KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Some students in East Tennessee went back to school on Monday. Others start in a week or two. This means it's time for parents across Tennessee to go back-to-school shopping.
Most schools offer a list of supplies students may need for the upcoming school year. The necessary items range from pencils and pens to tissues and even earbuds for Chromebooks. Whatever is on your child's list, the tax-free weekend is here to help.
But, how much does this tax-free holiday actually make a difference? The beauty of it is in the eye of the beholder.
Marresha Mobley and Jamiya Rucker were shopping in North Knoxville on Monday. They brought along their siblings Anton Clemmons and Denalya North.
"It's kind of hectic a little bit because everybody's trying to get everything done before school. Not trying to wait until the last minute," Mobley said.
They just started doing some back-to-school shopping.
"I think it's fun for the kids because they get to pick out some things," Rucker said.
Clemmons is going into third grade in Knox County Schools.
"I want lots of supplies. Like glue, scissors and stuff," he said.
Denalya is going into sixth grade in Knox County Schools.
"I think it's very fun because you can get like a lot of stuff in order to be prepared," she said about back-to-school shopping.
However, these four are waiting to purchase school supplies until the tax-free weekend.
" I really like the tax-free weekend because you get some deals on school supplies, clothes, anything really just to get these kiddos back in school," Mobley said.
10News took one of the KCS fifth-grade "back-to-school' supply shopping lists to the store to ring up totals.
Some of those items included expo markers, pencils, sharpeners, glue sticks, sticky notes, notebooks,a dn earbuds for the Chromebooks.
The total was $49.93 for 18 items. The sales tax at 9.25% rang up to $4.23. On a tax-free weekend, the same shopping bag full of school supplies would have been about $47.70 — nearly $5 in savings.
On top of the tax-free holiday. Most major stores selling school supplies are offering back-to-school deals.
According to Statista, the average family will spend $140 on one child's school supplies. That does not include back-to-school clothes, shoes, or electronics.
"Some people can't afford school supplies. We like the tax-free weekend because people can afford it," Mobley said. "Also, people really give back, because it's more affordable."
For anyone who feels generous over the tax-free holiday, there are plenty of places to give.
Rucker said one way to give back during the back-to-school season is through school supply drives. She is helping put one on in honor of her late cousin, Jamaica Greenlee. Rucker said Greenlee was shot and killed back in August 2020. This school supply drive honors her.
They are accepting donations from July 13 - Aug. 5. They are looking for pencils, pens, paper, binders, folders, backpacks, highlighters, crayons, markers, glue, tape, and other school supplies.
The drop-off location is at 2450 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.