As we begin to close out August, schools all over the country are starting to ring student back into their halls. If you have a kid, then you know how important it is to them to look good and have all their bases covered, from nice outfits to brand new shoes. For parents, it can be expensive and will often leave us shaking our heads at the price tag.
How can we survive back-to-school clothes shopping? Look at these 5 ways to do it successfully:
1) Put Together a Plan
Don’t just walk into a store with wild abandon. It can be a waste of time if you don’t know where all the sales are. It can pay to do your homework and look for the best deals. Ask other parents where they shop and how the prices are. You should also get your kids involved with the process. Give them a budget and have them start sharing ideas of purchases they want to make. That way you can head off any disappointment and be prepared to spend only what you budget.
2) Go Through Their Closet
We get it. Your kid wants a fully fresh and new wardrobe. They’re going to have to live with the disappointment that it’s just not in the budget. So, as you go over their budget with them and the options that they have, it’s not a bad idea to go through their closet and see what they have. There’s no shame in wearing an outfit that they wore last year if it still fits.
3) Do Online Shopping
Another option for shopping is to not waste your time browsing through aisle after aisle with your kids. This is especially true if you’re a mom with teenage boys, or a dad with teenage girls. Again, it’s better to give your kids a budget and let the browse online for what they want. Then you can keep track of their actual purchases (or they can send you a link and you do the purchase for them). It’s easier, less stressful, and cheaper to do it this way.
4) Take Them Shopping Individually
To remove the chaos and stress of back-to-school shopping, especially if you have multiple kids to shop for, it might be best to take them out one at a time. This is a good idea because they all have different needs and wants. It will give you the time to focus on each child individually rather than a collective whirlwind through the store.
5) Don’t Wait Until Back-to-School Season
There’s Amazon Prime Day and other opportunities to buy school supplies and clothing out of season. When it’s back-to-school time, there’s no doubt the prices go up for these items. Shop throughout the summer and don’t wait until the few weeks before they start back up again.
