Fashion Shopping Tips for Moms on a Budget

Being a mom can be challenging enough, add in sticking to a budget and you can have a hearty challenge ahead of you.

Between us, my husband and I have 8 kids so we know well the meaning of a budget. With a drama queen daughter that naturally wants to fit in with the crowd, and a teen aged son that wants to look cool, it can be a challenge in and of itself to stick to a budget and divide it equally.

My first recommendation is to get to know the neighborhood moms. This budget wise fashion trick works best for pre school and grade school aged girls. The trick is to make sure you get to know the children that are a size or two ahead of your child. If you are really creative you suggest getting together for yard sales and such and then spot the clothing that will work for your child. Make an offer and generally the other mom will just give you the clothing. Of course, being willing to give her your older children's outgrown clothing that your child will not yet fit in will be a boon to this budget wise tip. This tip has saved me hundreds of dollars in clothing for our daughter.

Thrift store shopping, I once took a teen shopping with me at a thrift store, "I wouldn't be caught dead in there" she proclaimed as I gently took her arm and removed her from the car. When we got inside I handed her a $20 and told her to find some things she liked. She came back after about an hour and asked for .50 more to cover the final tax that she hadn't completely figured in. She loved our little shopping trip and found an entire cart load of great clothing in the style she loved.

I tell my teens that I will buy the basics. Basic jeans (2 pair at the beginning of school) and 2 more as needed throughout the year. Along with underwear and a few nice shirts. This also includes up to 3 pair of shoes per year. Anything else they desire they will have to fork over the cash by earning it themselves. This has worked well so far.

When my 14 year old son came home wanting a $60 pair of jeans he was informed he could save his money and buy them or put it on his wish list for Christmas or his birthday. I also urged him to consider saving his birthday and Christmas money for such purchases. It took him several months to save his money and he finally had the required amount saved and asked me for a ride to the mall. He tried on several pair and finally made his purchase. I then went to a thrift store and spent the same amount on other items for the rest of the family. With my $60 I was able to outfit 5 people in the family. My son still likes his $60 jeans but he now realizes that he has to make the right choices if he wants a lot of clothing or fancy clothing.

Following a budget can be a challenge sometimes, for example when our daughter started ballet this year we suddenly had to have ballet slippers, tights, a leotard and a skirt to wear over the top of the entire ensemble. Thankfully by doing some quick research online I was able to find them for under $5 each at a local discount store.

Teaching kids to stick to the basics will also go far for dressing in fashion while sticking to a budget. Teach them the timeless classics of a pair of jeans, nice tee shirt and a pair of sneakers. It can be done for under $40 if one watches for sales, and is patient.

Don't be afraid to add scarfs, double tee shirts up and roll up sleeves and other little fashion tricks you see around that look adorable. Our 7 year old loves to play with scarves and roll up her jeans. She makes her own fashion statement. Sometimes allowing kids to make their own fashion statement is a great way to save money because they will take something just laying around and use it as an accessory.

When a foster daughter (in her teens) couldn't find matching socks one day she decided to declare it national don't match your socks day. It worked and caught on with her friends. This also works with shoes (she couldn't find matching shoes one morning and wore one of each kind on her feet to school). Teens love setting the trend and this one definitely did that. Soon, all her friends were dressing like that and it was a trend in our town for a long time.

Shopping around, being willing to go to yard sales and thrift stores and teaching my kids the value of a budget has become the best fashion advice for our family. Especially since small children grow so fast yard sales and thrift stores often have great deals on gently used clothing. Make friends with a clerk and you will know when the next shipment is expected. Don't forget to be on hand to go through it right away before your friends figure out where you get all the kids great clothes.

Following some of these tips will definitely help your budget and who knows, the next new trend might come from your son or daughter.