. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .I’ve said it a hundred times, but really, I cannot believe my BABY is starting KINDERGARTEN in just a few short weeks.
As a family, we continue to strive to spend less in all areas, for the purpose of giving more. That puts a little bit of a kink in my traditional idea of BIG back to school spending ;) But it’s a fun challenge and I just have to keep it all in perspective, remembering the umpteen reasons WHY we’ve made those choices to spend less (like this for example. But more on that later.)
So with that in mind, here are my tips for Smart, Wise, & Frugal Back to School Shopping:
(1) Make a budget and stick to it. I know, how fun is that? It does feel fun, temporarily, to throw caution to the wind and indulge in a full out brand new wardrobe for the start of the school year. But limit buyer’s remorse by going into your shopping day with a number and stick to it. Sit down, crunch numbers, and see maybe where you might cut other things this month so that you can spend a little bit more on clothes.
If you’re ahead of the game, you may have budgeted all year and already have funds saved for such a time as this little event known as Back to School. And if that’s the case, well, you’re awesome.
(2) Take inventory and know the holes. Before I would even allow myself to look at all the sweet little back to school swag, I did a major overhaul of girly’s current closet. We sat together, mama and daughter, and pulled through the drawers. Too small? Too short? Too stained? Clear ‘em out.
Mary at Organization Matters offers some fantastic tips for knowing how many outfits your child needs. You should go read her tips and tell her I sent ya! :)
(3) Go it second hand. As a consignment business owner, I do almost all of our shopping through consignment. Yard sales and thrift stores may require some digging through but it’s worth it for a 50 cent outfit! Don’t knock it ’til you try it ;)
(4) Strike when it’s hot. Once you know what you need, plan to shop when deals are fab. Depending on the time of year and what I’m looking for, I often find better pricing on brand new items on sale or clearance at stores like Old Navy than buying second hand.
Navy Striped Girls Skirt
(5) Stick with the staples. For my daughter, we went mostly for solid colored tees, basic leggings, and jeans that will she can mix and match. The other benefit of shopping at one place is that you can easily pick outfits that coordinate.
Girls Multistripe Flash Leggings from Old Navy (we scored these for $5!)
Normally I would do more thrifting, but this shopping go around, we did all of our shopping at Old Navy because by far we got the best deals for Girly’s needs.
We stuck with staples like $10 jeans and $5 leggings, and you can’t beat the price tags!
Happy Back-to-School time, kids! Mamas, check back all week NEXT WEEK for more back-to-school fun!
Do you have other tips for smart back to school shopping? Share ‘em below! :)
{{{ Link up your projects every week with mercyINK’s Heart&Home link party & share all your BACK TO SCHOOL posts&projects LINKY HERE}}}
(“Like” mercyINK on facebook!) (tweet with me @mercyink)
Sharing at It’s So Very Cheri and at some of these lovely link parties
- – -
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Latest posts by Lauren (see all)
- Heart + Home Link Up - May 14, 2013
- $50 MINTED Giveaway - May 13, 2013
- Tribal Trends - May 10, 2013
I agree with everything you said whole-heartedly. I feel so calm about it all this year, because I’ve just realized that we already have most everything we need and the desire for more stuff, just for the sake of stuff, is not necessary. I haven’t had to spend much at all getting everyone ready, which is so freeing!
It really IS freeing, Mary! And you’re right, it’s so much less stressful when you don’t feel like you have to go overboard.
Great list! I just can’t bring myself to buy clothes that aren’t on sale or clearance. Clothes have just gotten so expensive! My daughter is 2 years away from kindergarten; makes me sad just thinking about it!
I’m with you, Miranda… sale or clearance ONLY! Don’t think too hard about kindergarten yet… just savor these two years :)
So true! It’s easy to get caught in the trap of more is more…truly less is more! Thanks so much for sharing at my party Mary! XO, Aimee
Thanks Aimee :) Love linking up at It’s Overflowing!
-lauren
Love these tips! I’m sure that lots of moms (and dads) would save loads if they did inventory each year rather than just assuming clothing didn’t fit and replacing most of it. So glad I found your blog tonight. Visiting from the Tatertots and Jello linky and WILL be checking out yours too!
Thanks so much!!! :) Will def check out your blog too!!!
xo,
lauren
Hi Lauren, my name is Anne, from Life on the Funny Farm (http://annesfunnyfarm.blogspot.com). Great tips! I especially love the one about buying things second-hand. My kids (six of them) are all teens now, so we use Plato’s Closet a good bit. A little pricey as consignment goes, but it’s all brands and styles the kids like, so it’s easier to find a lot of things they all like. Thanks!
Great advice on Plato’s closet, Anne! Thanks for sharing :) On my way over to your blog now!
lauren
Great info! Thanks for sharing at the Thrive @ Home link-up!