Jun 26 2008
Dressing Your Child On a Budget
Dressing your kids on a budget can be easy especially if they are smaller children. As the kids become teenagers it tends to become more challenging. There are a few ways to go about buying clothes for the children that can save money and still be in style.
1. Look for sales. Always check the newspaper or television ads for the latest sales going on at department stores. When the season ends you can find great sales especially for your teenagers. For younger children try to buy a size bigger since they will have grown by the next time the season comes around again. Simply plan ahead and buy more than one color of the same clothes if they are really cheap. Having a few selections always helps especially if one of the shirts, skirts, or pants gets ruined.
2. Put money aside every month. Each time you get paid put a little aside to plan for the time that your children will need new clothes. You do not want to put yourself a position that requires you to put a lot of money out at one time.
3. Hand-me-downs from family or friends. Receiving hand-me-downs are not necessarily a bad thing. If you have small children and one grows out of the clothes then have your smaller child wear them as long as they are not worn too badly. You don’t want to embarrass your children either so be sure they are not torn or worn. Teenagers will tend not to accept hand-me-downs since they are more concerned at this age about how they look.
4. Gift cards for special occasions. When your child is having a birthday and a family member or friend asks what they could get the child then ask for them to either get a gift card or money so that you can decide where to go for clothes. Gift cards are a less tacky however. Or you could ask that they donate money towards the child’s wardrobe.
If you follow these ideas chances are you will be able to afford clothing on a small budget. There’s no need to get carried away and buy something just because your teenager wants the latest style for example. This would be the absolute wrong thing to do. By allowing the teenager to get what they want even though you are trying to remain on a budget will only teach them bad habits and possibly spoil them. They won’t understand the concept of money and will expect you to dish out funds whenever they want it. Therefore, be careful and choosy about what you buy for your children. Never buy something that just came out since it is going to be selling for full price. The cost for a t-shirt is ridiculous and there’s no need to spend $10 for any t-shirt when you can get them at 3 for $10 if you just wait a couple months or a couple weeks. Plan ahead, put money aside, make use out of clothes from older children for the younger children, and accept or recommend gift cards or cash.
