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Back to School, Not Back to Broke
Cost-cutting Ideas for School Supplies
By April E. Clark
4. Organize a clothing exchange with other families – "Everyone brings clothing to a central location and sorts their own items on tables according to gender and size," Garvis says. "Everything is free. At the end of the shopping day, if anything is left, I just arrange for a pick-up by a charity that accepts clothing." She says her teenagers have been surprised to find stylish items in their sizes at her church's clothing exchange. "It makes sense that someone can outgrow or just not like a piece of clothing that might be perfect for another person," she says. "Get as many items as you can for free, then fill in with new bargains."
5. Accept second-hand clothing offers – "I tell everyone I know that I take hand-me-downs and I get a lot of them; however, to keep us from being overrun with clothing, I've developed some sorting skills," Garvis says. "First, I'm really choosy about what I keep. It's got to be better than what we have or a real money-saver in a size we'll need later ... Second, I have a 'one in, one out' rule. If my children keep three shirts from a bag of clothing, they must part with three shirts they already had. Third, I donate all extra clothing to the charity thrift shop." She says her family has saved "literally thousands of dollars" by wearing free clothing.
