Oklahoma Back-To-School Shoppers Get Tax-Free Break

The savings continue for people taking advantage of the tax free weekend.

Shoppers will be able to crowd the stores until the clock strikes midnight tomorrow, and some are saving more than just the tax by planning ahead.

The ring of the register is a constant sound for the second busiest shopping time of the year: Oklahoma tax-free weekend.

“Every penny counts, so if you have a chance to save a penny that's what we're out doing,” grandparent Paula Matthews said.

Saving a few pennies and even dollars is what so many people like Christy Kelley are hoping to do.

“Normally we don't really get a lot of clothes because we can't really afford it, but she's grown a lot this summer and we're looking for some really good deals," Kelley said.

For mom, today is about saving. For her daughter Harmony, it’s about finding the look.

"I'm a little nervous because of like options, I don't do good with that,” Harmony said.

But even on a day like this, shopping experts say mom and child can be happy if they just prepare.

Before heading out for tax-free weekend, parents are urged to check their children's closets, figure out what they really need.

From there, check the sales and store ads to see what’s on sale and find out if the coupons you have can be added on top of the sale.

“This being tax-free weekend, we wanted to take advantage of that, plus all the sales here,” Kelley said. “And plus, there's some online coupons that we can use in addition to those sales."

With parents expected to spend a total of $24 billion this year on back-to-school items, planning ahead can put less stress on families which, in turn, keeps the kids from worrying about emptying  pockets and focus on the transition to a new grade.

“New grade, it gets harder,” Harmony said. “You go higher and it's just really hard."