One thing that I learned to cut back on in our budget is Clothing. Especially with four kids, all of which are growing into a new size every four months, so it makes it hard to keep up with getting them enough clothes to wear that fit, let alone having a “variety”. Here are a few tricks that we have learned, having a young family and a limited budget.
(1) Don’t be afraid to shop at thrift stores
Your kids may too young to care or old enough to be embarrassed, but I can tell your from personal experience that you can find NICE, NEW looking clothes for a fraction of the price that you would pay at a retail store. We got my 7 year old daughters entire wardrobe for first grade for under $100, because we shopped at thrift stores and look on clearance racks.
(2) Shop the clearance sales
If you know your kid is going to be into a size 8 in the fall, then head out to the store when they start to put the fall/winter clothes on clearance so you can stock up on new clothes at 50-90% off! This is great alternative if you kid is a little picky about going to a thrift store or you can’t find their size there.
(3) Exchange Clothes with Friends and Family
If you have friends or family with kids that have outgrown clothes that would fit your kids and they are in good condition and no longer need them, see if they would be willing to trade for clothes you have that would fit kids they have. Trading clothes can be very beneficial for both parties.
(4) Garage and Yard Sales
Garage and Yard sales are a great way to get lightly used clothes at cheap prices! I have gotten lots of baby and toddler clothes this way for just a few dollars. I have found youth and even adult clothing as well that was lightly used or even new for as cheap as $0.25 a piece.
(5) Go through your storage.
If you keep clothes in totes like I do, then you will probably be surprised at what you have stashed in them and have forgotten about. I love going through them and finding what is in there. It’s like going shopping for “free”! Make sure you get totes and mark them with the size as you store them, this will save you so much time later on.
On last thing is to make sure you set a limit in your budget for spending on clothing, like $25-$50 a month. If you don’t use all of that amount that month, it can roll over to the next month, which can build up to a nice little stash of cash that you can use for school shopping. I like to shop the clearance sales every month, so that it keeps them supplied for a cheap price. I also shop at thrift stores a lot. I like to think it teaches my kids to not “value” the material things as much.
What ways do you save on Clothing?
I keep a tote in both boys closets so when they grow out of something I can stash it in there right away. Huge help in being able to keep all the clothes of one size together.