Back-to-School Fashions On A Tight Budget
How To Turn Last Year's Fashions Into This Year's Trends
Jun 30, 2009
Today's economy leaves many us wondering how to shield our children from the inevitable verbal bullying they may encounter as a result of "these challenging times" on parents' wallets. In an August, 2008 article, Mayo Clinic staff define bullying as teasing and name-calling which can lead to negative self-esteem, depression, anxiety or a fear of attending school. As parents, we certainly want to protect our children from these negative experiences. The following suggestions will help any parent send his or her child back to school looking and feeling good without breaking the bank!
Money Saving Tips
A great money-saver for back to school shopping begins in the closet. Go through last year's fashions and make some "executive" decisions. If shirts and blouses are a little faded, bring them back to life with a color-safe bleach product. Faded jeans are the new "shabby chic" and don't let a few holes scare you. Add a creative touch to those worn denims by making holes bigger (seriously!), turning the jeans inside-out and covering the holes with a sewn-on decorative patch. If sewing seems like a challenge for you, iron-on patches can also be used and found at most fabric stores. This little tip can turn a $25 per pair new-denim purchase into a $7 investment with a little effort that is worth the savings.
Shopping for the best deal
Once you have separated last year's fashions into a pile of clothes that can be recycled and a pile that can be shredded and used for drying the car or dusting furniture, it's time to take inventory and make a list of "fill-in" items for the back-to-school wardrobe. Go online and search the best deals for those items (tees, accessories, etc.) that will make your child's wardrobe trendy "in"! Overstock is a great place to find two-piece outfits for under $15. Try JC Penney and Target clearance pages for money-saving deals on shoes and try your local discount stores (Family Dollar and Dollar General) for inexpensive sleepwear and under clothes.
Make Donations
If your student has outgrown last year's fashions, check out local charities and resale shops to receive long-run and short-run savings. Goodwill and Salvation Army charities offer tax deductible receipts for donations. Resale shops offer cash for gently used clothing items.
Sending your student back to school doesn't have to be a wallet-shocking affair for you or an embarrassing experience for your child. Put the effort of standing in long lines at retail stores to better use spiffing up last year's fashions. You'll save some money and your child will feel fashionably trendy all year!
