This weekend is the weekend where we pull out the fall clothing and pack away the tank tops and flip flops. It is always a bittersweet time because they are happy to see their fall clothes that have been packed away, as well as getting new things. But they are sad because that favorite t-shirt or pair of sandals must be packed up.
Now, if you have taken advantage of the seasonal sales, you probably stocked up on some very cheap clothing at the end of last season. So perhaps when you are pulling things out, you will be removing tags and trying on new things. If something you purchased is still too big, set it aside or just repackage it back up for next season. If something you purchased is too small, you perhaps didn’t consider a growth spurt coming along. It happens to all of us.
Since it is the seasonal clothing switch at our house, it will also be a weekend of shopping the clearance racks for great deals on summer clothes for next year. Keep your eye out for the occasional long sleeve shirt that is tossed into the clearance section. Often, when stores are preparing their fall clothing, they might find something from last year or even from Spring that was long sleeve and they have to put it in the clearance section. We find deals like that a lot.
If you wound up with a bunch of clothing that was too small, because your child grew over the year, a very common thing, try freecycle.org and offer it to someone there. Then keep your eye out for the same thing. Someone else might be getting rid of a bag of clothing that will fit your child too.
With five children in our home, this is the way that we stay as frugal as we can with clothing. We borrow, swap, trade, hand down and shop the clearance racks all the time. It is the best way to save money on clothing.
Nicole Humphrey writes articles for the Scrapbooking Blog, for the Frugal Blog, and for the Photography Blog. She also guest blogs on a variety of topics. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.