By Staff
Shop at home for your school supplies this weekend, and you'll save 7 cents on every dollar.
Brewton and East Brewton are participating in the state's annual tax-free weekend for school supplies, and everything from clothing to books to pencils is included in the list of tax-free items.
The only tax you will pay is the 1-cent countywide tax - and those proceeds go to schools anyway, so our students will still benefit.
Area merchants have said they believe more people are shopping at home these days because gas prices are so high.
The savings this weekend gives us all even more incentive to stay in town.
Notebooks, art supplies, paper, index cards, highlighters - all those little things on the school supply lists will be exempt from sales taxes, along with school uniforms and other clothing items that are under $100 per item.
Computers, computer software and computer equipment with a single purchase price under $750 are also exempt from sales taxes.
Usually we advise folks to stay at home to shop in part because the sales taxes help our community.
But shopping at home during a sales tax holiday still helps the community. The dollars you spend with a local, hometown merchant will help that merchant spend dollars here at home - maybe with you and your business.
In that way, the money comes full-circle and we all benefit.
And while we're shopping at home, it's good to be on our best behavior this weekend. With Florida opting out of a tax-free weekend this year, we might have some visitors in town shopping for school supplies, too. If we put our best foot forward, they'll probably come back.