Posts made in November 2010

I recently wrote an article for the Gulf Coast Family Magazine on Clothing Your Family on a Budget. I know that searching for clothing deals can sometimes be a challenge especially when you are on a tight budget. I hope that some of these tips will be helpful to you! 

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I don’t know about you, but I find that it can be a challenge sometimes trying to find clothing deals for the entire family!

Here are some helpful tips and ideas

that I hope will help you when bargain shopping for clothes:

Shop clearance sales. I don’t know about you, but the first place that I head when entering the store is the clearance section. I find that many stores

will often have sales which allow you to take an additional percentage off of the already reduced sale price. In this case, you can usually end up with some really sweet deals!

Buy sizes ahead when possible. For example, last year, Children’s Place had an amazing online deal on boy’s shirts and shorts. After coupon codes and free shipping, I ended up with 3 pairs of shorts and 3 shirts shipped to my front door for $12! This summer when the weather turned warm and I needed larger sizes for my little boy, I did not have to make a trip to the mall and fight the crowds for summer clothes. I just had to pull them out of the closet since I had shopped ahead!

Take advantage of online shopping when possible. Many stores offer the option to shop online. On top of that, you can often find coupon codes and shipping discounts that allow you to shop right from the convenience of your own home. When you are a busy parent and have a crazy schedule, online shopping can quickly become your best friend!

Sign up for promotional offers and emails to your favorite stores. I find that signing up for these offers allows me to know first-hand when there are upcoming sales. I also find that many stores will send out money-saving coupons and offers to their email subscribers. For example, did you know that if you sign up for email offers from Kohl’s, they will email you a coupon for $5 off of your next purchase?

Shop Consignment Stores and Yard Sales. I love to shop yard sales and consignment stores whenever possible as it allows me to find brand name items for every member of the family at a great price. Many times I will find items that are brand new with the tags still attached! Last year I found a pair of Women’s brand name boots at a yard sale with the tags still attached. The retail price on the boots was $100, but I paid $2 for them!

One of the other things that I love about consignment stores is the fact that you can take your gently worn clothes and receive store credit or even cash for them. Consignment stores like Once Upon A Child are great because I can take my sons outgrown and gently worn clothes and toys and get a store credit or cash to use towards items that he needs at that time.

Host a clothing swap. Clothing swaps are not only a fun activity for the entire family, but it also allows you to get gently used clothing items. You can host a clothing swap with some friends from church or school and you will be amazed at the items you can add to your entire family’s wardrobe!

The next time that you need to need to go shopping for new clothes, take advantage of some of these budget-friendly tips!