9 Ways to Save Money on Back to School Clothes

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After the summer fun has ended, it will be time to start thinking about the large sum of cash most of us have to shell out for back to school gear. One way you can save is to start shopping now. Here are some tips for saving yourself from the empty wallet later.

9 Ways to Save Money on Back to School Clothes

1. Shop end of season sales from spring and later, summer. Some of the warm weather clothes will come in handy next spring when the weather warms up. Also, some warmer weather clothing can be converted to warmer weather clothing. For instance, a tank top can be worn over a long sleeve shirt, and skirts can be worn with leggings. Some of the items sold year round that will be on sale now can be worn anytime. Think things like T-shirts and Polos.

2. Don’t snub thrift store shopping. You can find many good quality and brand name used clothing at thrift stores like the Goodwill and Salvation Army. Some brands I have seen are Old Navy, Gap, Children’s Place, and Gymboree.

3. Hold a clothing swap at your church, with friends or a mom’s group. Agree that clothes must be in good condition,; no holes, stains or rips. You could even make it bigger and opt in to trade toys and more!

4. Browse Craigslist or the newspaper for people selling children’s clothing in “Lots” (aka “One Lot of Girl’s clothes size 7/8 $X.XX) This can be an excellent way to gather some cheap clothes and most of the time the sellers post pictures of the clothing included.

5. Sell some of your children’s clothing to a consignment store and ask for store credit. Store credit is often more than they would give you in cash and generally speaking consignment clothing stores sell branded stuff that is excellent quality.

6. Since summer is still here, make sure you hit up garage/yard sales. Just be sure to look through the clothing well and see that they are free from damage. Also, wash anything you get from a garage sale just as you would from a thrift store before handing it off to your child. Many times, garage sale clothes sit in attics or basements for month or even years before the sale is on.

7. Make something old something new again. Turn a pair of jeans that are “so last season” into something in style by adding patches and stitching. Turn a dark solid T-shirt into a new top by using a bleach pen to draw designs on it.

8. Focus on buying basics and adding in a few extra trendy pieces and accessories.

9. Buy small pieces of the wardrobe now so you don’t have to spend that later. Things to buy this summer: socks and underwear.