New clothes for everyone!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

I absolutely love to shop – I could do it every day! I am always looking for great prices on clothing for my toddler, Emily, and the rest of the family. I have found a few tricks as to how to shop smart, and keep the family from going naked or sporting those high-water pants we all know and love. I’m here to let you in on the secret!

Truth be told, it’s more common sense, but while you are busy thinking of every last detail of EVERYTHING else, you may have overlooked it.

Let’s talk about the little ones first: When you run in to Target for some milk and diapers, take a quick swing past the clearance clothing. Target is AWESOME about putting children’s clothing on clearance from 30% to 75% off. The clothes that are going on clearance, however, are usually the season that just ended. So how can you possibly buy this stuff? BUY NEXT YEAR’S! For example, Emily is a December baby. So she will be 1, 2,3 years old in the Winter. When Fall/Winter clothing goes on clearance, I purchase next year’s (don’t tell my husband!) clothing for prices that are UNREAL! When Spring/Summer clothing goes on clearance, I will buy clothing for next year as well. This saves you money, but also keeps you from the panic that you feel when you dress them in those jeans that fit last week, and are now cropped. Oops!

Before doing this, try to “look into your crystal ball” and determine if your child is true-to-size or if they are deliciously chubby or more petite. This will help you buy clothing that will actually fit them when the time comes.

Now for the big kids: The good news is…the same concept applies for you and your husband (or wife.) The bad news is…I am a little bit more hesitant to purchase things and then find that they are too small (or too big) by the time I’m ready to wear them. This isn’t a savings OR a self-esteem booster! If you remain constant in your sizing, you have no worries.

This is also something that you can apply to your life if you are planning to have a baby, as well. Kohl’s and Target are wonderful about putting their maternity clothing on clearance for prices that are too good to pass up. I was VERY pregnant in the winter, so I have mostly warm maternity clothing. If I were to have a summer or fall baby next time, I will need some things that coordinate with the season.

Keep these things in mind as you do your shopping. Keep your eyes out for things that are staples, or stuff that is just too cute to pass up. You are sure to save money and pick up some amazing deals at the same time!

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