It’s time to kick back-to-school shopping into high gear as Virginia’s Tax-Free Weekend begins after midnight Friday and school starts, for some, in just days.
Now is the time to make a list, create a budget and maybe even team up with other families to buy items in bulk, but don’t get too carried away.
For those looking to save money, Consumer Reports recommends that you avoid buying everything at once. It’s unlikely that your kids are going to need every school supply item on their first school day.
Additionally, when you wait until after the back-to-school season you might even find better discounts.
The nonprofit consumer organization also recommends skipping office supply stores and said big box stores usually have better prices. Dollar stores and wholesale stores are great options, too.
Another tip: take advantage of the upcoming tax-free holiday that’s from Friday, Aug. 6, to Sunday, Aug. 8.
Consumer Reports Deals Editor Samantha Gordon said the organization is not seeing as many deals and said discounts aren’t as big as in the past either. She said that it’s especially hard to find good deals when buying laptops because of the microchip shortage.
“You can find all these deals at all the major retailers your Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, even Costco, BJs, those wholesale clubs they sell these tech products as well. It’s not so much where you can find the deals, it’s what deals are available. So, there aren’t as many options,” said Gordon.
So, if you’re looking for a laptop or tech gadgets, now is the time to buy them.
“With laptops, if you need one of those or tech devices, those kind of bigger ticket items those are the type of things, you’re going to want to buy early on especially with the chip shortages. We’re seeing shipping delays, so manufacturers can’t make the items as quickly, and they can’t get them as fast to the consumers,” Gordon said.
Consumer Reports said the best deal for a laptop right now is the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air is $899 on Amazon and at Best Buy. For the Acer Chromebook Spin, it’s $239 on Amazon.
On the other hand, if you don’t need a laptop, but you’re just trying to upgrade your internet in time for the fall, a new router could be a great investment. Consumer Reports said the TP-Link Deco Mesh Router System” is currently on sale on Amazon.
For a better look at tech deals click the Consumer Reports website.