5 Tips for Back to School Clothes Shopping

 With a barrage of TV commercials and flyers in your mailbox about after school sales, where does one start and stop to get the best deals for back-to-school clothes? Not only are parents thinking about their budgets in a time when a pair of jeans can cost $200, but they are also thinking about how to make sure that their child is happy and eager to return to school. So before you carve out time and map out routes to hit all the sales, I've got a little advice. Start with a plan.

Planning as many aspects of back to school shopping as possible will not only benefit your budget, it will make shopping quicker, easier, and less likely impulsive. It also gives your child more of an active involvement with family finances and decision making if they are involved more than just choosing what they would like to have.

The first thing is to establish the budget. I don't recommend laying it all out on the line with the budget. Let's face it, a child may not need to know the details of the household budget, but knowing the maximum that can be spent on their back-to-school clothes will help them to decide what it is that they must have.

After you've established how much you will spend, talk about what style your child is interested in. Shopping with a moody teen or pre-teen comes with its own issues, but if you are both on the same page, it makes everyone's life a little easier. Sit down with your child or children and talk about the type of wardrobe that they want. Start with a wish list of things like a style of shoe, a wash of denim, or a spiked belt (if you have a burgeoning rocker). Getting an idea for what kind of clothes you will be shopping for will help to narrow down where to go.

Put a day aside to "shop at home." Now that you both know how much you have to spend and what look you're going for go through your child's closet with them and determine if there are any pieces that can be re-purposed or that can accomplish the look that they are going for by adding a piece. Going through a closet of old clothes can also produce some that have very little wear, or have been outgrown that can be sold at vintage or consignment stores. This not only adds to the budget, but it also teaches kids the importance of recycling and reusing.

In line with recycling clothes, another back-to-school shopping idea is to hit up garage sales and vintage shops. Vintage and old is always new and can be fashioned into one of a kind unique items by your creative child.

My fifth tip to ease back to school shopping woes is to agree to a couple of 'vanity' pieces. Pieces I like to say balance the budget as they cost much more than the generic version. Something as cool as custom hoodies will really set them apart and has the potential to be a favorite piece.

Armed with a budget, a style in mind, and some 'signature' pieces, a day at a mall or two will be a breeze and won't break the bank.