Back to School Clothing: Tips for Keeping it Cheap

School is coming and the children want the latest fashions in their back to school clothing. If you do not want to go to Abercrombie and Finch or The Gap, then where do you go for the best bargains? Maybe the t-shirt will not say "The Gap", but there are many stores offering reasonably priced back to school clothing that your children will love and you can afford.

Retail stores:

There are many retail stores selling the latest fashions for the young girls and boys for back to school clothing at a reasonable and affordable price. From mid July until school starts, retail stores will be running sale advertising in weekly papers, newspapers and on-line web sites. Watch the ads closely for bargains. Retail stores with seasonal sales are Kohl's, Old Navy, Target, K-Mart, J.C. Penny, Sears and Wal-Mart, to name some.

Many national chains stores offer "extra special" values for on-line site purchases and useful information. Kohl's on-line site has a designer section for the latest back to school trends for girls.

Some stores have individual catalogs. J.C. Penny is one of the catalog stores and the next time you are by the store put your name on the mailing list and you will be one of the first to know about sales, right from your mail box!

Resale clothing stores:

For affordable back to school clothing, do not forget the resale clothing shops that offer good quality clothing at a fraction of the original cost. Savings can be especially good for the younger children's back to school clothing. Teens are a little harder to satisfy, however, jeans are "in" and the "worn" look is still in style.

Garage sales:

Check the local newspapers for any garage sales in your area. Good back to school clothing can sometimes be had for just pennies. Shirt and dress fashions may change, (you might even be lucky enough to find a Gap t-shirt) but jeans are jeans.

Help Agencies:

Community organizations are willing to help with back to school clothing items for families. Organizations like Neighbor for Neighbor and Churches have special divisions for help so contact the School Counselor for additional information on organizations available in your City.

Uniform stores:

Retail stores handling school uniforms may not offer many specials; however, they offer special considerations in other ways. For instance, C and J Uniforms allows a credit for any old uniforms turned in with a new purchase and also offers good used uniforms for sale at a huge discount. Catholic Schools offer used school uniform exchanges for free and this service is also available for non-members of the Church. If your children must wear uniforms, check out these options, for sure.

Conclusion:

Purchasing children's back to school clothing can be expensive and all avenues of savings should be explored. Check out some of these tips for assistance.

Sources:
A Public School Teacher
A Private School Teacher
A Mom with 6 school age children