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Encouraging Heroes. You can be one too.

The start of school is an exciting time for buying clothes reflecting the fall trends. However, it isn’t always possible to get the kids everything they want on a limited budget, especially when young people don’t always fully understand the concept of financial restraints. Fortunately, with a little creativity and commonsense, it is possible to get the kids everything they really need and even some of what they only want.

Timing

The worst possible time to go shopping for school clothes is in the days just before school starts. Merchants know that you are under pressure with little time to bargain, so they tend to keep their prices high in the home stretch. You might get lucky and catch a sale item here or there, but the real bargains are to be found in the sleepy sales days of mid summer. That’s when the stores are offering the best prices. It is also when you will have the time to shop around and buy only the sale items.

Budget

Going to the store without having some idea of how much you can spend is always a bad idea, but that is especially true for back to school shopping. Let each child know how much you can afford to spend on their new clothes. By doing so you will include them directly in the process and get them thinking about what they really want.

Online

Don’t confine your shopping simply to the stores in your area. The internet opens up a whole new world of bargain hunting opportunities. If your looking for mens designer jeans, online is often a better choice than shopping in a local store which allows you only whatever choices they offer. The internet offers you a universe of almost unlimited options and price ranges.

Involvement

You may not know exactly what the current fashion trends are in your child’s age group, but your children can give you that feedback. The kids can also help you keep an eye out for sales, coupons or other opportunities to save money on the things they want. Your children are much more likely to accept any limitations on what you can buy them if they have actually been involved and participated in the shopping process. It is also a very teachable time to help them learn about budgets and how to handle money responsibly.

Being both fashionable and staying within an affordable budget is very doable if you just follow these simple suggestions.

head shot of Brionna KennedyBrionna Kennedy is native to the Pacific Northwest, growing up in Washington, then moving down to Oregon for college. She enjoys writing on fashion and business, but any subject will do, she loves to learn about new topics. When she isn’t writing, she lives for the outdoors. Oregon has been the perfect setting to indulge her love of kayaking, rock climbing, and hiking.

Earnest Parenting: helping parents have fashionable kids on a budget.