Tax-Free Weekends Are Coming. Here's the Calm Way to Do Back-to-School.

As we ramp up our substack we’re going to deep dive into budgeting, finances and career once a week. Through analyzing some of the readership trends in our analytics, and also from your feedback and engagement, we’ve been seeing that you’re really curious to read more about these topics.

Before we begin, if you are not yet subscribed to our substack, please consider being a paid-subscriber and support Parenthood Together (for less than what you probably spend on coffee consumption).

Yes, it’s the thick of summer, but parents with school-aged kids know that back-to-school spending-season starts before the school year does.

Families will spend between $490 and $560 per student this year (Deloitte says ~$557, JLL ~$489) — closer to $900 per household once clothing, shoes, and technology are counted (PwC). It’s one of the biggest spending stretches of the family year, and it usually comes and goes, leaving us to foot the bill for way more than we’d budgeted for.

Summer is a great time to keep an eye on sales, but one of the things people don’t think about are tax-free holidays that more than 17 states all over the country run during this season.

Here are some of the verified dates to bookmark, depending on where you’re located.

• This weekend, July 17–19: Alabama — it starts today

• Late July: Tennessee and New Mexico (July 31–Aug 2), West Virginia (July 31–Aug 3)

• First weekend of August: Arkansas (Aug 1–2); Texas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Missouri, Virginia, and South Carolina (Aug 7–9; SC’s official notice is still pending); Iowa (Aug 7–8)

• The long one: Florida runs the entire month of August, Aug 1–31 — the longest in the country

• Mid-August: Massachusetts (Aug 8–9), Maryland (Aug 9–15; official notice pending), Connecticut (Aug 16–22)

(Mississippi’s already ran July 10–12 — if that’s you, you’re done.)

Depending on your state and your list, that’s $50 to $200 (especially if you have multiple kids!) back in your pocket!

1. Check your state’s tax-free rules and dates. Dates are above — each link lists what qualifies and the price caps.

2. Inventory first. Half the school supply list may already be sitting in a closet, a junk drawer, or last year’s backpack.

3. Set a budgeted number per kid. If they’re older and shopping with you, this is a good opportunity to bond, budget and plan together.

4. Shop the list, not the mood. Store merchandising design and marketing from retail stores to leave you feeling behind. You’re not behind. Take your time.

5. Consider re-using what can be re-used. Brand new materials may feel nice for an initial moment, but it’s not always practical. It can also be an environmentally conscious choice that will pay dividends in a much larger way.

Be smart and budget ahead!

We’ll be posting back-to-school sales as they come on our radar — take time to subscribe to our Substack newsletter below and be sure to stay tuned for our Weekend Shopper emails.

More than 110 companies now run paid “returnship” programs — structured return-to-work positions for people coming back from a career break. Most run three to four months, pay industry-standard salaries, include mentorship and training, and frequently convert to full-time roles. Amazon, Walmart, Netflix, and SAP are among them, many through organizations like Path Forward (FlexJobs keeps a running list).

A pause is a season to be celebrated on your résumé. Be proud of all you’ve accomplished during this season and re-enter with pride!

If returning is on your mind for this fall, spend time to browse, collect yourself with clarity first about how you want to return to work. Were you happy with what you were working on previously? If not, envision what the ideal next step could look like for you. The extra time to set your intention and vision will give you the confidence and streamline your path towards your return. This will ultimately help you land on something without compromise.

Curious how people are budgeting around back-to-school season? Have questions about others who’ve gone back to work? Chances are, there are plenty of others wondering the same. Ask your question on the Parenthood Together group: facebook.com/groups/parenthoodtogether.