The Best Guide for Thrifty Back to School Clothes

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It’s August and for kids, the school bell will be ringing in a matter of days! Before they go, we have to go back to school clothes shopping. Now that my kids are tweens, it’s even more complicated because “fashion matters”. There’s now a list of “nu-uh”, along with “yah”, on what they will wear and won’t wear. Plus all the growing.  My shoes are now safe from my daughter because her feet are bigger than mine!

back to school clothes shopping guide

Where to Start

Before I make my list of what we need, I have the kids go through ALL of their clothes. Anything that is ripped or stained is immediately put in the scrap pile or trash, depending on condition.

Whatever is left they have to try on. Especially by my son, who does not get the “high-water” concept. Anything that does not fit goes into a donation pile. After that, we can come up with a list of clothes for our starting point of what is needed. It’s definitely not thrifty to buy more of what you already have!

back to school clothes for kids

Once I know what we have, I can start creating my list of what is needed and get shopping!

A Clothing List – What You Need for the School Year

Kids do not need an extensive wardrobe for school, despite what my daughter seems to think. Yes, clothes. No, new outfit every day. To get through the school year, my kids need the following:

  • 5-7 pairs of pants or leggings (girls)
  • 3-4 short sleeved shirts
  • 3-4 long sleeved shirts
  • 3 hoodies
  • 2-3 sweaters/cardigans
  • 9 pairs of socks & underwear
  • For girls:
    • 2 skirts
    • 2 dresses
    • 2 pairs of tights (dark & light)
    • 3-5 bras/tank tops
  • For boys:
    • 2 button-down shirts
    • 2 polo shirts
    • a belt
  • A pair of gym shoes
  • A pair of dress shoes
  • A pair of waterproof shoes/boots
  • Rain/light jacket

That’s all we really need to start out the year. And, barring major growth spurts, this can get us through most of the school year. Your list will be similar, but with additions or deletions according to your weather. We need lots of waterproof stuff because it’s going to rain for 9 months straight. Yah.

As winter gets closer, I will need to purchase a winter coat. Luckily, grandma loves to crochet and knit, so hats, scarves, and gloves are something we don’t need to buy at all. I also cross off at least one hoodie because I know the school will have a fundraiser selling them in September.

Where to Fill Your List

Clothing Swaps – According to my kids, MOM stands for “made of money”. That isn’t true. With everything I have to buy for back to school, I need to save everywhere I can.  One of the best ways to save some dollars is to host a clothing swap with your friends or church group! It’s a way to get great quality clothes for basically nothing! You have a pile of clothes to donate, your friends probably have a similar pile in their home. Swap them! This is especially good for those who attend schools with uniforms.

Check out local moms groups on FB too! Sometimes they’ll host a large swap. We have a HUGE one in a nearby city that fills a local sports venue!

school uniforms

FB Sales Groups – If you’re looking for something specific, post on a local FB swap group! It rains a ton around here. This makes Romeo boots very popular. They’re waterproof and last forever. It’s a huge score if I can find a pair that has been barely used. The FB groups are also really good for seasonal items, like winter clothing or fancy dress clothing. You can also get rid of your more expensive items by selling them and offset the cost of new clothes.

Thrift stores are my favorite place to go to get day-to-day clothing. You can find some great deals on expensive brand name clothing.  Remember that not all thrift stores are the same. In fact, even places like Goodwill or Salvation Army aren’t the same from neighborhood to neighborhood. I have a friend who has a shopping addiction but channels it to thrift stores only. That’s my source for which are good for kids clothing. Some people say to check out thrift stores in wealthier areas, but I haven’t found that to be necessarily true.

 Off-Price Sellers – check out Ross, TJ Max, and others. These stores skimp on many things, but the quality of goods isn’t one. Be prepared for a hunt. Staff to restock shelves IS one of the places they skimp on. They don’t care about the mess and for 60% off, I’m prepared not to care either.

Clearance Rack – For other retailers, my first stop is always the clearance rack. This is something that has to be checked fairly regularly, to start to know what is on clearance, at a given point in time and where the best clearance racks are – sometimes the best buys are a little bit hidden. The clearance rack does take patience for the best bargains. Target shoppers can find insider tips on their clearance rack! Old Navy has sale secrets too! So does Kohls.

Amazon – Amazon can be a good deal on kids clothing, especially if there is something special you need. I’m not going to spend hours looking for a purple 3-prong folder and I’m not going to spend any time searching for special YouTuber t-shirt. It’s cheaper to order online and save the gas and frustration. Amazon Back To School Clothing has all those special items on your list.

Don’t forget about Ebates, especially if you shop online! You can get cash back on most purchases. On sale and cash back is my jam! Sign up here!

4 thoughts on “The Best Guide for Thrifty Back to School Clothes

  1. Thrift store is definitely a must try to anyone on a budget or even if you just love fashion as whole. You will most likely surprise yourself if you search carefully and know your brands. Great post

  2. I think that many people don’t take the time to go to thrift stores or even see the appreciation of thrift clothes. These are great tips! Thanks for sharing.

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