Back-to-school season is just around the corner! Depending on where you live, your state may be offering huge savings with a sales tax holiday shopping weekend on specific purchases. With state sales tax ranging 4 – 10%, that means more money in your pocket.

Dates vary, but this year many states are going sales tax free the first full weekend in August. (Scroll down for dates in your specific state.) If you have several kids going to school this year, you can boost your savings by picking up paper, pens, calculators, and backpacks in one trip. And you can get even better deals on the bigger ticket items, namely laptops and tablets.

Getting the Bigger Bang for Buck with Laptops

You don’t want to buy a laptop because it was on sale, only to see it slow or break down in a year. While specs change year to year, here are some guidelines to help you purchase technology that will last.

• If your kid needs a computer they can easily take notes with, but not to run highly specialized programs, you may want to get a tablet instead. There are some wonderful bundles that give you a tablet (with warranty) and a case at a great bargain. They can use the tablet while at school and then do the heavy lifting on the home computer.
• For those who need more processing power, but still want the portability of a tablet, a hybrid like the Microsoft Surface or Lenovo Yoga may be just the right ticket for you.
• College students, and many high school students, likely require a laptop to keep up with their coursework. New processors come out frequently, but right now you can get incredible performance with some older models. Those who are using programs like Adobe Photoshop and Unity (to design video games) will want to make sure that their computer has plenty of memory – at least 8GB RAM.
• You’ll also want to check out reviews and make sure you get a laptop with a reputation for good battery life (at least 9 hours).

I hope this helps you prepare your shopping list and figure out how you can save in advance. Be sure to check with your state tax administrator for specifics regarding your sales tax holiday. What supplies do you need to pick up this upcoming school year?

Tax Holiday Dates

Alabama: July 21-23

Arkansas: August 5-6

Connecticut: August 20-26

Florida: August 4-6

Iowa: August 4-5

Louisiana: August 4-5

Maryland: August 13-19

Mississippi: July 28-29

Missouri: August 4-6

New Mexico: August 4-6

Ohio: August 4-6

Oklahoma: August 4-6

South Carolina: August 4-6

Tennessee: July 28-30

Texas: August 11-13

Virginia: August 4-6

NO SALES TAX HOLIDAY: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming