Sense to Save

Are you paying too much sales tax?

That’s the headline from this story in Sunday’s Post-Gazette.

In Pennsylvania, the sales tax is 6 percent, but it’s 7 percent in a few counties (mine included).

Many items are not taxed, including most clothing, foods, healthcare items, and other necessities including toilet paper.

However, an informal study conducted by the newspaper found that some stores were charging sales tax on non-taxable items.

Just as it’s a good idea to check your receipt before leaving the store to make sure you weren’t overcharged, it’s a good idea to make sure you weren’t overtaxed. Your receipt might have a special designation next to each item that was taxed, such as a T or a * or a + or something. Sure, it might amount to "just" a few cents, but over time, it can add up.

Why donate your hard-earned money to the government?

Get your money back. Go to the customer service desk, speak to a manager, and let him or her know you were inappropriately taxed. You should be given a refund, and they should adjust the item in their system so that other people aren’t taxed on it.

Here’s a PDF of items that are taxable or non taxable within the commonwealth. It’s a long list. Start on page 18.

Items that caught my attention:

• Single-issue magazines are taxed; magazine subscriptions aren’t (yet another reason to save money by subscribing!)
• Girdles are nontaxable. Lol. I guess those are necessary for some.
• Rainwear is nontaxable; umbrellas are taxed.
• Sunburn "preventives" are taxed; sunburn treatment isn’t. Personally, I’d rather prevent sunburn. It seems like a health necessity.
• Body piercings and tattoos are not taxed. I don’t understand the logic there.
• Health club membership fees are not taxed.

What are the sales tax rules in your state? Do you have to have a 50-page guide to figure it out, or is it more broad? Do you check your receipts to make sure you weren’t overtaxed? I haven’t in the past, but you can bet I will from now on.

Payless Shoe Source BOGO sale and save $5 off $25

Payless Shoe Source is having it’s buy one, get one half-off sale (Now through March 3).

You can get a $5 off $25 purchase coupon for use online or in the store by entering their "I love shoes" giveaway. The coupon code will be e-mailed to you. You can use this coupon toward any purchase that is at least $25.

Don’t want to pay shipping? If you’re not in a hurry to get your shoes, select the "ship to store" option. Your order will be sent to a store for you to pick up yourself.

Bonus:

If you have an account with My Points, you can get 2 points per dollar spent when you shop online. Or, you can get 8 percent cash back if you have an account with Fat Wallet (I haven’t yet used that site. You need to reach $10 in your account before you’ll receive your check).

I’ve had hit-or-miss luck with Payless. One season, I found some fantastic winter boots that I still wear practically every day. Some shoes, unfortunately, are just plain cheap and/or ugly.

My car likes to be clean

It never fails: Whenever I jump on the parkway during the winter, my car gets totally covered in road salt. Gross.

Driving around on regular streets has a similar effect, but it’s not quite as severe.

Today I took it to the automatic car wash for a little maintenance. During the summer, I like to wash it myself, but when it’s cold out, I prefer to have a machine do it for me, ya know?

Washing your car can be a frugal thing.

Road salt can help your paint chip off and can contribute to rust. Not so good.

It’s better to keep your car looking good. Much cheaper than a new paint job.

I hope to drive my car until it can’t go any further (hopefully after it reaches 200,000+ miles. But if I choose to sell it someday, I’ll be glad that I kept it maintained, both under the hood and on the outside.

So, if you haven’t done these things in awhile, I’d like to encourage you to:

• Wash your car! Get all that dirt and salt off!
• Clean out all of the trash inside your car and in your trunk. I had a whole bag full–yuck!
• Get rid of all unnecessary items you’re lugging around. Extra weight = worse fuel economy
• Check your tire pressure. How many psi do your tires need to be happy? Mine need 35. Some gas stations charge for air. See if you can find "free" air locations–they’re still out there!