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Top Mom-Approved Ways To Save Money on School Clothes

These money-saving tips are perfect for buying cute outfits for school that won’t have you going broke. Learn how you can save money while shopping for cute back to school clothes. (#3 is my favorite tip).

“I don’t like that outfit.”

My daughter and I were at our favorite clothing store. She was tearing through the racks like a hungry lion.

She had to find the perfect outfit.

I asked her. “Okay, what about this one?” She gave me a shoulder shrug.

“Oooh, this one is awesome!” My six going on sixteen-year-old little girl held up a shirt shinier than the surface of the sun.

I think I went a little blind.

You see, my daughter is getting ready to go to school for the first time.

Part of me is over-the-moon excited for her with a little fear and trepidation in hopes that I’ve taught her everything she needs to know about being on her own.

And while today she is only so young (but acts like a teenager), the one thing she’s most excited about is shopping for school clothes.

Depending on where you live, I’m sure you’re noticing backpacks, pencils, lunch boxes, and other school supplies dotting the aisles of your local store before the previous school year ended.

And while I write this, the time for children to end their summer adventures and return to school is almost here.

Time.com published an article stating in 2015, “American parents (collectively) with kids in kindergarten through 12th grade will shell out $24.9 billion dollars…On average, a family with school-aged kids expects it will spend $630.36 per child. The biggest chunk of parents’ overall back-to-school budget goes to clothes, which around 93% of families buy.”

WHAT!?!?!?!?!?

I’m not sure about you, but our family WILL NOT be spending over $630 per child per year on clothes.

And truth be told, we will NEVER spend that amount on something they won’t remember wearing three days from now.

Yes, children grow faster than weeds and even though it seems like when you buy your child a couple of outfits they turn around and outgrow them.

The best way to save money on school clothes is to be smart about how you shop.

These smart mom-approved money-saving tips will help keep more money in your wallet as you brave the department stores.

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Before you start warming up your printer and go coupon crazy, you will want to do this one thing first.

Sit down with your children and have an honest conversation about how much money each child will receive for clothing.

The key to success in back to school shopping is to include your children as much as possible.

These money-saving tips are easy to do by yourself but the success comes from teaching your children these principles, so they remember and become more financially responsible.

1. MY ABSOLUTELY FAVORITE WAY TO SAVE MONEY ON SCHOOL CLOTHES

One of the things I love most about going clothes shopping with my children is having that intentional time to speak with them.

We cover topics from their favorite video games, friends, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

You can take advantage of these verses to teach your preteen daughter.

But, once you decide on the stores and the amount of money you want to spend, consider visiting the store’s actual website for codes, printable coupons, or other deals so you can plan your trip.

My two favorite secret weapons for saving a TON of money on back-to-school clothes are:

  1. Groupon – I love how easy you can search for specific deals in the area where you live. You can sign-up for a FREE Groupon account HERE and start saving money on school clothes.
  2. Ibotta is an amazing app that is now offering money-back rewards for scanning your recipes. They have a category dedicated to clothing stores. You can also shop online through this app and earn money back from your purchase. To learn more about iBotta and join our AMAZING team, click HERE.
  3. Shopping for clothes online – You can now shop for clothes online in the comfort and convenience of your own home. With so many fashion choices available, it’s never been easier to find exactly what you’re looking for. Whether you’re shopping for basics or something more stylish, online stores offer a wide selection of apparel and accessories to choose from. This is where can find some of the best online stores for clothes.

2. USE THIS TRICK TO SAVE MONEY

I will be the first to admit that there are some incredible deals online, especially with coupon codes.

One trick my family and I use to save money online is by knowing our children’s sizes ahead of time.

Knowing this information has saved us so much time!

We know exactly where my daughter’s dresses are at her favorite store to what size my kids need at Payless shoes.

Most stores will allow you to return items you order online in case something doesn’t fit or wasn’t what you were expecting.

If you’re looking for more ways to “trick” yourself into saving money, then here are 15 brilliant money saving hacks you need to try.

3. PEOPLE WON’T KNOW YOU SHOPPED HERE

I have found some of the best (and cutest) clothes on the clearance racks for pennies on the dollar.

There was a time when I went shopping with a friend who asked why I would buy something hanging on the clearance rack.

I promptly responded, “no one is going to know. I’m not planning on wearing the tag with the outfit.”

Not all clothes on the clearance rack will be cute, but if you shop around and look hard enough, you will find many fun, flirty, and modest outfits that will be perfect for back to school.

You can also request free catalogs to be mailed to your home, so you can plan ahead with your school shopping.

4. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES TO SHOP

I love thrift stores!

There are so many benefits of thrifting for your family and depending on the thrift stores in your area, you can easily find several cute clothes to include in your back to school outfits for your children.

One of the best parts of shopping at thrift stores is the creativity needed to leave the store looking like a star.

Which, if your teenager is interested there is a long list of movie stars who choose to shop at thrift stores.

For example, Drew Barrymore in 2010 was reported to wearing a dress she purchased from a thrift store for $25. She wore this dress on the red carpet.

5. HAVE YOU TRIED THIS TRICK WITH YOUR YOUNGER CHILDREN?

I have two sisters who are less than two years apart, and they were always trading and wearing each other’s clothing while they grew up.

And I was always happy to hand down my clothes when I outgrew certain outfits.

Talk to your children about the idea of letting the younger children “shop” their older siblings outfits.

The younger kids feel “cool” knowing they’re wearing clothes from someone they admire. And your older children clean out their closet and are able to buy a few fun outfits.

No matter how you spend your money, do what you know is financially best for your family. There is wisdom in using coupons, browsing through the clearance rack, and shopping at thrift stores.

Do you have any tips or tricks to save money for your family when buying clothes? Leave a comment down below and let us know.

14 thoughts on “Top Mom-Approved Ways To Save Money on School Clothes”

  1. I’m taking my kids to the mall to go school shopping later, so I’m glad I found this when I did. I always end up spending SO much money on clothes. I want them to look nice, but I don’t want to break the bank either, you know? Shopping the clearance rack is such an easy idea. I’ll have to make sure my kids do that this time!

    1. Good luck with your school shopping! I completely understand the struggle of wanting your kids to look nice without spending a ton of money. Something that I use to do with my sisters when we would go back to school shopping is I would find a super cute outfit for them in the clearance rack and then make a big deal about how amazing it would look on them. This helped because then they would become more willing to look for other outfits at lower prices. Let us know how your shopping adventure goes!

  2. Great post! Another thing I used to do is take there quality clothes they outgrew to a consignment shop! Made some extra cash there for other clothes to buy! I am starting to do that again with my clothes.

  3. These are great tips. We don’t spend a ton on bts either. The cost is crazy high and we only replace worn out items like shoes and a few pieces of clothing. Otherwise, they reuse what they have.

  4. Mother of 3

    Great ideas… I can not get over that number though; I don’t know anyone who spends that on back to school clothes per kid!)… We never bought our kids back to school clothes until a few months into the school year anyway. Around here it’s so hot that most kids still wear shorts and t-shirts and all the back to school clothes are long sleeves and pants so it just seemed silly. They could pick out one new outfit for the first day and then they made do until the weather got cooler; by then the clothes were on sale. Now that we homeschool I am glad we don’t need to worry about that at all and I am so thankful to chuck that HUGE list of school supplies (that did easily cost me $200-300 for all three of my kids!). Pinned!

    1. I love the idea of waiting a little bit until the clothes go on sale! Best of luck with homeschooling. I always admire moms who can find a way to balance home, schooling their children and everything else in between. Kudos to you, my friend.

  5. Saving for next month for my three kiddos! I LOVE the idea of younger kids “shopping” in their older siblings closets! Changes the mindset from hand-me-down to getting to wear their cool siblings’ clothes!!

  6. Mrs. Cherry

    Yes to all of these! I try and coupon when I can, I also use the Ibotta app personally. Nothing wrong with being frugal! ☺️

  7. Sam

    Such great tips, snip snap is new to me but will definitely check it out. The clearance rack is such a lifesaver!

    1. I’m glad you found these money saving tips helpful! Have a great day, friend.

  8. Linda Salvini

    Garage sales, Church rummage sales, and thrift stores. Best ever clothing buys.

    1. Those are some of our favorite places to look for clothes as well. You never know what you’ll find and the amount of savings is worth every dollar!

  9. Becky

    A friend of mine has a consignment shop, so I take all the clothes they’ve outgrown and then buy they’re ‘new’ clothes from her using the money I made on the old ones. We hardly ever exchange money . And I shop thrift stores and rummage sales as well. I’ve gotten a lot name brand clothes that way for a fraction of the cost of new.

    1. You’re amazing to support your friend and her business. And thrift store/rummage sales are so fun! You invest a lot of time looking through things but are worth the money you’re saving. Thanks for sharing what you do to save money on school clothes.

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