Shoppers were out and about in Vicksburg Friday night as the state’s third-annual no-tax weekend began.

“It’s very helpful because money is so tight these days,” said Maranath Sanders, who was browsing The Children’s Place at the Outlets at Vicksburg for school uniforms and church clothes for her two children, Eliot, 6, and Paisley, 2. “It’s getting harder and harder.”

The two-day, no-tax holiday ends tonight at midnight. Merchants across Vicksburg opened early and will stay open later for the holiday that waives the 7 percent tax on clothing and shoes each valued at less than $100.

For example, a $20 shirt would normally have a 7 percent sales tax, or $1.40, tagged on. During the no-tax weekend, the $1.40 is waived.

The no-tax holiday was passed by the Mississippi Legislature in 2009 with the aim of easing the financial burden of buying uniforms, which many schools, including in Vicksburg, require. The waiver only applies to clothing and shoes. Accessories, jewelry, backpacks and computers are ineligible. A complete list of items is on the Mississippi Department of Revenue’s website, www.dor.ms.gov.