat will be able to pick up a free drink (up to a $6.50 value) of their choice with their hat at participating locations. This hat will only be available on Sept. 29, and you won’t be able to order it online.
EG America SmartPay Rewards App users can get a free coffee from any of the convenience store brands under the EG America umbrella which includes Cumberland Farms, Loaf N Jug, Turkey Hill, Tom Thumb, Minit Mart, Kwik Shop, Quik Stop, Certified Oil, and Fastrac.
Grounds & Hounds Coffee Save 20% off sitewide thru 9/30. Spend over $65 and get a gift of espresso-infused caramels with your order by using the code FRESHBREWED at checkout.
Krispy Kreme Free Brewed Coffee and a Free Doughnut of your choice for Rewards members (free to join). On Sept. 29, you can head over to any Krispy Kreme store to receive a free medium hot (regularly $2.69) or iced coffee (priced at $2.89) — no purchase necessary. Of course, if you want something sweet to go with your coffee, you can grab a $2 Original Glazed Dozen (regularly $14.99) with the purchase of any dozen doughnuts purchase at Krispy Kreme on National Coffee Day — that’s a 86.7% discount.
La Colombe BOGO 50% off 12-ounce boxes of coffee beans in-cafe and on the website. The deal starts 9/29 and runs through 10/1.
La Madeleine Free regular or large drip coffee to any guest who stops by the restaurant or orders online or through the app on Sept. 29.
McDonald’s Using the McDonald’s app, rewards members can get a $1 premium roast or iced coffee every day through the end of the year.
Panera Bread Starting 9/29 through 10/5, MyPanera members will get to enjoy these exclusive perks:
9/29: New unlimited Sip Club subscribers will get two months’ membership free. Existing Sip Club Members will receive $2 off select barista beverages and smoothies one time and via the app only. 9/30: $0 delivery fee in-app only through Oct. 5. 10/1: Free baguette with an in-app purchase. 10/2: $2 off a Broccoli Cheddar Soup Bowl via the app. 10/3: 20% Off Panera Bread gift cards (online only). 10/4: Special gift from a Panera partner. 10/5: Cooking class with Panera’s head chef, Claes Petersson and discounts on Panera grocery products. 10/6: Start of choice in MyPanera Rewards. Peet’s Free small drip coffee with any purchase at participating locations on National Coffee Day. Other deals valid 9/29 through 10/2:
20% off coffee beans, K-Cup pods and espresso capsules in coffee bars. 20% off when you shop online. $0 Delivery fee for Peetnik Rewards Members when you place orders through the Peet’s app. Plus, Peet’s always provides coffee bar guests one complimentary small coffee with the purchase of a 1-pound bag of beans. Limited to one per customer. Pilot Flying J FREE cup of Pilot Coffee with the myPilot app.
PJ’s Coffee FREE Hot Coffee or Cold Brew Iced Coffee with code COFFEE in the PJs app.
QuickChek Free 20-ounce hot or iced coffee to anyone who uses the QuickCheck app for the first time.
RaceTrac Free cup of Crazy Good Coffee to rewards members who use the promo code COFFEE in the mobile app.
Sheetz Get any size coffee free when you order through the Sheetz app. No additional purchase necessary.
Shipley Do-Nuts Free medium house blend coffee with any purchase in-store or online with code COFFEE929.
Tim Hortons $0.25 medium hot or iced coffee all day long at Tim Hortons when you order through the Tims app or website.
Smoothie King Get any 20-ounce espresso or cold brew blended smoothie for $5, when you visit before 11am on 9/29. For Smoothie King Healthy Rewards Members, you can buy one coffee smoothie and receive a reward for a free smoothie to be used at a later date. Healthy Rewards Members also have a free espresso shot reward in their account until Sept. 30.
Stewart’s Shops FREE coffee, any size, hot or iced.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Get a free regular sized coffee with any food purchase.
Wawa Gas Stations Free Self-Serve Coffee up to 24 oz at Wawa.
Open the Dunkin’ app, click offers, then scroll to the bottom and enter promo code: MUNCHKINS23 to get an offer for a Free Premium Sips Drink at Dunkin’. Expires 9/28, but the code has a limited amount available for people to add to their account so make sure you enter it soon. It seems to only be valid on Small, medium, or Large frozen drinks or Signature Lattes.
Go here for more free food offers! If you want BOGO pizza go here.
Dunkin’ App Past Offers
To get a FREE Iced Coffee at Dunkin’ open the Dunkin’ app, click offers, then scroll to the bottom and enter promo code: BANANAS to get an offer for a Free Iced Coffee at Dunkin’. Expires 8/15, but the code has a limited amount available for people to add to their account so make sure you enter it soon.
It’s free to join Dunkin Rewards.
We redeemed this morning. I actually get a lot of free/discounted stuff ever since downloading this app. Def a money saver! If you like this deal you will like Casey’s everyday freebies this month and Starbucks deals.
Past Promos:
Update 3/1/23: Deal is back with promo code WINTERWARRIOR23. -open the Dunkin’ app, click offers, then scroll to the bottom and enter promo code: WINTERWARRIOR23 to get an offer for a Free Hot or Iced Coffee at Dunkin’. Expires 3/8. Free Small, Medium or Large!
Enter promo code WINTERWARRIOR23 at the promo code box at the bottom of the page in Dunkin Rewards
Refresh the rewards page
Place a Medium Iced Coffee order via the Dunkin Mobile App using the offer
Reward expires 7 days from offer activation
Past Offers Below:
FREE Item EVERY day for an Entire Week at Dunkin Donuts!
Dunkin’ Donuts recently announced that the brand’s DD Perks Rewards program reached a new milestone of more than five million members. Their loyalty program seems to improve each day compared to other programs that are falling behind such as Starbucks. The latest offer is a week of freebies from the donut giant.
Dunkin Donuts Perks Week Promotion Now through November 18, 2017, the donut chain will offer different perks each day. Pick a day to drop in and earn DD Bonus points, triple points or even an additional $5 when you reload a card.
Mobile Monday: Triple points on all purchases made on their On-the-Go mobile Ordering Top it Off Tuesday: Buy or reload $10 to any DD card using Visa Checkout on the Dunkin’ Mobile app or DD Perks Website, and receive an additional $5 WTFast Wednesday: Earn a free beverage (200 points) when using On-the-Go mobile Ordering. Limit one bonus point offer per DD Perks Member Top Speed Thursday: A special offer for hot or iced coffee when purchased via On-the-Go Ordering. Limit one per DD Perks member Fun-Filled Friday: Visit your favorite Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant and make a purchase using your Perks enrolled DD Card and earn 100 Bonus Points (limit one bonus point offer per DD Perks member)
There’s a new Walmart discount using a Chase Offer out that can save you up to 10% on up to $120 in combined purchases at Walmart through mid-March. This is good for online purchases via the website or just plugging your credit card into the Walmart app and paying.
The Deal
Walmart.com/Walmart App Chase Offer: Get 10% back on online or app purchases, up to $12 maximum cash back.
Go here for more information on Chase Freedom Card (one of the portfolio of cards giving 10% back ) or here to see more Chase Cards
Terms
Expires September 30th, 2023.
Valid for online purchases only
Excludes purchases from third party services
Excludes in-store purchases, pharmacy and gas
Easy Cash Back at Walmart
It’s worth checking all your Chase branded cards such as the Chase Ink, Chase Freedom cards, and cards such as the Southwest Airlines Visa. You can add these offers to multiple cards. We found some cards only had 5% back and some had 10% back.
This is an easy one to take advantage of even though it’s only valid online or through the app. It’s very easy to set up a card payment with the Walmart app. The only excluded products are gas and pharmacy and you can reach the $12 max cash back in multiple transactions with no minimum purchase required.
Even if you don’t use Walmart.com, it also sells a wide range of third party gift cards to things such as Doordash or Uber (as well as Visa and Mastercard gift cards) so buying those is a simple way to lock in the 10% discount.
Cash App has a debit card that (image above) has also been great at doing cash back at retailers recently as it has an offer right now for 10% at Target and 2% at Walmart.
The $5 Gift Card from Starbucks is back for a limited time with the Tollperks Tollway Rewards program.
TollPerks is a rewards program designed to thank drivers for using Tolltags and NTTA toll roads. It’s a simple program where all you have to do is drive and earn points plus many other great benefits. TollPerks members can redeem points for exclusive rewards from local businesses. TollPerks also has special deals, discounts, coupons and other exclusive member offers that do not require point redemption. You then sign online to redeem your points for vouchers.
Get 200 Free Bonus TollPerks using XWC198 Referral Code. Visit TollPerks.com to enroll. The sooner you enroll in TollPerks, the sooner you will begin earning points and rewards. TollPerks is an opt-in program; TollTag customers are not automatically enrolled in TollPerks. You will need your TollTag account number to register, which can be located by logging into your online account or by checking your paper statement. To complete registration, you also must provide the first and last name used on your NTTA TollTag account.
You start earning points almost immediately after your account is verified in TollPerks. Points for verified accounts are awarded within 48 hours of driving on NTTA toll road.
Every quarter TollPerks will hold a sweepstakes for prizes. Plus, you can use tokens to get an instant prize on the Spin-to-Win game. Sweepstakes entry is automatic for all TollPerks members whose TollTag accounts are in good standing.
$5 Starbucks Gift Card
Tollperks is giving away $5 gift cards for only 5,000 points for the first 3,000 people. Sign up for this today! I tried to get more than one but it only let me get one per family.
TollPerks Points = Extra Chances on the Spin-To-Win Wheel Monthly
Tollperks Spin to Win game for gift cards and points.
Another new feature for members is the ability to redeem 1,000 TollPerks points for a Spin-to-Win token. You could win fabulous instant prizes including:
Win Big in the Next TollPerks Sweepstakes You could be the next TollPerks quarterly sweepstakes winner. Prizes for the Oct. 14 drawing include: A $3,000 travel voucher for airfare and hotel A Hotels.com $1,000 voucher A $1,000 Amazon gift card
Redeem TollPerks Points for Extra Sweepstakes Entries Do you have at least 10,000 TollPerks points? If so, your TollPerks points can get you an extra entry into the quarterly sweepstakes. Go to the sweepstakes menu on TollPerks.com and complete the form to swap points for an extra sweepstakes entry.
As a TollPerks member, you can earn perks and prizes in four ways:
Current Tollperks offers for redemption just for everyday driving on the tollway in Texas and Oklahoma.
1. Redeem TollPerks Points: One dollar spent in tolls is worth 100 TollPerks points, which can be redeemed for coupons and perks from area businesses. 2. Spin-to-Win: When you enroll inTollPerks, you get the chance to our includes an instant spin-to-win game featuring special prizes. Members receive a virtual token for a chance to spin the online instant-win prize wheel. when you enroll and Plus, you earn one additional token each month that your TollTag account remains in good standing. 3. Quarterly Sweepstakes: TollPerks members with TollTag accounts in good standing are entered automatically into a quarterly drawing for valuable prizes. 4. Discounts and Offers: TollPerks includes bonus offers from area businesses that are available to all members. Point redemption is not required for bonus offers. Offers change periodically. Offers and voucher discounts can be found on TollPerks.com under the menu tabs “Vouchers” as well as “Offers”.
Save on Fuel
TollPerks is offering new members a deal that will save money at the gas pump. TollPerks members will receive a Fuel Rewards code good for 25¢ off per gallon of gas (up to 20 gallons) on your next fill-up at a participating Shell or other select gas stations.
TollPerks Sweet Dunkin’ Donut Deal for New Members The first 1,000 new members to register for TollPerks in September will receive a voucher for a free medium hot or iced coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts. Enjoy the refreshing treat as your fuel for the day, and see your TollPerks points increase as you drive. Redeem those points for more great rewards.
Last year was a great one for Tollway perks during the pandemic as we have had more prizes come our way in terms of Walmart, Home Depot, and a Starbucks gift card for free.
If you live in Texas you may also want to check out the $150 Reliant Energy Credit you can score right now as a limited-time bonus.
IHG (International Hotel Group) is a global hotel chain that has a hotel in most cities you travel from Holiday Inn to boutique Kimpton hotels. They also partner with Las Vegas strip hotels for perks and free nights. The IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card is a newish card that everyone should have because they have hotels everywhere and you get a free night each year along with elite perks. This rewards card not only has a great sign up bonus but great benefits year after year making it one of those cards where the benefits surpass the annual fee.
Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. $89 annual fee. GO here to apply!
Top 6 Reasons We Love the IHG Rewards Premier Rewards Card:
1. Free Night Every Single Year
With this credit card you’ll receive a free night certificate with every anniversary year at eligible hotels. This perk pays for the small annual fee and then some! You just need to book the free night certificate before it expires at the end of the year. For example, you can use this free night certificate at the Z Ocean in South Beach Miami which is right on the beach and can easily go for a free $300+ a night.
2. 4th Night Free on Award Stays
When you book with your IHG points, you’ll receive your 4th night free just by being a cardmember. With many other chains, such as Marriott and Hilton, your free night doesn’t appear until the 5th night. There is no maximum number of times you can take advantage of this benefit.
3. Global Entry or TSA Precheck Fee Credit
You normally have to pay a $400+ annual fee for a credit card that gives you this perk. When you pay for your Global Entry application fee you’ll receive a $100 statement credit — ultimately giving you free Global Entry to avoid lines at airports. This also gives you TSA Precheck. If you already have Global Entry all you have to do is pay for another friend or family members application and you’ll still get the $100 statement credit. You can receive this statement credit every 4 years.
4. Platinum Elite Status
One of my favorite benefits of this card from Chase is the included IHG Platinum status, such as:
Your points will never expire. Typically IHG points expire if there is no activity in the account for a 12 month period. When you have Platinum status (even if it is just earned from having the credit card), your points will not expire even if there has not been any activity in 12 months. This is definitely one of the shorter expiration periods amongst hotel chains, so not having to remember to keep your account active is nice.
Raid the Bar Credit. Platinum status also matches to Kimpton’s “Tier 3” status which will get you a $10 Raid the Bar credit when staying at Kimpton properties. Who doesn’t love a mini-bar they can raid?
Discount at Shell Gas stations. You’ll save 6 cents per gallon at Shell Gas stations due to the Fuel Rewards partnership.
5. Chase Offers
This is a new thing going on with Chase cards that no one is really talking about. Chase has offers in the Chase App or on the Chase Pay app where you can order food and pick it up and get freebies or save in cash back at certain retailers. For example, I had a Chase offer where it saved me $10 after making 3 purchases from any of the order ahead restaurants near me using the Chase Pay app which is better than calling ahead. The other version of Chase offers may include Starbucks at 10% back or Applebee’s at 8% you just have to look in the app to see what comes up! This perk alone adds up to huge savings if you use it often.
6. 20% Discount on Purchasing Points
This is yet another benefit to get more bang for your buck when it comes to booking stays at IHG ran hotels. Sometimes it may be better to book buying points than paying directly. Note this discount is not on top of any other purchasing points promotions that might be running at the time but if you need a last minute hotel it sometimes helps to go this route.
There’s More: 10,000 Extra Points a Year for Big Spending
This is a benefit many of us will not use but it’s nice to have if you use it as your only card and want a annual bonus without having to sign up for a new card. If you spend $20,000 on your card within the year, you’ll receive 10,000 bonus points. Although for everyday spending such as groceries we have other cards that we recommend with better cash back.
Chase has the best portfolio of credit cards overall but for everyday spending the Freedom card really stands out. Freedom cards we have talked about on our site since it first came out and they can earn Ultimate Rewards points without the annual fee.
The Freedom cards from Chase are more rewarding than ever before. Both cards are currently offering improved welcome bonuses that are among the best we’ve seen.
Both Freedom Cards are Similar but Chase Freedom Flex is Our Pick
The cards have most things in common. Identical sign-up bonuses & eligibility requirements, Both the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited offer excellent bonuses for no annual fee cards, which were recently improved. Each card currently offers:
20,000 points or $200 BONUS after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months
Additionally, earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases including Target (not Walmart purchases) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year
Furthermore, both cards have identical eligibility requirements:
Each card is only available to those who don’t currently have that specific card, and those who haven’t received a new cardmember bonus on that specific card in the past 24 months Both cards are subjected to Chase’s typical eligibility restrictions, including the 5/24 rule Overlapping bonus categories Both the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited offer the following overlapping bonus categories on spending:
5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3x points on dining, takeout, and eligible delivery services
3x points on drugstores
Flexibility to earn cash back or Ultimate Rewards points
Both the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited accrue the same types of rewards:
Each point earned on either card can be redeemed for one cent cash back If you have either card in conjunction with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, or Ink Business Preferred Credit Card, then points can also be transferred to the Ultimate Rewards program; Ultimate Rewards points have a value around ~1.7 cents each, so to me that increases the value of these points by 70%
Earn Ultimate Rewards points with Chase Freedom cards
Differences between Chase Freedom cards
There is one primary area where the Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited differ, and that’s one aspect of the bonus categories. Both cards offer:
5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3x points on dining, takeout, and eligible delivery services
3x points on drugstores
But each card has one unique bonus category:
The Freedom Flex offers 5x points in rotating quarterly categories, on up to $1,500 of spending per quarter The Freedom Unlimited offers 1.5x points on everyday spending, making it one of the best cards for non-bonused categories, and beating the Freedom Flex in that regard by 50%
The Freedom Unlimited offers a better return on everyday spending
Which Chase Freedom card is better?
Deciding whether the Chase Freedom Flex or Chase Freedom Unlimited makes more sense comes down to one very simple question — would you rather earn 1.5x points on all purchases (with the Freedom Unlimited), or would you rather earn 5x points in rotating quarterly categories and 1x points on non-bonused purchases?
Everyday spending will work out differently for everyone, but here are a few general considerations:
What card do you otherwise use for non-bonused spending, and how much do you spend in categories that don’t otherwise qualify for bonus categories? If you don’t have a great card and you spend a lot in non-bonused categories, then the Freedom Unlimited is the obvious choice Do you have another great card for non-bonused spending but think you could get value from the 5x points categories on the Freedom Flex? Then the Freedom Flex is the obvious choice The good thing is that you don’t have to choose — you can get both the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited, and that’s a great way to maximize your rewards, especially since neither card has an annual fee. Personally, that’s my approach, but I also get that lots of people want a simpler credit card strategy than that.
Bottom line Both the Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited are great no annual fee cards that can help you maximize the Ultimate Rewards points that you earn. For savvy consumers they’re an essential complement to a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Which Freedom card makes more sense depends on your circumstances. The Freedom Unlimited is the all-around more rewarding card, given that it offers one of the best returns of any card for non-bonused spending. But some may get more value out of the Freedom Flex’s 5x points categories.
One great thing is that you don’t have to choose, as you can always pick up both cards at the same time or upgrade from another card if you change your mind by calling Chase.
Back-to-school buying just got cheaper with this tax-free weekend guide where states cut sales tax on certain items just in time. While 16 states are participating in the tax-free days you also have Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon that never charge sales tax. Be aware that most of the tax holidays begin at 12:01 a.m. and end at midnight. Is your state lacking this tax-free day? Then it may be time to take a road trip. Here’s some free gas for all of the driving from store to store.
Maximize Rewards! Another tip for back-to-school shopping is to make sure you have a proper credit card to maximize your savings. From initial bonuses worth $600+ to 2% cashback on all purchases, there are plenty of great credit card deals available to parents this back-to-school season. You can even get 5% back on restaurant purchases while dining and shopping with these cards.
On top of a cashback credit card why not sign up for Drop and iBotta. Two amazing apps that are paying huge and you can double dip all of these programs. iBotta, for instance, will allow you to send in your receipt into the app if you shopped at Target to claim money back. With Drop, you simply add your credit cards and it knows where you shopped and will give you cash back from places such as Starbucks, Old Navy, Nike, Aerie, and other retailers. You then redeem the cashback for gift cards. If you use this link for Drop you’ll get $5 towards your first gift card.
What is a sales tax holiday?
A sales tax holiday is a period of time during which many states remove sales tax on certain types of items. Often, the tax-free benefits are limited to a single weekend, but sometimes there are much longer terms.
Sales tax holidays typically restrict eligible purchases by criteria such as product and price. For example, you might be able to purchase computer models that cost up to $1,000 tax-free, but not ones that cost more.
When is the sales tax holiday or tax-free weekend in my state?
Sales tax holidays vary by location — and not every state has one. In some cases, the state sales tax may be zero during the holiday, but stores might still have to collect a city or local sales tax. Keep in mind that some states already don’t collect a state sales tax. Local governments (the city or county, for example) can still levy tax in those states, though.
Here’s a look at the states with sales tax holidays in 2023 and the items that will be tax-free, according to the Federation of Tax Administrator.
Energy Star products / No maximum Air conditioners / $6,000 Other / $2,000
Aug. 11-13
Clothing, backpacks, school supplies / $100
West Virginia
Aug. 4-7
Clothing / $125 School supplies / $20 Sports equipment / $150 Computer or tablet / $500
Source: Federation of Tax Administrators
How to save big with a sales tax holiday
Here are some tips for leveraging sales tax holidays to save money:
For back-to-school savings, reserve major purchases like laptops for the tax-free periods in late July or August. For weather-preparedness savings, try to time purchases with tax holidays sprinkled throughout the year.
Keep an eye on the price tags. Typically, only items priced below the limit qualify for the tax-free treatment. When back-to-school shopping for new outfits, for example, if the limit is $100 on clothing then, as long as each piece of clothing in your cart is priced below $100, you should save on sales tax for those items. But if the limit on shoes is also $100 and you’re buying a pair priced at $125, you might have to pay sales tax on them.
Check with the state for exceptions. Before you start shopping, head to your state’s taxation and revenue website and find out if there are unusual exceptions. Previously in New Mexico, for example, clothing was part of its tax-free weekend, but sports uniforms and bathing suits didn’t count, which meant they were still taxable.
Shop around. Eliminating sales tax shouldn’t be your only means of saving money. Check out local kids consignment shops for clothes and shoes not covered by the tax-free holiday. You might also try using websites like Google Shopping or apps such as Flipp to search for products by name and compare their prices at multiple merchants. Doing research ahead of time for bigger purchases, like Energy Star appliances or hurricane-preparedness items, is also key.
Remember to Stick to a Budget! It’s hard to avoid overspending if you don’t have both a shopping list and a budget. Before heading to these retail or outlet stores, make a list of what you need and do a quick search to see how much each item costs. This will help you make an overall back-to-school budget and decide how to allocate the funds. It’s too bad Amazon is not able to get in on the B2S offers but you can get Boxed tax free year long.
