Have I mentioned back to school? I may be a wee, tiny bit excited that the kids will be back to school next week. See here.
While I typically haven’t had to do much shopping for back to school, our hand me downs have pretty much run out so all 4 kids needed a few new things for the fall, on top of school supplies, and backpacks. While I did stick to my budget, I still feel like we got a lot of great clothes thanks to some decent sales that are happening now.
Here are some places we found awesome kid’s sales:
Sears/Land’s End: You can go in now and pick up coupons for $15 off a $75 valid from September 1-30. With awesome end of summer sales, and markdowns and sales on some back to school items (including sales on backpacks) you can really rack up savings here.
At Sears we picked up cute tops, tee shirts, and a rain coats that fold up.
Special tip for Land’s End shopping: if you go into your local Sears store you can order your items and get free shipping! Might be worth it if Sears is closeby.
Gymboree: Great sales, plus you can earn Gymbucks ($25 off a future $50 purchase), AND you can earn rewards!
At Gymboree we saw the latest trends for kids: skulls and glow in the dark! We picked up skeleton glow in the dark pajamas for all 3 little kids-these can double as Halloween costumes. We also picked up underwear (lasts really long), and shirts and pants for the little guy. They have a different deal every week for both boys and girls. when we stopped in shirts were all $10, and pants were all $15. Check Gymboree.com for the latest sales.
Gap Kids: Their sale on jeans is awesome right now! Buy one pair, get one for $10! We stocked up, so each pair essentially cost us under $20. PLUS you can get a jeans card so when you buy 4 pairs you get 1 free! (includes adult Gap too)
We are loving that Gap Kids is carrying slim sizes, since all the kids need them. I picked up skinny and super skinny jeans for my girls (they aren’t tight at all!), and straight leg jeans for the boys.
If your budget is slim to none I suggest these 5 tips for cheap back to school shopping:
- Shop AFTER the kids go back to school: Shopping will be less stressful, quieter, and you’ll find great deals on top of coupons making most fall fashions 50-75% off.
- Shop consignment: If you don’t mind some digging, a good consignment store can be a great place to find deals on new or like new kid’s clothing. Go to a more expensive area of your town or city to shop since the selection will be better.
- Goodwill/Salvation Army: Before you turn your nose up, remember that Goodwill and Salvation Army isn’t like a trash heap-they only sell clothing that is wearable, and without stains, tears, etc. Our local Goodwill often carries items with price tags still attached.
- Swap: Gather up friends, neighbors, or your preschool’s parents for a big clothing swap. We’ve done this multiple times and it’s always a win-win-win. Bonus-the kids and parents get social time!
- Internet it: Craig’s List, Freecycle, and eBay all offer ways to find cheap or free clothes.
View more of my back to school shopping tips on Kmart’s blog.
Want more fashion fix? Check out GirlyMama on fall dresses, Musings of a Housewife back to school with a giveaway for BJs!, and Mommies With Style on military inspired jackets for fall.
[…] that back to school shopping is done, I’m ready to do a little back to school shopping for me-without the kids. What a […]