Five suggestions for buying for back-to-school clothes on a budget
(KSLA) BOSSIER CITY, La Parents, it’s that terrible time of year again—the time when you’re permanently broke after spending all your money on back-to-school purchases, particularly uniforms!
This year, experts predict that back-to-school expenses will total more than $800.
We spend roughly $1,000 per child on school costs, uniforms for the entire year, two pairs of shoes, durable bags, and supplies, according to mom Meredith Reyes.
It goes without saying that any parent would enjoy making some savings. Here are some strategies for finding back-to-school clothes bargains:
- Buy the minimum. Does your child really need 15 uniform shirts and 12 pairs of pants? Probably not. Get the basics. Start with 5 to 8 shirts and 2 to 5 pairs of shorts/pants. These you can replace as needed after typical wear and tear, or a growth spurt.
- Find cheaper stores. Your young kiddo shouldn’t care if their pants aren’t Gucci. Old Navy, Sears, Kohl’s, Target, and Walmart all have some staples you can scoop up for a deal. Bargain=better.
- Wait for sales. It’s 10 million degrees outside right now, so your child can probably live without the back-to-school jacket for the time being.
- Scroll through Facebook Marketplace and see who might be getting rid of their child’s used uniforms. Oftentimes, they’ll still be in good condition at a fraction of the price.
- Be thrifty. Hit up consignment stores. You will be so amazed at the deals you’ll nab, and how next-to-new the clothes can be.
“When you walk in here, clothing start at $1.99 for a simple t-shirt, while the retail price would be around $12. Spending $12 on your 5-year-old child makes no sense because they’ll be a size 6 in a week. So rather than going out and spending $12 on a shirt that they’ll outgrow the next week, you can come here and grab 12 of those $1.99 shirts in various sizes that they can just grow into.
The lesson of the tale is to not be scared to practice thriftiness and shop around for the greatest price.