The following post is from Tiffany of Mommy Goes Green: 7 Ways to Save Money on School Uniforms
I’m getting ready to pack up this year’s uniforms and thinking about next year’s purchases as the school year ends!
With two kids in a school that require uniforms, I’ve found a few ways to save money on what could be an otherwise expensive new wardrobe each year. There may not be a lot of style in uniform dressing, but there is a lot of money to be saved from buying a traditional school wardrobe.
Try these easy tips, and you’re sure to save money:
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1. Shop at non-traditional stores.
Children’s Place, Target, and Old Navy all have basic school uniform clothing such as plain-colored polo shirts, button-downs, khaki pants, and shorts. You might subscribe to their email list to know when uniform clothing is on sale and save more with coupons.
2. Host a uniform exchange.
Our school hosts a clothing exchange each year where we can bring in clothing that no longer fits and exchange it for hand-me-downs that do. This is an incredible benefit, particularly on the higher-end plaid clothing that is occasionally required. If your school doesn’t offer this benefit, start one with other parents. This could be as easy as putting together a Facebook group of school parents, posting photos of the clothing you have, and exchanging them at drop off the next day!
3. Shop the clearance rack.
I’ve picked up numerous uniform pieces from the clearance racks at stores such as Gap and Macy’s for under $5. Uniforms don’t appeal to the masses, so stores have to clearance the last of their uniform items out to rock bottom prices.
4. Buy for the future.
If you plan on having your children in uniforms for years, you might as well snag larger clothing sizes when you find them for dirt cheap. I’ve got several pairs of basic khaki pants and polo shirts tucked away for future use.
5. Search eBay.
Create saved searches on eBay for the uniform pieces you are looking for. For example, save to your account “navy skort 8,” and eBay will email you daily with all of the new listings fitting your criteria. Snag it when you find one that you like, and it’s got a great price. Oftentimes, you will find many uniform clothing in one size. This is a great way to start a uniform wardrobe.
6. Choose darker colors.
I love white, so I made the mistake the first year of buying mostly white shirts. You can imagine how long those lasted with a 3 and 6-year-old. If you have a choice, choose the darker colors that your school allows your children to wear. My kids mostly wear red, navy, and green now.
7. Be a minimalist.
One thing to love about uniforms is that you don’t need much. If you can do a load or two of laundry each weekend, you only need 5-6 shirts, 2-3 pants or shorts, 1-2 dresses or skirts, 5 socks, and a pair of shoes. With some of the tips above, you could score all that for less than $100!
How do you save money on your kids’ school clothes?
| Tiffany is a wife and mom of two, living simply to indulge her family’s love of outdoor recreation and travel. You can find her contributing at Simple Homemade, The Creative Mama, and her personal home on the web, Mommy Goes Green. | |
