Budget school clothes shopping - your advice needed!

Thift stores are great.

You could post on freecycle. Try garage sales -sometimes you can find some good stuff. Penney's and Old Navy have a lot of good sales.

The clearance racks at Ross and Marshall's are good if your kids wear standard sizes.

Thank You For Posting To:
http://friendsofdanh.gather.com.
Our goal is to help you further your exposure and to support other gather members.

You can also try checking TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and AJ Wright. They usually have great back to school sales.

For school supplies, check Office Max, Office Depot, or Staples. They should be having great Back to School sales now so you can probably get a few things really inexpensively.

Good luck!

I think Goodwill is a great place!

Thank you for posting to Point Whore! Wishing everyone many, many points!

It depends a lot on what kinds of clothes, etc you want. Walgreens near here has 5 decent t-shirts for $10, multiple colours. Some churches have back-to-school garage sales and there can be some nice stuff.

Goodwill is a great place, also scope out the big box retailers as school approaches, they may panic and drop their. Or just buy a little now and some latter doing the year.

Also look into smaller thrift shops. They tend to have some good deals and at times have sales such as all blue shirts are $1.00.

Also try Kohls if you have one. I went there last month and in the men's department they had a bunch of racks for 90% off. They had t shirts for 50cents to a dollar. The had winter pants lined with flannel on the inside for $6 jeans for $5 and long sleeve shirts for $2. I bought my husband a Columbia brand coat for $8 plus you can use the 20% off coupons they send out on the clearance.

Let me know what sizes your kids wear and if they are boys or girls. I have some clothes I was going to donate that are still in good condition. Don't know if they will fit because my kids are 13 and 14 but I can check.

thrift stories and give them an alowence for there school clothse and go toa place like wal-mart or K-mart for there under garments

I can only say try the thrift stores and ebay

Staples often has amazing sales at this time of the year - keep checking their fliers.
Dollar stores - you can get lots of very cute pens and pencils for 6 or 8 for a dollar.

I'm always picking up nice clothing in good shape at yard sales and good will all summer long, and setting them aside. In our new town, we have a Goodwill Clearance center- and crap for yard sales (I've seen 6 since moving in, and that was including an Saturday morning where I spent 2 hours driving around looking for sales). The clearance center is where the semi-local shops (about 10-15 of them) send items that don't sell on the shelves after a month.

The Goodwill's here keep track of when items are put out by color tags- Blue, Yellow, Green, and Orange. If orange is this week's tag, then in 3 weeks, orange will be 50% off. Then, the staff goes through to find what isn't selling, and pulls it off the shelf, and sends it to the clearance center.

At the clearance center, there are set prices based on the type of item it is, and how much it was originally marked- clothing marked $1.99 or under is $.29, clothing $2-$3.99 is $.79, etc.

The highest price anything in the clearance center is $3.29 for anything marked $19.99 or over.

Anyway, I have taken to going there 2-3 times a week, spending $5-10 each time, and walknig away with big bags of cute clothing- nothing with rips, stains, broken zippers, or missing buttons. I find out of season stuff easy right now, but as school gets closer, the stock is thinner for school stuff.

I found a nice boys winter jacket, name brand, last week for $.99 after the discount. I was tempted to buy it, but A- it was 4 sizes too large, and B- it was a very urban style, with the kind of satin finish, and the "fur" lined hood, so I know he wouldn't have worn it. But, it was a great price.

So, that's what I do for school clothing. The kids each will get 1 brand new outfit for school- usually a pair of jeans and a nice shirt, from a store that they can pick at. Other than that, though, I grab it all myself.

I have a harder time with shoes than clothes, though. Gilly has 2 brand new pairs of shoes I bought for her a few weeks ago at Payless, 1 pair of tennis shoes, and 1 pair of cute silvery flats, both on clearance for $7, and it was buy 1 get 1 half off, so I got them really cheap.

ebay but only if you are ordering multiple items from one vendor because the s&h will kill your savings - some offer a bundles price for shipping so look for the note that shipping can be less on most vendors sites and if you really like a lot from a single person's "store" hit their website because their on-site s&h may be considerably lower than shows on ebay itself.
Buy some plain colored t-shirts and let your teens make them their own as long as they stay within the dress code guidelines of your school district. Puff paints, fabric paint, tie dye, buy a t-shirt in a fav color, cut off the shirt at just below the midriff, buy two more same color (may be larger size, not smaller), cut off just under the armholes (1 inch below armholes), cut at one seam on each and sew together to make it double the fullness and pleat to fit bottom of the first cut-off or gather if you sew well enough to gather; make a double seam on the inside for strength and you have a t-shirt babydoll! If you are really crafty, you can cut the sleeves from the two used for their bottoms and either patchwork pockets onto the front near the sides where your hands would be or use a different coordinating plaid or stripe to make outside pockets. Lots of coverage with a t-shirt and a babydoll style for the girls. For guys you can buy two shirts they like and buy a larger size. Cut apart making 4 equal fronts and backs and reverse so one has the back of one and the front of the other and you have another just the opposite. Works really well if it is an all-over print on front and back and one just plain so the contrast shows. Same goes for maybe older dress type shirts which have become worn - cut out patches and put on with stitching or fabic glue and let your imagination run wild.

Our JC Penny's is having a 70% off sale. I got my daughter a bunch of shirts and stuff for 2 and 3 bucks.

You should check yours.

I spent $23.50 and saved $115. I forgot to add that.

I was going to suggest Kohls but someone else all ready did. They have great clearance items....good luck!

For school supplies, the Dollar Store is a great source for all the Staples. For clothes, I agree that thrift shops are great, and you can also check Craig's List.

nothing that isn't stated above - good luck

If the school requires uniforms, they may have a closet where parents donate clothing from children that outgrew or transferred. You could check with the school.

I think everyone else has about covered it. Good luck.

Kohl's & JC Penny's are both having huge clearance sales right now.

Todays Burlington County Times had a coupon for $10 off at kohls. Usee it and buy clearance items. As for some supplies Office Maxx is having there 1 cent sale this week. Go in every day and only spend pennies for packs of paper , pencils, pens, & folders etc.. Seventeen magazine had a free cuopon for Macy's a girls (teen age) underwear. Value $7.99
If you do shop make sure that you join there reward program so that you get great coupons and can redeem rewards for free clothes like JC penny's
https://www.jcprewards.com/ProgramInfo.aspx
Unfortunately this cuopon is only good today
http://www.couponmountain.com/images/default/files/5060/186200.jpg

ebates gives me free money and some good some not so good coupons
https://www.ebates.com/editUserInfos.do?signup_from=new_shopper&merchant_id=69

Everyone is giving you some really great suggestions...I wish you luck !

I think you have it covered....Enjoy your shopping

Can't be of much help.

Check with your school's dress code re clothing. Office Max, Office Depot and Staples are your best bets for supplies, although Wal Mart, Target and KMart aren't too bad either.

Everybody has given you all the ideas I had. Good luck.

If your store carried text books I would be all over that.

I have 4 kids but this year only have 2 in school. My kids have always known that they can't get very much because we are hard-pressed for money.

My kids have NEVER been into too much material goods so it is easy for them.
New school clothes are OVERRATED first of all. Just because a new school year started, why do they have to have a whole new wardrobe??
Are last years clothes not fitting them anymore?

I know that our HUGE superstore thrift store nearby puts their new stuff out on Tuesday mornings and Friday mornings so during the summer, we went early in the morning and scarfed up a ton of jeans for both of the kids.
I got Old Navy, A&F, Arizona, Gap, Limited Too, and a few other names on jeans for.....
ready??
$1.98 per pair !!!!!!

I bought a bunch of tops for my son and daughter for like 1.00 and 2.00 - same type names.

I never buy shoes at the thrift store though unless I know they are new. I usually get the shoes at Walmart or Target or Payless.

Walmart even had a terrific deal on glasses so they are both getting new glasses in the coming weeks.
My kids started back to school on August 7.

My son used last years backpack because it was in great shape still. My daughter is in middle school and is using a "tote bag"because for the girls in middle school in our area, backpacks are outdated. I found a really cute totebag at Office Depot with polka dot fabric and some had argyle type pink and brown fabric. the totebag was 19.99 So, ......
We went next door and I bought a yard of the heavy fabric in her choice of deco fabric for 5.99 and I went home and whipped up the same bag on my sewing maching for 14.00 less.

the outlet malls, its cheper than the real mall and still have the same mall clothes, but may have a small sewing mistake that on one will even notice! just for a few things so they can have some new "cool" clothes. or Ross and T-J Maxx, and the Salvation army. OH Kawanis, (sp?) i got a really cute belt there for 25 CENTS and a cute skirt thats really nice (it has to be hand washed taht kind of thing) for 2.50!!!

to tracey, (im going to 9th grade) yes last years clothes and shoes no longer fit or hardly fit and its cheaper to get them no when there are on sale then to get them when i absolutly need them because i cant zip my pants, my tee shirts come to my belly button and my shoes are so small that i can even fit my whole foot in them, so yes believe it or not KIDS GROW!!!

sorry to be kinda harsh, but its true!!!

good luck

I am taking my son today to TJ Maxx, Marshall's, and Ross to get new clothes and tennis shoes! They are cheap and have quality name brand stuff.

Hmm...looks like you've thought of everything.

Maybe you could look for store clothes that might be closing or down-sizing around you? We found a clothes store that was closing around here and the prices were really cheap as they were trying to get rid of things.

How about having your children have a yard sale? You can sell all of their outgrown clothing and anything else that's gathering dust no longer wanted.

My daughter earned $75.00 :)

Try teen resale stores. Like you I have a housefull of kids (six still home) and hubby's job was outsourced to China, so the budget this year is beyond tight. The teenagers help by bying some of their own clothing with the money they earn (and one plus to being on a shoestring, the children become very thrifty :) ) But teen resale stores like Plato's Closet or Teen Challenge (I am sure there is something in your area) are a wonderful place, All the styles the kids want, so they fit in and look good, at prices that won't break you.
Also plan that shopping list CAREFULLY before you leave home. Know exactly what they need and stick to it.
Good luck and God bless

Consignment stores are great. Do you have a Big Lots near you? They are a great place for inexpensive school supplies. Also, as recommended Goodwill, Value Village, Salvation Army, St. Vincent's Thrift Stores often have brand new things as well as good quality used items. Craig's List is good, and the Thrifty Nickel is good place to look too. Fall rummage sales might be helpful as well. God Bless you. I'll pray that He stretches your few dollars to meet your needs.

Consignment sales are great places. Some of these are held in churches. They sale infant to size 14 and up to size 18, as well as maternity. Here is a link to a site that tracks KID's consignment sales in the US.

http://www.kidsconsignmentsales.com/seasonalsales.htm


This site is owned and created by someone in the Nashville, TN area. If a consignment sale that you are aware of is not listed, please let them know of this site.

I sale my kids clothes at these sales and buy them there. I also shop the Outlets!!! For young mom's near Carter's or OshKosh, Children's Place, sign up online or in the Outlet store for coupons. I get them emailed once or twice a month. I shop the 70% off racks and use a 20% off coupon. What I spend in the store, I am able to consign and make almost if not the same amount I spent for them originally.

Use Dreft laundry SPRAY or Shout for stains....... to keep clothes stain free. I am referring to the Dreft SPRAY not detergent.

These are all good ideas. If your children's school doesn't sponsor a Moms-to-Moms sale, check online and in newspapers for one nearby. Many times, children's clothing is gently used and like new. Some even still have original tags on them.
My daughter wore uniforms and the school held a used uniform sale in both Fall and Spring. Since my daughter was small, it was always easy to find good, used clothing in her size.

We got some good deals at Kohls!

Kmart has 40% off their clearance clothes, I got about $60 + worth of clothes for $18.

I'm in the same boat as you. Luckily, all of my kids have birthdays around this time, and they usually get lots of clothes from thier various relatives. Where to get cheap clothes, I don't have any further suggestions than the ones you listed.

I hit the clearance racks at Hollister and American Eagle, got some good finds, also TJ Maxx and Marshalls in my area had some great stuff for not alot of $$$. I don't go crazy when school shopping, we buy a few things to start out ( a few shirts, 1 or 2 pairs of jeans, tennis shoes, maybe another pair of shoes, if we find a bargin) then we wait a week or two and then the sales are better. Plus it will be warm weather when they go back so summer ish clothes are needed here. Having a yard sale is a great idea to raise cash too!

Goody's Family Clothing has great back-to-school sales! My daughter works there when she's home from college. I got a pair of Ashley Judd earrings there for $2.

I think everyone else has given you great advice already, but I also think Goody's is a great place to shop.

Heres a 10 for you and a comment to help you earn points maybe that will help you:)

Call your local salvation armys and see when they have family day when clothes are 1/2 off. You can get so much more if you only go on that day!

Thank you for posting this to my group point4mepoint4u

This comment is to let you know that this content has reached at least 100 views, and as such has been removed from ViewMasters! Congratulations!

This is to let you know that your content has reached at least 20 comments and therefore has been removed from Give Me Words to speak. I hope you will continue to post all your content with our group. So that we may all share the wealth and gain the maximum exposure for our content, please be sure and invite all your friends to join the group Give Me Words to Speak, where they can post anything they want without the fear of being rejected.