TAMPA, Fla. — A homeschooling mother of three, Denise Mestanza-Taylor, looks at cost and convenience when shopping for class supplies. “If you're doing all your grocery shopping at Walmart and you can do all your school supply shopping, it's one-stop," she said.
Mestanza-Taylor’s tax-free holiday strategy starts at her laptop, where she scans the ads of all the major school supply retailers. She found two pocket-prong folders for 25 cents each, 50-cent packs of pencils, and store-brand glue sticks for 25 cents at Target.
Not to be outdone, Walmart deeply discounted many supplies. We found packs of paper for under $1 and 25-cent single-subject notebooks. Both stores advertise school polo shirts for around $5 and bottoms for as little as $10.
Publix placed many school supplies on their BOGO list, an easy grab for those who are already there buying groceries.
The back-to-school sales tax holiday runs through Aug. 6. It includes school supplies under $50, clothing, shoes, and accessories under $100, and computers under $1,500.
If you’re looking for rock-bottom prices on all your back-to-school needs, you may want to hold off on purchasing some items until around the time school starts. Backpacks and lunch boxes typically go on clearance close to the first day of class.
According to a Lending Tree survey, Americans will spend an average of $702 for back-to-school needs. If you can't afford everything your family needs for the entire school year, consider purchasing just what you need to get to December break. Florida will offer another tax-free school supply holiday Jan. 1-14, 2024.
For a more complete list of eligible items go to the Florida Department of Revenue.
