My little girl is not so little anymore. She has grown so much that she has outgrown most of her clothes. She’s an incoming high school freshie, and is now starting to be very conscious about fashion. With school starting soon, we are starting to prepare her school wardrobe. The problem is, I’m broke.
Scouring the newspaper yesterday, I came across a $10 off $50 coupon for a department store. They are having a huge sale. I happen to have a $50 gift card for that same department store from a few months ago. Considering the fact that $50 will probably only buy one or two items there, I had to come up with a plan.
Preparation is key. I asked Teenage Girl to check her closet and find out what she needs the most. She came up with “jeans” and “shirts”. She knows and understands the financial situation, and was therefore not surprised when I laid down the boundaries: $60 at the most, we eat at home before we leave for the mall, and she needs to try the items before she buys so money and/or gas is not wasted on items that do not fit well.
She rose to the challenge. With comfortable clothes and shoes, we set out after having snacks at home. Having to stick to a budget, Teenage Girl chose carefully and deliberately, making sure she was happy with each item she chose. She kept track of the price of each item, and before declaring that she was ready to check out, she reevaluated the items to make sure she chose well. In the end she got two pairs of jeans and three shirts, all from decent brands. And we had $14 left in the gift card. Way to go, girl!
It was a good financial exercise for her, she got some new clothes, and we spent a quality afternoon girl-bonding. It made my day!
(This entry was originally posted in my other blog Broke In America.)
