Ohio Sales Tax Holiday

Ever since Ohio has issued (/granted?) a sales tax holiday the first weekend of August, we have taken advantage of it. This year was no different- except that with the shocking amount of inflation we’ve experienced since almost the beginning of 2021, I felt even more importantly the desire to take advantage of the sales tax holiday. I am grateful that our family has been able to absorb price increases (albeit not without complaining...) without a change in our standard of living but I feel more than ever the need to save money where we can. 

And a sales tax free holiday will do just that. In Ohio, during the sales tax free holiday, clothing items (including shoes) up to $75 are sales tax free. It is not the first $75 that is tax free- it is all or nothing. Either you spend $75 or less on an item and pay no sales tax or you spend greater than $75 and pay sales tax on the full amount. School supplies up to $20 (per item) are also sales tax free. 

This year, like most, we did a mixture of in person and online shopping. Online retailers do not charge sales tax for qualifying items to Ohio residents. This year, as always, we bought basics like socks and underwear. During the weekend, we hit up a few of our favorite stores for more thrilling purchases than basics.

    *Plato’s Closet- this was our first stop of the weekend. The store was packed; it is a popular clothing destination especially for the young. It sells preowned clothes which the prices (obviously!) reflect. Almost every clothing item is name brand and on trend so as long as second hand is not a deal breaker (it is not to the girls or me), it is a great option for back to school shopping and/ or in our case, back to school without paying sales tax shopping. We spent almost $200 there which amounted to a whole lotta clothes.

    *We next went to our nearest mall to some of the ubiquitous stores there. The mall appears to be dying- slowly but surely- though you wouldn’t have known that when we were there over the weekend. Lots of people were out to take advantage of sales tax free weekend. We bought items at a few of the stores there but we did not tarry at the mall (except for standing in line briefly at Auntie Anne’s for pretzel cinnamon bites). I was glad to see the crowds for the stores’ sakes and of course was glad to buy items sales tax free.

    *Jacob, Abby and I went to Kohl’s to look for some business casual clothes for Jacob’s job (Jacob did not find anything at the mall when we went there). He picked out a few things- not very many (he insisted he would be fine and did not mind repeating his clothes (ok, fine by me!). Abby found a few items, too.

That was the only in person shopping that we did over the weekend. We did some online shopping. The sales tax free weekend happened to be the last weekend of the Nordstrom Anniversary sale. A few days before the sales tax free weekend, I went to Nordstrom’s website to take a look at what I may want to buy during the sales tax free weekend. I found a number of items and then waited until the weekend to see if they were still in stock in my size. Most of what I wanted was still available during the sales tax free weekend so I bought a few pairs of shoes, some jeans and Abby found a pair of shoes she liked. I think I ordered nine or ten items and so far, each item I have ordered has come in its own individual box and on different days. It has been fun to get deliveries over the course of many days but the bad part is that we have more boxes than we can shake a stick at.

This is the item that I got at Plato's Closet. It is lined inside and will be nice to run in when the weather gets cooler. 

Love seeing the $0.00 for sales tax on receipts!!

These might be just about the ugliest pair of running shoes I have ever owned... but the last two pairs of my  Brooks running shoes have not held out well so I was ready to try a new brand. Have not run in Nikes in years but the sale price on these homely guys at Nordstrom was less than $75 which meant no sales tax which meant SALE despite the appearance of the shoe. 

Onto an easier on the eye pair of shoes- bought a pair of mules (or three...) at Nordstrom as they provide a dressier look without the discomfort of a heel. It goes without saying that they were under $75 a pair. 

Ok, maybe I ordered more than ten things from Nordstrom... These are all various emails I have received from Nordstrom saying that either my items are on their way or they have been delivered.