Summer is quickly coming to an end, which means that school is rapidly approaching. Although you’re probably excited for a little bit of quite a time once your kids go back to school, you’re also dreading all of those back-to-school purchases you have to make. In addition to all of those school supplies that they need each year, you also have to find the money in your budget to buy them back-to-school clothes.
Since your kids seem to grow overnight, clothing expenses can easily eat away at your bank account. Fortunately for you, there is a way buy clothes without emptying your wallet. Sound like something you need to know? Check out these super cheap ways to buy back-to-school clothes for your kids.
1. Use What You Have
Now, before you head to the store with all your credit cards and your checkbook, take a moment to check your inventory. The cheapest way to buy back to school clothes is to use what you have rather than buying new! Go through your child’s closet and see what fits and what doesn’t fit. If something is still in good condition and looks like it will fit for another season, then hold on to it and use that instead! Not only will this tip help you save money on clothes you don’t need to buy any more, it also serves the dual purpose of helping you purge your children’s closets. Get rid of those clothing items they don’t need anymore. You can even sell it for money to go towards the clothes you do need to buy.
2. Go Garage Sailing or Shop Online Consignment Sales
Summer is the perfect time to find cheap clothes. How can you do this? Simply walk around your neighborhood and find all of those awesome garage sales! Many parents take advantage of the nice weather by throwing a garage sale in order to get rid of items they don’t need. Most likely, you’ll hit the clothing jackpot and find an entire school wardrobe for your kid without breaking the bank! You know you’ve hit a great deal when you see jeans for 50 cents or gym shoes for a dollar!
I also love shopping Online Consignment Sales, A few of my favorite Online Consignment sites include Thred Up and Schoola, both let you buy discounted items that are used for a fraction of the cost of new!
3. Start a Clothing Swap
Do you know other mamas that are trying to find great deals on back-to-school clothing? Do them (and yourself) a favor by starting your own clothing swap group! The point of this group would be for parents to bring the clothes that their kids have outgrown. They will then be able to swap these items for clothing that they actually need! The more moms you bring into this group, the more likely it’ll be that you find the right size clothes for your kids. And the best part about this idea? It’s free for you! Just bring some of your own clothes to trade and you’ll be set for the entire school year.
4. Look on Facebook
When it comes to back-to-school clothes, you have an unexpected resource at your fingertips. Facebook is a great way to connect with other moms and find cheap back-to-school clothes. “How can I do this on my favorite social media profile?” you might ask. It’s easy. Do a quick search for groups in your area that sell or trade clothes. Add yourself to these groups, and as soon as you’ve been accepted, let the shopping begin! Look through these groups for clothing lots that will fit your children. If you can’t find anything at first, you can write an ISO (in search of) post asking for children’s clothing in a specific size. You’ll be surprised at all of the clothes people have to offer!
5. Sniff Out the Sales
Sometimes, despite all of your efforts to the contrary, you have to go to the store and buy your kids some brand spankin’ new clothes. When this happens, take a moment to plan your strategy. First, open the store ads and see which retail stores are having some awesome sales at the moment. Don’t even attempt to go to a store if it doesn’t have a great sale happening. Once you’ve found some stores that look promising, go the extra step and see if you can find any coupons to go with those sales! Some retail stores offer deals such as $10 off a total of $25 or an extra 20% off orders that are $100 or more. The more coupons you can find to go with the sales, the cheaper you’ll find those clothes! Sniffing out those deals is a great way to get new clothing at an extreme discount.
6. There’s No Shame in Off-brands
When you’re at the store looking at jeans for your rapidly growing child, don’t forget to look at those off-brand clothing items. Many stores offer good clothing at a lower price, simply because these clothing items don’t have that special logo on the pocket. As much as your kids might complain, you need to know that there is no shame in buying the cheaper version of those expensive brand names. Many of these off-brands look just as nice. They’re just missing a small logo or picture. By purchasing these off-brands, you’re sure to save a ton of money with your back-to-school clothing budget.
As frustrating as it can be to buy your kids back-to-school clothes, you can rest easy knowing that you’re getting the best deals possible. Saving all of that money on your kid’s school clothes gives you the chance to set aside your savings for something meaningful, like a vacation fund or a bottle of wine to celebrate the first day of school! What do you do to save on back-to-school clothes?