What to buy during Florida’s disaster preparedness sales tax holiday

Florida's disaster preparedness sales tax holiday is the best time for new residents kickstart their emergency kits and a reminder for everyone else to restock essential items.

The 14-day sales tax holiday starts on Saturday and runs through June 9. During this time, residents can purchase qualifying disaster preparedness supplies tax-free. A second exemption period will run from Aug. 26 to Sept. 8.

Gov. Ron DeSantis also announced the Freedom Summer Sales Tax Holiday that exempts sales takes for eligible boating, water, camping, fishing and other general outdoor supplies. The event, which runs from Saturday until Sept. 4, provides Florida residents with more opportunities to pick up hurricane supplies not typically included in the disaster preparedness sales tax holiday.

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What to know about sales tax holiday:Save on hurricane supplies. Purchase needed items during sales tax holiday

Here's a look at some must-have items for your kit.

Portable generators used to provide light, communications or preserve food are exempt from sales tax if they’re $3,000 or less. Sales tax holidays are the perfect time to save money in tandem with many other summertime sales at big box stores like Home Depot and Lowes, which are both running Memorial Day sales.

While gas-powered generators are must-haves for homeowners, solar-powered generators can be a great option for anyone who can't accommodate one. To be clear, most solar-powered generators are essentially giant batteries with an inverter, so you won't be able to power your home in the same way a gas-powered generator would. They can help insure your electronic devices stay charged and run low-watt appliances.

Here's what you should consider before purchasing a portable solar-powered generator:

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Many headlamps are conveniently on sale at Amazon for $39.99, a penny under the limit, and provide immeasurable convenience when you’re stumbling around your home in the dark. Having a headlamp eliminates the need to pepper your home with several lanterns when the power goes out, allowing you to take a single light source with you wherever you go.

Most headlamps can be purchased with rechargeable batteries that can last up to a decade, and can be charged with portable power banks and generators.

Here are some tips on finding the right headlamp:

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If you don't want to break the bank with a portable solar-powered generator, power banks are the next best thing — they are just smaller versions, after all. Power banks won't be able to power appliances, but they can make sure your phones, tablets, laptops and other electronic devices stay alive until the power kicks back on.

Here's what to consider before purchasing a power bank:

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Tarps aren't as exciting as having light and power during an outage, but the peace of mind they provide cannot be understated. Is your roof leaking after the hurricane has passed? Throw a tarp on it. Have a downed tree that needs to be cut up? Throw the logs on the tarp for easy transportation. The possibilities are endless.

It's time to put the age-old tradition of eating cold Chef Boyardee straight out of the can to bed. It's 2023 and the technology exists to at least heat it up. Cue a portable camping stove. These aren't new products, but they’re now cheap enough and good enough that no Florida home — or apartment — should be without one.

Here's what to consider before purchasing:

The Freedom Summer Sales Tax Holiday includes outdoor gas and charcoal grills for $250 or less, which are not typically included in the regular disaster preparedness sales tax holiday. Grills offer more versatile ways to prepare food than camping stoves, and are more likely to be used when you’re not bunkered down for a hurricane.

Here's what you should consider before buying an outdoor grill:

House Bill 7063 makes the following items exempt from sales tax during the two 14-day periods:

The tax holidays also include a number of items related to the safe evacuation of household pets. Exempted items include:

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The bill says common household consumable items selling for $30 or less will be exempt from sales taxes. What are "common household consumable items"? Those include:

Making a hurricane preparedness checklist ahead of hurricane season can save you a lot of headache down the road. Waiting to the last minute to stock up on supplies can put you in a bind as stores struggle to meet demand when a hurricane is approaching.

More ideas:What supplies do you need for a storm? Here's a list

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has a list of basic disaster supplies that can get people through most tight situations:

Contributors: Cheryl McCloud - USA TODAY Network-Florida.