Parents might look forward to their schedule getting back to normal when the kids return to school, but they are not looking forward to the cost of the back-to-school clothes. Shopping does not have to be painful for parents. In fact, getting the school wardrobe together can actually be fun. There are some great ways to save money on back-to-school clothes. You just have to be creative and set limits.
Create a budget. If you walk into a store without a budget, you can guarantee that you will end up spending more than you want to. Figure out how much you have to spend on school clothes before you ever leave the house. And when you do leave the house, have a solid plan.
Remake the old wardrobe. Your child may have grown out of some of his or her clothes, but they probably have some clothes left that fit them. You might even be able to make clothes that are too small work by doing a little adjusting. Sew hems to the bottom of pants with colorful fabric on the inside. Your child can cuff the jeans so that you can't tell they were hemmed, but will see the colorful fabric. Likewise, dress up an old blouse with colorful buttons or patches.
You don't have to buy new clothes. I don't know about any other mother of a boy, but I know I just shake my head when I see how fast my son can tear through a pair of jeans. Since he really wears them out I don't want to spend a lot of money on jeans. Instead, I check consignment and resale shops. I also put out a notice on a Facebook page for people who might have used clothes for ale or to swap.
Allow for one large purchase. I don't have a lot of money to spend on school clothes and my son knows this. He has had his eye on a pair of sneakers for the past couple of months and he thinks he can't have them. I chose those shoes as the one large purchase we will make for school clothes this year. It gives him something to look forward to and it does not break the bank.
Take off the tags. If brand names are the concern, just remove all the brand name labels from the clothes you buy. That will level the playing field and your child will decide what to wear based on how it fits and how comfortable it is rather than who made it.
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Source: Personal Experience
