How to save money on back-to-school shopping

Children will soon be returning to classes and the time has come for back-to-school shopping.

A report on LendingTree.com says that  73 percent of back-to-school shoppers are stressing over school shopping and 40 percent expect to go into debt at an average of $793.

As you start planning for the return to school, there are some ways to save yourself some money.

One is by doing your shopping during Connecticut’s sales-tax-free week, which starts on Sunday. (See below for what to know about sales tax-free week.)

Some stores are also running sales next week that coincide with the sales-tax-free week.

Another potential way to save is to buy refurbished tech items.

“These are things that are fresh out of the box, and somebody decided, you know what, this is the right product for me, and they send it back. It might have never even been turned on if you’re talking about a laptop, and they are, you want to look for manufacturer-refurbished because they restore the products. They make sure that they are the exact same as brand new,” Samantha Gordon, a Consumer Reports deals editor, said.

You can also spread out your shopping to spread out the cost.

“Your kids don’t need a full wardrobe for day one. They don’t necessarily need all of the supplies for the first few weeks, so you can spread out your shopping, do some of it later,” Gordon said. “There are going to be holiday sales coming up soon. That tends to start in October.”

Additional advice is to set a budget and shop around.

See if you can find items that cost less at other stores and check consignment shops and dollar stores.

What to know about Connecticut’s 2024 sales tax-free week

It runs from Sunday, Aug. 18 to Saturday, Aug. 24

During the sales tax holiday, retail purchases of most clothing and footwear items priced under $100 are exempt from the Connecticut sales and use tax.

The exemption applies to each eligible item costing under $100, regardless of how many of those items are sold to a customer on the same invoice.

Clothing and footwear that are exempt

• Antique clothing
• Aprons (kitchen)
• Arm warmers
• Athletic socks
• Bandannas
• Baseball hats
• Bathing caps
• Belts, suspenders, belt buckles
• Bicycle sneakers (without cleats)
• Blouses
• Chef uniforms
• Children’s bibs
• Clerical vestments and religious clothing
• Diapers (cloth or disposable, adult or child)
• Dresses
• Ear muffs
• Employee uniforms (such as police, fire, mechanics, nurses, postal)
• Fashion boots
• Formal wear gowns
• Formal wear rentals
• Foul weather gear
• Garters
• Gloves
• Golf dresses and skirts
• Golf jackets
• Golf shirts
• Graduation caps and gowns
• Gym suits
• Handkerchiefs
• Hats, caps
• Jeans
• Jogging suits, sweat suits
• Leg warmers
• Leotards, tights
• Lingerie
• Nylons, hosiery*
• Overclothes
• Overshoes, rubbers, boots
• Painter pants
• Ponchos
• Rain jackets, rain suits, rainwear
• Rented uniforms
• Robes
• Sashes
• Scarves
• Scout uniforms
• Shirts
• Shoelaces
• Shoes: aerobic, basketball, boat, running (without cleats), safety (suitable for everyday wear)
• Ski sweaters, ski jackets
• Sleepwear (nightgowns, pajamas)
• Slippers
• Sneakers
• Socks
• Square dancing clothes
• Swimsuits
• Tennis clothing (dresses, hats, shorts, and skirts)
• Ties (men’s and women’s)
• Undergarments
• Wedding gowns, headpieces, and veils
• Work clothes

Learn more here.