"We still need a new backpack and whatever is hip and current, he wants that,” said shopper Daphne Brown of her child. “If that gets him motivated for school, that's fine with me."

Brown budgeted $150 to spend on each of her two school children. A study released by the National Retail Federation showed the average family will spend close to $600 for back-to-school items.

About 75 percent of those surveyed plan to shop at discount retailers, which means some stores can get three to four times as many people in during the sales tax holiday.

"A lot of guests come here for back to school supplies. They can pick up clothing as well as do their grocery shopping at the same time,” said Dawn Soltes, manager of a Raleigh-area Target.

"People are coming out early," added Trevis Spruill, who manages a Target in Guilford County. "They're looking for those specific things. Sheets and pillow cases seem to be the hot item now. School supplies, paper, notebooks, bookbags. All of that is going out kind of quickly. But we have plenty of stuff."

Items that are exempt from sales taxes this weekend include supplies like pencils and notebooks. Shoppers can also save on clothing and computers, and many of them plan to put the money they save to good use.

"[I’ll spend it on] gas because right now gas is high; groceries and just to put away to try and go on vacation before school starts back," said shopper Mary Moore.

Some parents have even figured out how to make this holiday stretch through the entire school year.

“Half of what I buy, I hide,” Brown added. “It comes back out in November and January when they need things refreshed. Because once a crayon is broken, we can't use it again."

After all, the next tax break doesn't come around until next August.