The Bureau of Labor Statistics states the average American family spends $1,700 on clothes every year. However, if you have a large family with growing children, it’s easy to spend much more on apparel. If your clothing costs take a sizeable chunk from your family budget, consider these money-saving tips.
Look for Discounts
Image via Flickr by Diego3336
Clothing stores often discount their goods to make way for new season stock and entice more customers to shop with them. Looking out for these discounts can really slash your clothing bill. Bricks-and-mortar stores often have clearance racks with items discounted by a significant amount. They’re typically placed near the back of the store, forcing you to walk past all the shiny new goods. Keep your focus and refuse to pay full price.
Online shoppers can also save with digital clothing coupons. Online coupon sites often offer great deals on popular apparel brands including Victoria’s Secret and Old Navy. Follow these discount websites on Facebook and other social media platforms to ensure you don’t miss the best deals.
Shop at Thrift Stores
If you’ve never shopped at thrift stores, you might be surprised at the treasure trove of clothing you’ll find there. Most thrift stores have minimum standards and won’t accept any apparel item that isn’t up to scratch, so you needn’t worry about looking like you’re dressed in second-hand clothes.
You’ll often find a large number of children’s clothes that other kids have grown out of before they start showing wear. Thrift stores are also ideal for adult clothes with a retro appeal. Shopping from thrift stores comes with an added dose of good karma; the money you spend helps support charities in your community.
Have a Clothing Swap Party
If you’re feeling the pinch of new clothing prices, then your friends are probably in the same boat. Why spend money on something new when you can swap? Hosting a clothing swap party is a great way to get a new wardrobe for your family without spending a thing. It’s also a whole lot of fun!
Encourage your friends to bring any clothes their families no longer fit or want. Then everyone browses through the available clothes and takes anything that catches their eye. Donate any leftover items to your local thrift store or shelter.
Learn to Sew
Making your own clothes used to be the most economical choice. However, cheap overseas labor has reduced the cost of clothes in our department stores dramatically. That doesn’t mean sewing won’t help you save money though.
Unless you can find fabrics and patterns on sale, making garments from scratch isn’t usually the cheapest choice. But your sewing skills will help you alter the items your family outgrows and repair dropped hems and minor tears so you can get more mileage out of the items that you do buy. You may also find it cheaper to make formal clothes for weddings and other special occasions than purchasing them off the rack.
With these money-saving tips, a large family can always look fashionable on a shoestring budget.