Brownsville, Texas— The mother of a 12- and 5-year-old, Patricia Guerra is already preparing for tax-free weekend.
“I usually just go for things I know I’ll find,” Guerra said.
She said it is easier when you know what you want to buy.
“You have to know your kids’ sizes because it’s not like regular shopping, you can’t just look around and try things on,” she said.
The sales tax holiday takes place Aug. 17-19. Most school-related items less than $100 are eligible to be purchased tax-free. For the first time this year, backpacks are on the list, which also includes such staples as baby clothes, diapers, jeans, shirts, and shoes.
Brenda Hernandez, a manager at Bealls in Sunrise Mall, said she does not understand why people prefer to shop during tax-free weekend.
“Some people see our sales (in early August) and still wait for tax-free weekend, when they run the chance of buying things at regular price,” she said.
Others opt to shop in advance.
Lupita Alvear and her two boys, ages 9 and 10, think the weekend is much too close to the start of classes.
“If you wait that long, everything will be gone,” she said. She bought supplies three weeks in advance.
Yet, both Guerra and Alvear know more shopping will be done after the start of classes.
“For my 12-year-old, I buy only the basics and wait for what teachers ask for,” Guerra said. Alvear notices the same thing with her boys at the elementary level. “Usually, teachers ask for things that weren’t on the list,” she said, thinking of past years when she had to buy extra tissue boxes and cleaning supplies. “It’s stuff I think the school district should provide,” she admitted. Perhaps, the one thing both mothers agreed on was how much their children influence their purchases.
“Shoes are probably the most important thing for my boys,” Alvear said. “They choose them way before we buy them and that’s usually what I spend the most money on.”
Guerra said she let her 12-year-old buy what she wants, but “my little one has less of a choice.”
For a complete list of tax-free items, see the Texas comptroller’s Web site, window.state.tx.us.
The Brownsville Herald
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