Skipping school shopping as a way to save money

[Anonymous]

I usually take my 3 kids school shopping around this time. We get shoes and a few jeans and some shirts and a hoodies usually. I usually spend like 150 per kid so its really just a few pieces after shoes. This year we have really been tightening our budget and DH said lets just skip it and see what the kids actually end up coming to us and needing. They tend to wear their basketball shorts and tees wayyyyy into October and I think we can kinda squeak by supplementing with a few items here and there. The younger ones can use some of the older ones stuff and as of right now our shoes are ok. I think they can last till November. We have been eliminating anniversary gifts and bday gifts (for parents not kids) and kinda let mothers and fathers day elk by without much acknowledgement or money spent and its all been pretty painless. Just trying to lay low and see how long we can go! Anyone else trying to eliminate things like this were you are use to spending a set amount and now trying to dodge it?

[Anonymous]

I'm trying to come up with $7000 by Monday for a new furnace/AC. So no, we aren't school shopping right now.

[Anonymous]

I have never done school shopping, and I don’t remember my mom doing it either. It’s still summer weather for the first month or two depending on where you live, better to wait until your child has a growth spurt or things weat out to replace them.

You may want to see if there are big sales for things you know your kids are going to need eventually. But if you can wait until Columbus Day, they were probably be sales that are just as good then.

[Anonymous]

Seems fine to me. Back to school shopping is really just a promotional gimmick. My kids grow slowly so we just replace things as needed.

[Anonymous]

I school shop only for my oldest because she wears a uniform and by June I am scraping by on worn-out, stained, or too-short uniform pieces. So she needs new stuff for Fall, and the uniforms are on sale in summer and often limited stock in fall so it's best to just get them now. But I don't bother buying other clothes because I'd rather just wait until the weather shifts.

[Anonymous]

YES!!!!
But I am amazed that your kids are on the same cycle for needing new shoes. My kids are 3 yrs age difference and they never need new shoes at the same time.

[Anonymous]

This year I picked up a bunch of stuff at our school uniform exchange at the end of the year and already bought the new backpack my kid needed. I definitely overbought last year, so this year I'm going to try just letting her pick out some little (new pencil box) and waiting until other items are needed.

[Anonymous]

I buy things when they need things. They do like to wear something new for the first day of school and that's fine. Other stuff is on an as-needed basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have never done school shopping, and I don’t remember my mom doing it either. It’s still summer weather for the first month or two depending on where you live, better to wait until your child has a growth spurt or things weat out to replace them.

You may want to see if there are big sales for things you know your kids are going to need eventually. But if you can wait until Columbus Day, they were probably be sales that are just as good then.

+1. I don’t do “back to school” unless there is something they need right then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems fine to me. Back to school shopping is really just a promotional gimmick. My kids grow slowly so we just replace things as needed.

+1 The only good thing about shopping in Aug is the tax breaks MD gives. There are always sales, too... Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thankgiving..

[Anonymous]

I typically just buy things as needed with two exceptions. I always buy swim suits at Target in March or September (on sale). My kids take swim lessons all year and I’d rather buy ahead at $5 per shirt or trunks than pay $$$ off season.

In the DMV kids don’t really need a winter coat until December, but the sales and selection of sizes for affordable options are best in August / September. If you watch sales, you might get good coats for $25 now instead of paying $50+ in October. Buy a size up and try to get 2 years from each coat.

[Anonymous]

I have never understood buying winter clothes in August, before the kids see what the other kids are wearing. And whenever we have done it, the kids have wished they made different choice on something. One of my kids actually needs new sneakers but other than that we’ll wait for October sales once we know what’s needed in the wardrobe.

[Anonymous]

It's best to wait to buy new clothes until school starts and kids decide what they like anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I usually take my 3 kids school shopping around this time. We get shoes and a few jeans and some shirts and a hoodies usually. I usually spend like 150 per kid so its really just a few pieces after shoes. This year we have really been tightening our budget and DH said lets just skip it and see what the kids actually end up coming to us and needing. They tend to wear their basketball shorts and tees wayyyyy into October and I think we can kinda squeak by supplementing with a few items here and there. The younger ones can use some of the older ones stuff and as of right now our shoes are ok. I think they can last till November. We have been eliminating anniversary gifts and bday gifts (for parents not kids) and kinda let mothers and fathers day elk by without much acknowledgement or money spent and its all been pretty painless. Just trying to lay low and see how long we can go! Anyone else trying to eliminate things like this were you are use to spending a set amount and now trying to dodge it?

I always make sure I have 1 respectable outfit in case of emergency. So right now I realized my 12 year old does not fit into last year's jeans and picked up a pair (Gap - sale at $10 a pair with discount codes).

There will always be sales.

[Anonymous]

Most kids wear the same super casual clothes to school these days that they wear all summer. I’m not really trying to save money, but it makes no sense to me to buy school specific clothes for the start of school. My kids will need larger sizes in cold weather clothes, so I’ll start buying probably in October.