Personal Finance

The best back-to-school deals aren't just for kids

Key Points
  • You don't have to be a student to benefit from these back-to-school deals.
  • Here's what you should consider stocking up on to get some of the best prices of the year.
Fall bargains
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Fall bargains

Like fruity Trix, most people think back-to-school shopping is just for kids. But the bargains aren't just on school supplies.

Nearly everyone can benefit from some of the best discounts of the year right now, according to Brad Wilson, editor in chief of the deal site Bradsdeals.com, particularly on technology, apparel and basic consumer staples like household cleaners and bathroom supplies.

"Most back to school deals are available to anybody, there's relatively few that require proof of being a student," he said.

Here are some specific deals that might surprise you:

Computers and laptops

If you are in need of a new computer, but don't want to wait until Black Friday, this is the second best time to score electronic equipment, according to Lindsay Sakraida, the director of content marketing at DealNews.

For example, snatch up this Dell Inspiron 15-inch laptop for only $735 (with free shipping).

Office Supplies

As big box retailers pile on the savings to bring in student shoppers, it's also a great time to stock up on supplies for the office for literally pennies.

Office Depot and OfficeMax are peddling pencils, pens, markers, notebooks and more for as little as 1 cent right now.

Clothing

You don't have to wear a crop top or jeggings to reap the benefits from markdowns on shoes and clothing as the summer winds down. Currently, Gap is offering 40 percent off storewide.

You can expect even deeper discounts when stores aim to clear out their inventory leading up to Labor Day, Sakraida said.

Tax holidays

This time of year each state also has a sales tax holiday, where you could save 5 percent to 10 percent on purchases nearly across the board.

See the chart below to find out when the tax-free time period in your state is and what items the deal does and does not apply to.

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