Frugal Family: Back-to-School Clothes

While the temperatures outside might suggest otherwise, the fall back-to-school shopping season is already in full swing. With a little planning, your kids can look great for the new school year without breaking the bank.

Before you step into any store, consider the following:

• Try on last years' items first.  Plan a day to try on what your kids already have. They grow fast, but you may find that staples like jeans, jackets and shoes still fit and you won’t double up.

• If you do have items that still fit, put off any major shopping until October. Prices are at their highest in August and September, with big sales to follow shortly thereafter.

• Make an outfit list. If you go into a store without a plan you wind up overbuying. Separate the list into school, play and occasion outfits and the number of items you need for each.

• Remember that trends don’t last long. The latest trends are hard to resist, but they will fade — fast! Consider buying more class staple items and using less expensive and trendier accessories for flair.

• Teens will always want name brands. Consider getting more costly, name brand items only on the everyday items. Buy cheap T-shirts, but use your splurge item on sneakers, a backpack or boots that can be wore everyday. Kids will feel cool and you can feel good knowing they get a lot of use out of the most expensive items.

• Shop in high-end off price retailers for name brand items. Before hitting any store, check out places like Nordstrom Rack and Sacks Off Fifth in Roosevelt Field. They often have the name brands that kids are looking for at a fraction of the price.

• Never leave home before doing an online coupon search. With retailers doing all they can to get shoppers in the door, all are offering printable coupons for big savings.