Savvy Shopping, save $ by crossing borders: clothing tax, food tax, tax on paper goods and personal products
by Kama Linden
Ever since my teen years, I have driven out to NJ to shop and swim. Before NYC instilled the no tax on clothing, we drove out to NJ “to save on the taxes” on clothing. Gas used to be 30–60 cents cheaper than NY. Although gas prices have since risen to match, and even SURPASS most stations in the North Bronx, there are still MANY reasons to CROSS THE BORDER of a neighboring state to stock up on items and SAVE MONEY.
It is amazing what is taxed and what is not: in NYC and NJ, there is no clothing tax, but in Westchester County, where they have the right sizes and stuff I want, there is a tax on clothing (sales tax rate is 4%), which should be deemed as essential items. My gorgeous Ann Taylor Navy suit, pants, skirt, blouse, Calvin Klein -3 coat, and my new faux fur waterproof Columbia boots: TAXED. But online, they did NOT have these items, so I had to fork over the extra 4%.
Total sales tax also varies from county to county, Port Chester is 8.38%, whereas in Yonkers it is 8.88%. Take this into account if you plan to buy taxable items at Costco or Shoprite.
Being I am in the market for tires, it is more cost-effective for me to cross the border to pay only 6.625% on a set of 4 Goodyears. When ordering, so that I can take advantage of my Rakuten and Credit card points, I use a Bergen County zip code for the purchase and will have them installed in NJ. I also try to make other large purchases like electronics, new phones, etc., in NJ.
In NYS: there is a full sales tax on all paper products and personal female items (known as the FEMALE TAX!), as well as bottled water (plus the 5 cent bottle deposit). In NJ: there is no tax on water, tissues, TP, or feminine products. All deemed ESSENTIAL items.
States like Connecticut (6.35%) and cities like Nashville (9.25%) have a tax on EVERYTHING including FOOD. Not all states tax food at the FULL rate, but food items, which are indeed ESSENTIAL, hurt all consumers, but especially those who receive SNAP benefits.
In NYS and many others, there is no tax on food except candy, soda, and takeout in NY. Similar in NJ just 6% vs 8% and change. However, 4 states: Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, and Oklahoma, tax groceries at the regular sales tax rate but offer credits or rebates offsetting some of the tax for some parts of the population. Thirteen states overall impose a tax on groceries, at any rate.
For a full list, and my resource: https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/states-that-still-impose-sales-taxes-on-groceries-should-consider
When looking to fill up, the cheapest in particular areas of central Long Island, and sporadically in the Bronx and Brooklyn. Gas is NO LONGER cheap in NJ. CT: Fugghedaboudit!
However, if traveling southwest towards Nashville, try to fill up close to the Virginia/Tennessee border of Bristol. Granted I drove to Nashville in May 2020, but my BP gas was only $1.51-$1.59 per gallon, vs NY and NJ, which was well over $2 at the time. Currently, Bristol is $3.14 a gallon, vs. $3.39 a gallon in Nashville. The Bronx is still listing $3.39 at some BPs, but NY ranges from $3.30 through almost $4.00 a gallon, so google before you go.
Before you shop, you can refer to various websites such as https://www.sale-tax.com/, or google tax rate in your county and state, as well as neighboring counties and states, to see where you can save money in this inflation economy.
Sometimes, it’s worth it to pay the toll to get what you need. You may save $ overall. Oh, and make sure you get an EZ PASS! The toll discounts are significant on the bridges, plus you will save time and money by not collecting fines.
Kama Linden is a singer-songwriter with 4 studio albums, the newest being, “Everything In Good Time”, releasing in Summer 2020. She is also an actress, fitness instructor, freelance photographer, and has a fitness book: “Healthy Things You Can Do In Front Of The TV”.
Apple Music
https://music.apple.com/…/everything-in-good-time/1517559501
Bandcamp:
https://kamalinden.bandcamp.com/alb…/everything-in-good-time
Spotify:
