If you’re not sure what your young child needs in their closet for the upcoming school year, take some time to go through all of their clothes. Clean out anything that no longer fits properly, they don’t like or is just plain worn out. It’s also a really good idea to know the school’s dress code before doing this too. If you don’t know what that is, call the school and they can send you a copy in writing. Once you have the dress code and you’ve gone through the closet, it’s time to make a list. Think about what your child wears in one week - from hats to shoes. Then go to back to the closet and see if you can put together at least five different complete outfits. Those should be outfits that match the weather. It’s ok to mix and match. Take a fall outfit and add a sweater to make it a winter outfit, etc.
Be sure to check the number of underwear, socks and undershirts. I prefer for my children to have at least two weeks worth of these items. Now is the time to pull out the winter coats and see if they are going to fit this year or not. If the coats won't fit or you don't think your childs coat will last all year, now is a good time to start the hunt for another one.
Check out their shoes. Are they ready for a new pair? This is really one area that I feel is important. I try to make sure that each child has at the very least a brand new pair of tennis shoes that are suitable for the fall and winter weather. No canvas shoes allowed for these tennis shoes. I also try to provide one other pair of shoes too. Every kid will get tired of wearing the same shoe every single day. Whether it’s boots, or loafers, or whatever, one other pair is a really good idea. The second pair shouldn’t necessarily be “dress-up” shoes either. They should be general all-purpose shoes.
I also check the closets for one outfit that can go to school and stay there, just in case a child needs a change of clothes. Whether it’s a bathroom accident or a lunchroom accident, an extra change of clothes is a really good idea. While the weather is hot, it should be a pair of shorts and t-shirt, complete with underwear and socks. When the weather changes a pair of sweats works really well.
For clothes I found that watching the circulars was a huge help! While I have two young children, I also have two older children. For their clothes, it was usually the circular to the rescue. The older kids are really more "particular" about their clothes. For the younger children, I found eBay to be the answer to my back-to-school-clothes-worry-woes. I purchased items that were in excellent or new condition at fractions of what they would have cost in the store. I only purchased clothes and not their shoes on eBay. I also only bought from sellers with top-notch feedback numbers.
If you're buying from eBay you should make sure that they have excellent feedback scores. If the score is not 100%, read their feedback. I won't usually buy from anyone who has less than 98% positive feedback and even then I carefully read the feedback that has been left for the seller and carefully read the auction information. You can pretty much tell from feedback if someone is going to be a deadbeat seller. Remember a buyer should never, ever leave feedback before getting and carefully inspecting their item. If I have a problem with an item, I email the seller and leave negative feedback as a last resort.
Garage sales are another way to find clothes for school. Most parents I know have never considered a yard sale or garage sale a way to get school clothes. For some reason parents seem to focus only on “new”, from-the-store, items. School clothes do not have to be brand new. They just have to look good and fit right, and hopefully they’ll be stylish too. Even the youngest of children today want to be stylish. For example, a pair of very nice Levi's were bought for only $2.00 at a yard sale. These jeans were still so new they had that stiff feeling when they are bought at the store.
When you're buying at a yard sale, be sure to check for any stains, tears, rips or holes. Check zippers and inspect the buttons. Don't ever be afraid to ask a seller at a garage or yard sale to take less for an item. Most of the time they just want to get it out of there.
Thrift stores, consignment shops and second-hand stores are also great places to shop. Places like Once Upon A Child and Children's Orchard are fabulous for finding nice stuff at a discounted price. Again, like eBay and garage sales, thoroughly check over each item.
If you have some tips for saving on back to school clothing please be sure to drop by the forum and share!
