We’ve covered school lunches on this blog, but haven’t chatted about clothing. There’s always a few new items I get for the kids each year, primarily shoes, and this year was no different. But with each of the kids growing at exponential rates it seems, I don’t want to spend a fortune for pants for my son when he’s soon to grow out of them – again.
Here are a few of my tips to help clean out your closets this weekend, and fill them up with new-to-your family items thanks to Value Village.
Tip 1: Go through the closet, have the kids try on all their clothes
I know this sounds onerous, but honestly, if I didn’t get the kids to actually try on their clothes to see the fit, I would be assuming that certain items still fit when they don’t. Ever hold up a pair of pants and think ‘that looks like it still fits’ then when the kids are getting dressed and about to run out the door you realize that no, they are definitely too short? I do that all the time. Because I think the wee pants and tops still fit them. I’m not sure if it’s denial about their actual size, or I have issues with proportions but I do it far too often. Now, I make them try everything on. Then I make piles to giveaway those that don’t fit and are still in good shape, ones that don’t fit well but could transition into a paint top or pj top for example, and those that will keep or can layer into new outfit pieces.
Tip 2: Donate your old clothes to Value Village
A few times a year, we receive a call from the Canadian Diabetes Association asking to pick up clothing and household items at the house. We don’t even have to go anywhere! I just have to set the clothes outside the door and they are picked up. This is always great motivation for me to clear out items that I’ve put aside to donate. Value Village and local charities team up to collect your donations and raise money for those charities. There are a few different ones in Ottawa that is associated with Value Village. I love getting a collection right at my door! If you want to bring your donation items to the store drop off though, you’ll be rewarded with an in-store discount! That’s a win all around.
Tip 3: Buy transition pieces
That summer dress that still fits your daughter but is too summery? Buy a pair of leggings and a long sleeve shirt to go under it. By buying transition pieces – staples in the wardrobe that can be for layering etc. – I find that I can make summer and spring wear last me into the Fall and Winter. T-shirts can be layered with long sleeve shirts or worn with a hoodie for example.
Tip 4: Buy what they need now
I know a lot of people who like to buy a few sizes ahead, especially when items are on sale. I’ve always struggled with this because some years my kids grow like weeds and jump out of sizes before they even put stuff on, and other years, I buy ahead and end up storing them because they are too big. I don’t like having money sitting in my closet! I typically stick to buying what I need, when I need it, then add items along the way. Yes, this is a gamble with snowsuits for example that seem to leave the shelves when there’s still snow on the ground, but long sleeve shirts I can find any time.
Tip 5: Don’t break the bank – shop at Value Village!
The hardest item I ever buy is pants for my son. He is slim in the waist, and long legged and grows quickly. I don’t want to spend too much money on pants all at once. It ends up being too expensive. I look at consignment often, but rarely find his size.
As part of my partnership with Value Village they offered me a gift certificate to get some back to school looks for the kids. I made out like a bandit frankly. Not only were there clothes in both of my kids’ sizes, they were in excellent shape and for even better prices.
What did I find? The following came home with me, and fit everybody! While all of the pants for my son were a size 8, a few fit better now than others, but in this case I’ll keep them for when he needs them. Breakdown of my finds:
The Boy:
5 pairs of pants
1 long sleeve top
1 hoodie
The Girl: 4 dresses
In total, that’s 11 items.
How much would I expect to pay new for these? Even if I got a great sale, I estimate that they would be well over $100 for everything. How much did I pay at Value Village? $55. That’s a huge savings!!
In addition, not only are we saving money, but we are giving second life to a lot of clothing. The eco-friendly side of me likes this. I care about where my clothing is going when I no longer want them. Clothes aren’t disposable. With Value Village they are being recycled and given new life. Why not add new-to-us pieces right in our own closets?
Visit Value Village to find a location near you!
Think you can use my five tips for back to school clothes shopping? Have tips to share with readers? Drop a note in the comments below!
Disclosure: this post is sponsored by Value Village. I received compensation, however, opinions are all my own. Since I talked about it often enough, I clearly do dislike shopping for pants for my son 😉
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