Five Ways to Save During Tax-Free Weekend

What is a sales tax holiday? It's a temporary elimination of a state sales tax. 

So as you head out to shop this weekend, keep this in mind: You are only receiving a six percent savings in most cases.

Here are five things to think about as you make those back-to-school purchases:

1. Read the fine print — make sure you know what items are on the list of things you can buy during the course of the weekend.

2. Look for additional deals, coupons and price-matching options available during the holiday weekend. If you can turn that six percent savings into a 20 or 30 percent savings, you leave a lot happier.

3. Don't overbuy. Go with a list and buy only the things that you need. Keep in mind any savings you have on the items on your list will quickly disappear by purchasing something you hadn't really intended to buy.

4. Don't worry about traveling the Upstate — You are only saving about $5 for every $100 you spend. With gas prices sitting at about $3.19, make sure the drive is worth it.

5. Plan ahead. While it may be too late to start thinking about it now, we have a tax-free weekend each year. Start thinking about major purchases that you could make during the holiday in 2014. Since South Carolina allows you to purchase school supplies, clothing, and shoes tax-free, you could find a whole lot of savings in thinking about not just what you need immediately, but in the seasons ahead.

Have a great way to save money on tax-free weekend? We'd love to hear your ideas. Add them to the comments section below.