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Step away from the yard sale, Mom! Your kids do NOT want hand me down clothing for a new school year! Part of the fun in entering a brand new school year, is to walk the halls in pride with at least a few new clothing items. Clothes can be so expensive, however, so what is any self respecting parent to do? As a mother of four (and teacher!), I do have a few words of wisdom on saving money on your children’s apparel this year:
1. Buy a local Sunday newspaper a few weeks prior to going shopping for school clothes. Pamphlets, leaflets, and circulars will advertise who is having the “big” sales, and in what particular departments. This year, I shopped at a shoe store that had a “buy one , get one half off” sale, and was able to outfit my two younger children with very nice shoes in this way.
2. Who says you can’t have designer labels? Just going into Macy’s and Lord and Taylor used to frighten me, but now, I venture in there and head to the clearance rack. I don’t find a “steal” every time, but many times I find just the right item. Many stores also have outlets. Some cities even have outlet malls that carry irregular, discontinued, or clearance items for nice labels like Nike, Adidas, Anne Klein, Liz Claiborne, Tommy Hilfiger, American Eagle, Abercrombie and Fitch.
3. Know how to dress to impress, and know that in fashion there is a focal point. For example, you can pair inexpensive Wal-Mart jeans with a Quicksilver shirt, and get a “designer” look. In the last few years, the t-shirts/blouses and tennis shoes (name brand) were more important than the pants/skirts. Relatively inexpensive jewelry/accessories (Claire’s, Icing…) can really make the outfit. Not every piece of a wardrobe has to be expensive to look polished. You can also buy pieces that mix and match well. Mathematically speaking, five shirts, and five pairs of pants make 25 outfits.
4. For young girls and boys, you can skimp a bit on the underwear, socks, and undershirts. These will never be seen anyway, and can save you money. Kmart, Walmart, Target and other discount stores can be a treasure trove for these items.
5. Some states in the USA have “tax-free weeks” that allow parents to purchase school clothes (under $50) and school supplies (under $10) with no tax charge. Avail yourself of this opportunity. Do NOT use a high interest credit card to buy lots of clothes that you will be still paying on months from now.
6. Do not limit yourself to one or two days of frantic shopping before the school bells ring. ALL summer, as you walk through stores or malls, look for sales, and pick up a shirt or pair of pants here or there. This alleviates all of the money dropped in one weekend and the worry that it may break a budget. If this week you buy one pair of jeans, and in two weeks, you buy a blouse, it is not going to affect the family finances as much as a big spree.
Even if you are only able to purchase a few new inexpensive items for your child to start the year, your child will be able to enter the corridors with confidence. I know that many of these essays will suggest buying clothes at garage/yard sales, using hand-me downs, and visiting second-hand stores, but part of the positive outlook of entering school, is cutting off that new tag, and pulling on that new, soft, t-shirt. With some wise choices, and creativity, your child can be proud of his/her new “duds”, and you won’t have to wonder where all the money went! Here is to a new school year!
