Why non-parents should shop back-to-school sales too
Summer vacation is officially coming to close and it’s time to start thinking about back-to-school—which means it is time to shop for many parents and students. But non-parents and non-students shouldn’t sit out all the fun, many experts say there are plenty of deals to go around.
“Particularly, when it comes to laptops,” Lindsay Sakraida, director of content marketing at DealNews, tells FOX Business. “This is actually the second best time of year to buy a laptop, after Black Friday, and a surprising number of deals don't require an .edu email address to purchase.”
Sakraida says shoppers can expect to save up to $300 on higher end models, and in some cases those models might also include a freebie to entice consumers to buy.
Moveover, it’s also a perfect time for adults to refresh their look. Many clothing and shoe retailers tend to offer back-to-school coupon promotions that are site-wide—rather than just applying them to kids only. The key, adds Sakraida, is to make sure you shop at stores that cater to the whole family so you can get in on the deals too. The best retailers for that purpose include Macy’s, Gap, and Old Navy.
But overall, the end of August is the perfect time to shop. Many retailers, she says, have discounts of up to 75% off to make room for new, fall fashions.
And, if you’re running low on office supplies, it’s also a good time to bulk up. Office Depot, in particular, typically offers “penny deals” for all in-store shoppers. But Sakraida warns that some deals do come with tricky restrictions.
“Penny deals are truly fantastic, but the store expects you to buy other things that aren't on sale while you're there. If you give in to the non-discounted items while shopping, then you could very likely negate any of your savings from the sale,” she says.
Lastly, look out for your state’s tax-free weekend which could be the perfect time to save on items that might not necessarily be on sale, she adds.
“In some cases you might be able to take advantage of both a sale and the tax savings. However, keep in mind that the tax free holiday will yield the greatest benefit for high price tag items like laptops. A shopper can typically google their state to see if their government participates, and if so, what dates are eligible.”