Shopping for back to school clothing can strike fear in the heart of even the most valiant parent. Let’s face it: the thought of wearily trudging through the mall with yourmalcontent brood, thronged by other equally exhausted parents and their equally disgruntled offspring only to spend a small fortune doesn’t sound too alluring! Here are some ideas to help make the expenditure easier on your pocketbook.

Wait till the last minute

If you can, pick up just a couple new outfits. Then wait until a week or two after school begins. Not only will you escape the crowds, but the summer clearance sales will be in full gear. We all know that here in the desert those summer outfits last well into fall!

Take a second look

Thrift stores and yard sales can be a great place to find kids’ clothing. Look for second hand stores that are clean and well organized to make shopping simpler. Hunt for jeans without ragged cuffs or worn knees, tops and dresses without stains or pilling, and jackets with seams intact. Oftentimes kids outgrow outfits before they show any wear, so no one will ever know where you bought them!

Trade ya!

Organize a trade with other moms in your church, small group, or neighborhood. Have everyone bring gently used kids’ clothing, assign a point value for each article of clothing, and then swap away! Donate the remaining clothes to a thrift shop.

Teach value

Make wardrobe shopping a life lesson for your child. Give them a budget to follow and let them know that they’ll be responsible for earning their own money if they want anything over and above that. Challenge them to stretch their shopping allowance as far as they can.

You can get through this. Just be creative, plan ahead, budget and don’t forget to breathe!

© 2008 Good News Tucson™