Budget Friendly Back to School Tips

Is your Back to School shopping budget a little slim this year? Then learn what you can do to maximize your children's wardrobes to save money while still keeping them in style and giving them tons of fashion options. With a few simple tricks you can take a basic wardrobe and make it extraordinary:

• Layer, layer, layer! For the beginning of the fall season, layer a lightweight cardigan, blazer, zippy or sweater over summer items to extend their usefulness. Another great look this year for girls is to layer a summer dress over a tee.
• Shop the back of the store to the front. Stores place their most expensive items in the front of the store and their clearance items in the back.
• Use inexpensive accessories to make a basic outfit more fun and personalized.
• Buy basics such as tees, socks, underwear, chinos and jeans in multiples when they are on sale. Buying out of season saves you the most money, but make sure to calculate the proper size for the proper season when buying ahead for fast growing kids.
• Have your children pick out 2 or 3 of their favorite colors. Purchase clothes only in those chosen colors in addition to neutrals, so that they have a true mix-and-match wardrobe. This will not only making getting ready in the morning faster and easier, but it maximizes their wardrobes by giving them more possible outfits.
• Neutral bottoms such as khakis, jeans and black or grey slacks or skirts can be paired with an infinite number of tops. I usually suggest buying twice as many tops as bottoms.
• For younger kids, buy pants with adjustable waistbands. Buy them long and cuff them; as your child grows, let out the waistband bit by bit.
• Purchase clothes made from durable materials that are easy to wash and dry. That way you can buy less and wash the items often.