Do you have kids that like name brands-but you can’t always buy them because of how much they are?
I recommend shopping at Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Ross. Sometimes you may have to look through the stuff a little more depending on your store, but I can always find name brands at a great price that my kids really like. Often, they will be cheaper than NON name brand items.
I also am a frequent visitor to the Vacaville Outlets, or the Folsom Outlets. When there is a Holiday -the next one would be Labor Day-they have major % off sales and you can really stock up on specific name brands there! If you are shopping before the holiday, the weekends will have the best deals.
My son got a pair of Nike shoes at the Nike Factory Outlet Store, regularly over $100, marked to $50-then he got 30% off-so he paid $35 for them! He was SOOO happy!
I recently went to Marshalls and bought 3 back to School Outfits for my teen daughter for $57-brands that she likes too!
It is still 100 degrees out here so there is no way I am buying winter clothes yet- AND there were a LOT of Summer clothes on clearance! The same is true at most stores.
CLOTHING TIPS:
1. Make a list before you shop! Go through your kids’ clothes and see what they have.
I got rid of shirts with stains or snags in them and then figured out that 1 son really didn’t need very much, so he got a new backpack, socks and another pair of shoes and he was pretty good! I also had the kids help me with the list. Then I find out what is important to them to make sure I am not wasting my money. Buying something that is a good deal is a waste of money of they won’t wear it.
2. If you bought it during the Summer it is still NEW!
If you bought them new clothes for the summer-NOBODY AT SCHOOL KNOWS! Those clothes can be used as school clothes!
I bought one daughter a bunch of shorts at an Old Navy sale, so she got a few shirts and shoes. Then whatever I have already bought-I see what I can supplement it with.
3. Prioritize.
One of my sons had a MAJOR growth spurt this summer and NOTHING fits him-even his shorts look short!! So, I bought him some shorts in some basic colors (some on clearance) and then only 2 pairs of pants because I have a feeling it won’t last long. He gets to keep his backpack from last year because he took care of it, so I spent the most money on him so far. (But his clothes he grew out of -fit another brother, so it helped in that area because I spent less on the younger boys.
4. Stick to Your Budget-and be Honest With Your Kids..
There are a few things my kids wanted that just weren’t in my budget this month to get everything. This is what I told them. ” I can buy you these things on your list now, and then next month I can get you ________- another pair of shoes, or 2 more shirts-or whatever I can’t get now. ” I have also told them ” I know you want these pants that are $50, I can buy you 1 pair of those, or 2 pairs that are $25 each..or whatever item they are wanting that is making the budget tight”
Sometimes one or two may be disappointed, but mostly it gives them something to look forward to because they know they are getting new stuff again next month. Often times the items are on sale for a better price too!
5. Socks and Underwear
They are on sale most places. I bought the packs of Under Armor socks at Marshalls. Those types of stores have Nike, Puma, and Reebok socks too.
They seem to last longer and buying them there make them more affordable.
If you want to stick to Hanes socks that come in the packs, they are packaged with BONUS pairs of socks during this time-plus they may be on sale at Target and Walmart for back to School. The underwear also have the bonus packs right now too.
I really HATE when they can’t find socks (which never makes sense to me) so I like to start the stressful time of the new school year with LOTS OF SOCKS! If your budget is tighter, you can hold off on these items until you buy your main items. The special BONUS packs often go on clearance in September if you can wait.
