We all know that kids "grow like weeds." I never realized how quickly the girls would outgrow their clothing, though. I am lucky if Mya gets six months use out of a shirt, and a season out of long pants.
So, I have discovered a few tricks, to be able to afford the clothing that they need.
First of all, if you have any friends with children older than yours, ask them to hold on to the outgrown clothing. Fellow blogger, Jennifer has twin girls almost a year older than Zoey, and I have received boxes and car-fulls of clothing from her-just of things that would have otherwise been thrown out or donated. There is nothing wrong with hand-me-downs. They have saved me hundreds of dollars.
Now, free clothes are fantastic. There are a few, very minor, in my opinion, drawbacks. You don't have a decision in the style of clothing you receive. (If you have similar tastes, this works out much better.) And, there is a mountain of clothes to sort through. Since they are used, you should check for rips or major stains, and it can be a headache to find all the parts to matching sets.
Another trick I learned is too shop at the end of the seasons. At the beginning of fall, stores mark down all of their shorts, summer dresses and t-shirts to get rid of them, and make room for fall apparel. I shop for the girls summer clothes in early fall, fall clothes in early winter and, well, you get it.
I just found a bundle of t-shirts and shorts for Mya and Zoey for one dollar a piece. The original prices ranged from four dollars to 10. I even found a few matching pant and shirt sets for Zoey. If each item is one dollar, you can get many more things for much less money. You simply buy in one size larger than the child is wearing now. And, store the clothes, until the appropriate season and year.
I have a large, plastic box of clothes under Mya's bed, and one in the girls' closet. At the beginning of each season, I have a look, pull out what fits now, and replace the box.
Another thing to do, and this only works if you frequent a specific store and are willing to, is open a store card. Many times throughout the year, you will be given a discount of up to 30% off your purchase to entice you to shop. Combine this discount with the clearance items, for maximum discount. My personal favorite is Kohls. I have purchased up to $300 worth of clothes, and only paid $60.
If you put in a little extra work, you can save a lot of extra money. And, when you live on a budget, everything helps. Until I find a magical sack of money, all of our clothes will be bought discounted.
