Back-to-School Clothes Shopping
How to Save Money, Time and Sanity on Fall’s Big Buying Days
Shopping for children's and teens' fall clothes for back-to-school can be fun again.
Back-to-school clothes shopping is something few parents look forward to. Crowded stores, inflated prices, kids whining that they must have those $50 jeans – it’s a recipe for overspending just to get mom some relief.
What to buy, how much to spend, what will fit them, what will they wear and what won’t last through the first two washings?
With pre-planning and your mind on your budget, you can make back-to-school shopping something you and the kids all look forward to.
Timing
Back-to-school clothes promotions start in early summer, but don’t jump on the bandwagon too early. If your children are picky, they may change their minds, based on what their friends are buying. Last-minute shopping, however, leaves you with slim pickings. Two to three weeks before the first day of school is a good time to clothes shop.
Do your homework
Before you leave the house, set a spending limit and discuss it with your children. Especially if you have tweens or teens who want the latest styles from the hottest stores, instead of buying a set number of outfits, set the amount you’re willing to spend. Tell your children what the average-priced piece of clothing is for the amount of clothes they’ll need. If they want to spend more on one item, they’ll have to spend less on another one.
For instance, $300 will buy four $30 pants, six $20 shirts and two pair of $30 shoes. If your daughter has her heart set on a shirt for $45, he either has to concede to fewer items or ones that cost less than the average.
In addition to the math practice, this is a good lesson in the value of clothes. Your teen may decide that $120 sweater isn’t so great if it means giving up something for it.
Check your school’s web site for dress code information. Remember it may have been changed since last year. No sense spending money on flip-flops, mini-skirts and tank tops if they’re taboo at school.
Plan your store tour. Decide where you’re most likely to get what you want at the best buy. Don’t just walk into the mall and buy whatever they have. Start at the cheapest place – resale shops and deep discount stores – and get your basics there. Then move onto stores having sales and promotions.
Divide and conquer
For some kids, shopping for their own clothes is bad enough, but shopping for their sisters’ clothes is the pits. If you can, try to split up. Teens can go off on their own, pick out their choices and when you regroup at a designated time and place you can go back to the stores and buy his choices.
Be realistic
When choosing school clothes, don’t be swayed by advertising. First, think weather: When school starts, your weather may be still summer-like. Cords and sweaters aren’t going to cut it, although that’s what will be displayed. Buy a few new short-sleeved shirts and lightweight pants and skirts to start out the year. They’ll probably be on sale.
Think comfort: Some children’s clothing is adorable on a mannequin, but your child won’t ever pull it out of the closet if it’s scratchy, stiff or uncomfortable.
Teen trends
It’s easy to spend big bucks on just a couple of outfits at trendy stores. If you have a tween or teen who wants to dress in brand names, buy the clothes that matter –accessories and tops with recognizable logos – at the expensive trendy stores and fill in the basics from cheaper stores. Copycat jeans can be found at JCPenney and Sears for a fraction of what Abercrombie, American Eagle and Hollister charge.
