I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that today is the last day of July. Yikes! What happened to summer? It's rapidly coming to a close and schools across the country are gearing up to welcome students back to their classes. This week I've had the privilege of hosting my niece and nephew at my house as they enjoy their last days of summer vacation. When they return to Tennessee this weekend they will prepare for school on Monday. Texas kids still get to enjoy a few more weeks of lazy summer days, but, as any parent knows, August is crunch time as we stress over shopping for the perfect outfits and school supplies. Once again Texas is giving parents a bit of a break on their Back to School shopping by offering a Sales Tax Holiday August 8-10. Although the tax savings only amounts to a bit over 8%, many stores are capitalizing on the event by offering their own discounts on popular school items. There are restrictions on what is covered by the tax exemption, but it generally covers clothes, shoes and school supplies that cost less than $100. If you find 2 pairs of jeans for $90, they would both qualify as tax free, but on costing $105 would not be exempt. The Office of the Texas Comptroller has an exhaustive list of items that qualify for tax exemption as well as an informative FAQ available to help answer any questions. Since most clothing items are included, you can take advantage of this tax-free weekend even if you are not shopping for school outfits. The exemption is open to every Texan next weekend. Just remember to expect huge crowds wherever you go and go early if there is a specific thing you are looking for as the more popular items will sell out quickly. Back to School shopping is one of the most stressful things I do for my girls every year. I'm getting prepared to battle the crowds and lighten my pocketbook as I check off school supply lists and look for clothes my Middle School daughters deem acceptable. I've already Googled sales and prepared my lists, I'm just waiting to maximize my savings with next weekend's tax holiday. I'll see you in the checkout line!