Save money this weekend with the sales tax holiday

This weekend is the "Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday" in Missouri.

Starting today and continuing through Sunday, many qualifying items will be exempt from state and some local sales tax. On the state side, that's 4.225%. The savings increase when you add in participating local municipalities such as Cape Girardeau County government and the City of Jackson, among others.

Items eligible for sales tax exemption include: Clothing items of $100 or less; school supplies $50 or less; Computer software of $350 or less; computers and related devices of $1,500 or less; and graphic calculators of $150 or less.

The sales tax holiday started in August 2004 championed by Cape Girardeau's Peter Kinder, then-Senate president pro-tem, and made an annual event courtesy of Gov. Matt Blunt in 2005.

For many families, this is a great opportunity to get some needed shopping done and save a few dollars. When you consider larger purchases such as electronic devices, the savings can add up. And the holiday helps make local shopping an event for area consumers and retailers alike, with the latter offering additional discounts on top of the sales tax exemption.

Get your shopping lists together and head to your local retailers this weekend.