 Back to School Challenge
Day 7: Building The Shopping List
Today is an easy day. You have just gone through all your kids clothes, tossed the torn ratty stuff, handed down the good stuff, and donated the too small stuff. Now it is time to make a list of what your kids will need for school.
If you are lucky, the answer will be nothing. Mine always seem to outgrow their jeans over the summer. Shopping with a list is going to save you a pile of money.
A few tips to keep those back to school clothes costs down:
- Remember, kids' clothes are disposable. They are not going to last forever. In fact, many of them are only going to last three months if your kids go through a growth spurt.
- Garage sales, consignment shops, and your cousin's hand-me-downs will save you a ton of money. Believe me, after the kids have worn an outfit once, no one can tell the difference between the new stuff and the gently used stuff (it all looks the same crumpled on the floor LOL).
- Kids actually need fewer clothes than you probably think. My rule is that when I am washing "clean" clothes because it was easier to put them away into the laundry basket than into the closet, I know they have accumulated too many clothes. We use the "3 or 4" guideline: 3 or 4 pairs of pants, t-shirts, and warmer shirts. Add to that about 10 pairs of underwear and socks, plus a couple outfits for "good" and that's it. In the summer we add 3 or 4 pairs of shorts. Done!
- If you need to buy new clothes for back to school, try to get away with just buying one outfit. In another month, most of the clothes will be on sale, so you will be able to keep half the money in your wallet!
- Set your shopping limits for what you are going to pay for jeans, shirts, and shoes. There is no way I am going to spend more on a pair of jeans for my kids than I would for myself! I would rather put that money away for their college. The neat part is, that with these limits in mind, we have always been able to find great clothes at great prices!
- Tell your kids what the shopping limits are. They will have as much fun hunting down the "deal" as you do.
- If your kids really want the higher priced clothes or shoes, it is time for them to dig into their cash reserves and pay the difference. Mine usually change their minds LOL.
- We don't worry about buying PJ's at this time of year - they are usually restocked at Christmas time.
- Keep your eyes open for good deals on the summer clothes - especially light jackets. Pick one up for next year if the price is right.
- Shoes: yick! I hate shopping for kid shoes. I usually try to wait a couple weeks until AFTER school has started. Again, I am waiting for a half-price sale. The kids don't mind, they get better running shoes and I save some money!
Catch you tomorrow!
Go to Back to School Challenge - Day 8
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