Money Saving Tips When Buying Clothes For Your Family

Growing up, even though my parents bought new clothes from the stores on occasion, we were always provided for and had all the clothes that we needed. Previously worn clothing was available through our church and from family friends. I also have memories of my mother making the girls cute simple summer dresses.

Saving money most often requires planning ahead. Taking time to go through the wardrobe and making a list of what needs to be replaced helps to be ahead of the game. Here are a few money saving tips that I have found helpful in the past. If you are like me, a stay at home mom and always looking for ways to save money to help your family keep expenses down, you might find a few tips that you haven’t tried yet.




Money Saving Tips before Visiting the Stores

• Make clothes for your family. Sometimes great deals can be found at the fabric stores and it will actually cost less to make the clothes. If you don’t own a sewing machine, consider purchasing a used one. In the long run, you will see the benefits of not only sewing clothes but mending clothes and sewing other needed items for your household.  I learned how to sew at a very young age just so I could make clothes that I liked. It is a great skill to have as a home keeper. Our 14 year old daughter has learned to sew for herself and for others.  Do you know how to knit or have the desire to learn a new skill?  Hats and slippers are an easy project which won't take much time when following a simple pattern. Email me if you need some guidance to get started.

• Keep clothes from older siblings to pass on to younger siblings. My daughter has been able to wear a few things from her older brother such as flannel shirts.  Lately his jeans have come in handy as she needs to wear them for her job to clean the horse stables.

• Trade clothes with a friend or family member. Since my sister’s children are close in age with our children, we’ve often traded clothes, she would give me her daughters’ clothes that would fit my daughter and I would give her my son’s clothes that would fit her son who is younger.

• Stick with classic styles. Clothing styles will tend to change and it can sometimes be hard to keep up. If you stay with non trendy styles, you won’t feel the need to change out your wardrobe as often.

• Take care of your existing clothes. You’ll be surprised how long clothes can last if they are taken care of. Some items will do better if washed and then dried on a hanger instead of in the dryer. Take time to mend your clothes.When my parents grew up, darning socks was common.  Yes I still darn wool socks if they are worth saving.

• Consider taking your children to help with choosing clothes. As your children get older, they start forming their own clothing styles and colors. One year, I took the liberty of purchasing at least 4 pairs of jean shorts at a second hand store for my 13 year old son a year ahead of time only to find out he desired another style. Needless to say, he only wore one pair of jean shorts I had bought.  Saying that I'm grateful he prefers a small wardrobe.

 Tips When Needing to Purchase Clothes

• Stay on budget. Believe it or not, it is easy to get carried away and spend over your budget even in a resale shop. To avoid overspending, have a list of what you need and stick to it.

• Only purchase clothing when on sale. Be disciplined and stick to this tip and you will be able to save money.

• Shop for clothes out of season. Plan ahead and shop for the following year by waiting for end of season sales.

 Places to Shop For Deals

• Try checking with Freecycle.org. This is a great organization where you can place a wanted ad or check if people are offering clothes you are in need of.

• Garage sales. It has been a while since I’ve made it to local garage sales but I know great sales can be had especially for the youngins. You may even find sewing patterns if you are sewing your own clothes.

• Local thrift stores. We like to visit our Salvation Army store on Wednesdays when they have a 50% sale on all clothes. Some thrift stores will accept your good condition clothes and give you a store credit for future purchases. Call around and find out what local thrift stores have similar policies. Purchasing clothes from garage sales or local resale stores has taught me to become more creative with what we find. Depending on the resale store, you may be able to barter the price.  You don't know until you ask.  Yes, quality clothes can still be found in second hand stores.

• Discount Chain Stores. If you have extra time to spend, visit discount chain stores for great deals. You can often find clothes 50 to 75 percent off retail prices. TJ Max, Ross, Marshalls are a few that I know of in our area.

I would love to hear more great saving tips, so please be sure to leave comments below if you have something to share.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV

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