I think of myself an expert on how to dress my family for cheap. I rarely spend more than 300$ a year for clothes for my family consisting of two small boys, a husband and myself. BUT you cannot be choosey!
My tips usually are for casual items for your family. Do not be a slave to style. Do not think more of your clothes than something that covers your body and keeps you warm.
Some major DO’s and DONT’s
-Do shop online. It is faster
-DO shop only in CLEARANCE, just because an item is maked down on sale from one high price to another lower price, well you are still getting ripped off!
-Do buy only versatile items. A summer shirt with a summer print does not always work in the winter time and sweaters do not work in the summer.
-DO buy things in the summer that you can layer in the winter.
-DO NOT ever pay more than 5$ shipping for any order.
-DO NOT get sucked in to the “up to” on a sale. example “up to 80%” This does not mean you are getting 80% off any item.
-DO NOT take your kids clothes shopping. They will find things they like and a lot of times they get what they want. Do not get them in the habbit of having a choice in the store of what to wear. They have their choice in their own closet.
-DO NOT always assume name brand is better quality. Sometimes you have to take into consideration that you will be buying the same thing next year because of a hole in the knee, a stain you cannot remove, a tear in the cloth and so on.. It is better if you replace certain things every year at a cheap price rather than double price for a name.
-DO NOT buy expensive clothes for kids. They grow! CONSTANTLY! they will be a drain on the household budget if you think that a specific store or name brand is the only way to go.
-DO NOT pay more than 5$ for any shirt or t-shirt. 7$ for a nicer styled shirt, 10$ for jeans, 15$ for a sweater, 15$ for a dress, and 10$ for dress pants. This is the TOP amount that I pay but i almost ALWAYS NEVER buy anything for 7$ for bottoms, and 4$ for tops.
-DO check out your local salvation armies and garage sales.
-DO trade clothes with friends.
-DO check out more “ghetto” type of stores like Burlington Coat factory, TJ MAX, and others that might be specific to your area.
-NEVER buy for style because what is is style and expensive this year, well it will not be in style next year!!
IF YOU FOLLOW THIS INFORMATION WE CAN SAVE MONEY AND SEND A MESSAGE TO STORES THAT WE REQUIRE MORE AT LOWER PRICES! STORE MARKUPS ARE REDICULOUS!
I worked as a manager in a clothing store that was labeled and upscale and expensive upperclass type of store. The product was very worshipped buy those who bought it but there were places that sold the exact item for a lot less. And then to see how low the company sells the stuff in the end makes me feel that when you buy anything at regualr price or on sale, well the company laughs at you murmering “sucker”.
Here is my trusted buying proceedures.
WAL MART IS A FRIEND!
Well.. at least ONLINE.
Go to your department of your choice. KIDS, WOMENS, MENS, so on.. Go to clearance and then sort from the lowst to the highest. Buy only a few things at a time that are of interest, have it sent FREE site to store shipping and be happy. You can find more of your sizes on clearance online than at the store. This way you do not have to dig for hours at the store and get nasty stuff people have returned or tried on.This is where I get shirts for under 4$, PJ’s, for under 6$ and men’s polos for under 5$. Every now and then they will throw in something stylish for under 7$…..Do this once a month all through the year, spending no more than 20$ at wal mart at a time.. This will only work if you do the site to store and find yourself at wal mart a lot for something else. that you can just pick it up.
Then hit oldnavy.com. they have the three stores online shipping together an entire order for 5$ This is a must do!This is where I get my jeans for under 15$ most of the time. Some times I find them cheaper. Watch for the prettier tops for women. IN the fall you can buy summer stuff on clearance and just add a long sleeve layer under it to last through the winter! Shop at old navy only two to three times a year tops and buy enough to make the 5$ shipping a good value. if you only buy 10$ worth of stuff at a time then if you do that 3 times a year you just tacked on 15$ to your 30$ clothing order so buy when there is a lot of stuff on clearance. BUT STAY IN A BUDGET!
DO NOT buy during big shopping seasons. Prices for clothing usually only get to clearance stage when there is not a lot of foot traffic in the store. They take advantage of the roaming shopper and impulsive buyer!!
Buy winter basics. Long underwear is your friend for the layered look. they have more feminine looking stuff in the wal mart lingerie section.Sometimes they are just 3$ a shirt.
As for Dresses and so on.. Well I go for price rather than style. DO not buy something that is seasonal, get something that you can wear in both seasons like black, navy, something solid color and something that is cool enough for summer but you can throw on a shawl or sweater on for the winter.
Just make sure to not get sucked into online deals of free shipping. Those have minimum purchases!! and a lot of times they are a lot.. they make you and entice you to spend more than your willing and could afford.
Just be aware. Just be alert, do not give into temptation.. and if you are spending more than 500$ for a family of 4 for a year, well you are spending too much!!!