This weekend is our annual "Sales Tax-Free Weekend"  here in Iowa. Is yours one of the many states  that offers this special shopping weekend?

In a year when practically everyone is trying to trim their budget, this sounds like a great deal. But personally, I avoid the "tax-free" weekend like the plague. I shopped on that day a couple years ago, and the mall was more ridiculously crowded than it is two days before Christmas. Not my idea of fun.

Plus, I can't get around the fact that the savings of 6-7% that you get with a sales-tax holiday isn't all that much of a savings. After all, most clothing and shoes go on sale for 15-25% off or more at some point. If you're only saving the sales tax, you're better off waiting for a real sale, when the markdowns will be higher.

But there is something to be said for the tradition of "back-to-school" shopping — and if you're the type who thrives on the crowds and gets the urge to revamp your wardrobe in the fall (even if you're in college), then the tax-free weekend is probably right up your alley.

What do you think about tax-free weekends? Are they a good way to save?