How do you save money on clothes and shoes for your family?
"I feel the same way too!  With two kids, I feel like I am spending what it would cost to run a small country just on clothes, shoes, jackets, replacing everything as it is grown out of! A few things I do:  I shop in affordable places and check out sales, and look for the cutest things I can find there in a reasonable price range.  If you aren't browsing in the $60 baby dresses, you aren't tempted by them.  I don't go looking at $60 shirts for my son, he's five and he doesn't need a $60 shirt.  I also really only shop for him two or three times a year for clothing...back to school and early spring are the big ones.  For fall I got him five pairs of jeans, maybe 8 tops, new socks, etc.  I'll add in a couple of heavier sweatshirts, etc as I go, but I really don't browse for him...it's too easy to find something to buy! I look for inexpensive lines for the things that don't really matter...bright T's for my son for summer that just get dirty and spilled on, sleepers, socks, pj's, etc.  Joe Fresh, Walmart, Old Navy, Costco.  Then I choose a few things that I know I want brand name or more stylish options for, and find ways to buy them more cheaply.  These might be things like logo'd fleece tops, trendy jackets, things where the style is actually noticed.  I buy jeans at Old Navy for my son when they are on sale, I buy Gusti/Genevieve LaPierre snowsuits at Sears when they are 40% off in Sept/Oct.  The Childrens' Place has good quality, stylish clothing for kids and if you watch, they always have deals on their jeans or tops...then I stock up.  And for younger kids, Old Navy and The Children's Place jeans have adjustable waistbands.  I've already unrolled cuffs and let out the waist in my son's back to school jeans. I have friends who are starting to take in bags of too-small clothing to consignment shops...if they come away with $100, it's still $100!   For preteen and teen kids who want certain brands, etc, I think it is very reasonable to say ""we will pay x for each pair of jeans, or x for winter boots.  If you want to throw in some babysitting/birthday money and go buy something more expensive, you are welcome to do so!""  That way, you are still paying for basics, but they can feel like they aren't stuck wearing things they don't like.  Tell them...you can buy 5 tops at $x each for back to school, or 10 tops at $x.   And lastly, and most sadly of all:  buy less..and stop shopping.  There, I said it out loud.  I try to be careful of what I buy, but I still find things I bought that were never worn.  Now I keep a return basket in laundry/mudroom...if I don't love it, if it seems impractical now that I got it home, if I wanted it just in case item #1 didn't work...it goes in the basket.  And I return them.  I suck it up, I take it with me and go get my money back.  Mistakes can be fixed if the items haven't been worn or washed." "I'm all for thrift stores and yard sales. When they're littler they're more into comfort, perhaps insisting on certain colors, but somewhere around 13 they start to become more fashion conscious. If you want name brand clothes for kids, hit yard sales or consignment stores in better neighborhoods. Other places are Ross's or Marshall's. Both carry name brands. It's just you never know what they'll have. Another stategy is to buy fewer clothes. If you do laundry twice a week, you just don't need as much. Aim for mix and match. Also have play clothes for rough and tumble wear and ""good"" clothes for school and church. All these help keep costs down. My sister and I maintained an informal exchange between the cousins. This helped a good deal. A church in our neighborhood has a yearly clothing giveaway. That kind of thing may be an option for you as well. Or you could request needed items on Yahoo's freecycle. I see alot of clothes being given or requested on that site. I had one son who ripped out knees. Double kneed pants were a great investment. It looked like a rather large patch of fusible interfacing attached to the inside knee area. So it might work if you tried that on exisitng pants. Hope these help." I speak as a person without kids, but I'll give this a shot anyway, using my memory of the perspective I had when I was a kid.  My advice is, if the kids are young enough to not care much, don't be afraid of the thrift store.  My parents got a bunch of clothes from the thrift store as I was growing up (around elementary school age) and I didn't care at all.  When I got to be older, (middle school age) shopping at Target and K-mart didn't seem bad either.  By the time the kids are old enough to really care beyond, they are probably old enough to get their own part-time jobs and get their own clothing. I however, am probably naive, as I still care little for such things, and judging from popular culture, most care about them a great deal. "I look ahead for sizes.  I was at the thrift store and saw a good condition, good brand winter coat that will likely fit my daughter next year, so I bought it.  I also bought a snowsuit my baby can wear when he's 6 months (~5 months pregnant now).  When it starts getting cold next fall, I'll be set, rather than wasting time and money running around town trying to find winter gear.  This applies for any regular stores you visit (Costco, thrift stores, kids resale stores, etc): look for clearance/discounted kids clothes in the next few sizes up, even off-season.   This works especially well for basics you need lots of (PJs, socks, etc) and more expensive things where you don't want to be desperate when shopping for them. You're always ""buying low."""
"Keep a notebook. (or spreadsheet, etc. whatever works) Start to track what things cost as few can really commit this all to memory.  You'll start to find the regular sale prices and the timing of them at your supermarkets. I can't even tell you the regular price of chicken breasts, I just know the sale is $1.79-1.99/lb, and I buy enough to freeze to never pay full price.  The non-perishables are easy as you don't have to worry about spoilage. Soap you catch on sale+coupon for less than half price is worth buying to the limit, and putting in a closet.  Ex Dove soap (as the husband, I'm not about to make an issue of a brand preference. This product is good for the mrs skin in winter) - reg price $1.49. CVS had a whacky deal that offered a rebate on Dove purchase of $20, and in the end, I paid $10 for 40 bars of soap. 2 yrs worth, but 1/6 the price.  This type of strategy can raise your spending in the first month or two, but then you find you have the high runners ""in stock"" and as you use products from the pantry or freezer, your spending drops quite a bit. If this concept seems overwhelming, start with the top X items you buy. As stated, the one a year purchases save you far less than the things you buy weekly/monthly." Only select items. First - I agree, beware the Goldfish Factor - any of those items may very well lead to greater consumption, which will impact your waistline worse than your bottom line. And, in this category, chips, and snacks in general, you'll typically get twice the size bag for the same price as supermarket. For a large family, this might work ok. If one is interested in saving on grocery items, the very first step is to get familiar with the unit cost (often cents per ounce) of most items you buy. Warehouse store or not, this knowledge will make you a better buyer.  In general, the papergoods/toiletries are cheaper than at the store but not as cheap as the big sale/coupon cost at the supermarket or pharmacy (CVS/RiteAid). So if you pay attention you may always be stocked up from other sources. All that said, there are many items that easily cover our membership cost (for Costco). The meat, beef tenderloin, $8.99, I can pay up to $18 at the supermarket or butcher. Big shrimp (12 to the lb), $9.50/lb, easily $15 at fish dept. Funny, I buy the carrots JCarter mentioned. They are less than half supermarket price per lb, so I am ahead if we throw out the last 1/4 of the bag. More often than not, it's used up 100%.  Truth is, everyone will have a different experience at these stores. Costco will refund membership up to the very end, so why not try it, and see if the visit is worth it? Last year, I read and wrote a review of a book titled The Paradox of Choice. The book's premise was the diminishing return that come with too many things to choose from. In my review, I observed how a benefit of Costco is the lack of choice, there's one or two brands for most items, not dozens. If you give this a bit of thought, it's actually a benefit. Get to now and grab your top picks rapidly! Items have just begun coming up short on stock. What's more, you won't have any desire to in any case make a miss at your end. On the off chance that it is in this way, at that point with no hesitation, be snappy and punch on purchase choice. Men footwear, ladies footwear, attire, home machines and IPHONE 7 SALE are largely accessible online at a reasonable range. Shopallitem.com is one of such online focuses where you can locate the best of items at a decent cost. The best way to stop wasting food is to create a weekly plan. Every weekend, before making your grocery shopping, take 30-60 mins and plan (with your spouse if your married) for the next week's meals. It doesn't need to be too detailed, but it'll help you to approximate what you need in terms of food for the whole week and buy accordingly. I have a similar problem where I need to go out often and also work a lot. But spending some time on the weekend to create a plan helps me minimize my wastage a lot. My inspiration to do this has been from the below 2 articles from Trent in SimpleDollar http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/10/16/how-to-plan-ahead-for-next-weeks-meals-and-save-significant-money-a-step-by-step-guide/ http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/09/15/the-one-hour-project-plan-your-meals-for-one-week-in-advance/ I think that one change you can make which can make a significant impact to your cash flow is not eating out, if you tend to do so a lot.  My family used to eat out at least once a week, and we've cut it out entirely, saving about $200 a month. here is what I have learned with multiple close encounters with bankruptcies: ask yourself.. what if I save vs what if I spend? say you like a new shirt.. ask yourself what can you do saving $40 vs rewarding yourself/your well wishers right away? you will end up spending. just like you the other person needs money. he/she is doing a work. ask yourself what if you are in his/her situation. you would obviously want others to be happy. so spend. I think these two should be good. I must add that you should NOT be wasteful. Eg.. buying a handmade shoes vs corporation made shoes? choose handmade one because it fits above two. buying a corporate one would be more polluting and less rewarding because you just gave your money to someone who already has lots and cares least about you. in what way are you saying mortgage is good? I see that as a waste. you can pay back your mortgage only when someone takes even bigger mortgage (check with some maths before refuting)... in other words you have taken part in ponzi scheme.! I would suggest making a house vs buying one is better spending. finally spending is a best saving.. don't forget that you are getting money only because someone is spending wisely. stop feeding your money to corporates and interests and everyone will have plenty to spend. Shopping is easy, I don't want to buy it, carry it around, store it in my home or wear it.  It is just an opinion about whatever the shopping is for. When I don't want to spend the money on dining out, I just say I am broke and I will catch up next time.  Since they are my friends they understand and don't get too upset.  (like msemack says, if they get upset about it I don't think I would really care to spend time with them anyway) While I am a big fan or eating at home and being cheap, I also recognize that my desire to spend money and have fun can't be suppressed for too long:  make a budget item for having fun and spend some of your money on a good time with your friends and family. Make a date night with your spouse or friends and control when and where you go so your can control your budget. "I've seen various blog posts (mostly from Penelope Trunk) refer to ""optimizers"" versus ""settlers.""  The optimizers are the go-getters, the ones always on the move, trying to optimize their time, their life, their experience, etc.  They tend to be younger, on average, live in bigger cities, and on the whole, tend to be less happy.  The settlers are the ones who settle for what is, live in smaller cities, and tend to be happier, albeit ""less interesting"". Assuming that your idea of ""slowing down"" refers to moving away from that maximizer lifestyle, yes, I think you'll probably save money.  Apparently it costs money to be unhappy!  Going out for meals everyday, going out with friends every evening, shopping for the latest and greatest whatever, buying the newest gizmo, trading up your car every 3 years, traveling every other weekend to far-off places, making your life ""interesting"" - these all cost, and far more than their opposites. Take time to be happy with what you have - enjoy your comfortable and broken-in shoes, enjoy your paid-off car, enjoy some quiet alone time with a good (library) book, appreciate the delicate tastes of a homecooked meal over the in-your-face greasebomb of restaurant food, take a walk, shut off the latest Apple iDevice, and just be.  You'll save money, find calm, and feel refreshed. *Apologies for waxing philosophical - though the connotations of ""slowing down"" sort of insist on it :)." "As THEAO suggested, tracking spending is a great start.  But how about this -  Figure out the payment needed to get to zero debt in a reasonable time, 24 months, perhaps. If that's more than 15% of your income, maybe stretch a tiny bit to 30 months. If it's much less, send 15% to debt until it's paid, then flip the money to savings.  From what's left, first budget the ""needs,"" rent, utilities, etc. Whatever you spend on food, try to cut back 10%.  There is no budget for entertainment or clothes. The whole point is one must either live beneath their means, or increase their income. You've seen what can happen when the debt snowballs.  In reality, with no debt to service and the savings growing, you'll find a way to prioritize spending. Some months you'll have to choose, dinner out, or a show. I agree with Keith's food bill, $300-$400/mo for 3 of us. Months with a holiday and large guest list throws that off, of course." "In the end, this is really not a finance question. It's about changing one's habits. (One step removed, however, since you are helping a friend and not seeking advice for yourself).  I've learned a simple cause & effect question - Does someone who wants (goal here) do (this current bad habit)? For example, someone with weight to lose is about to grab the chips to sit and watch TV. They should quickly ask themselves ""Does a healthy, energetic person sit in front of the TV eating chips?""  The friend needs to make a connection between the expense he'd like to save up for and his current actions. There's a conscious decision in making the takeout purchase, he'd rather spend the money on that meal than to save .5% (or whatever percent) of the trip's cost.   If he is clueless in the kitchen, that opens another discussion, one in which I'd remark that on the short list of things parents should teach their kids, cooking is up there. My wife is clueless in the kitchen, I taught our daughter how to be comfortable enough to make her own meals when she wants or when she's off on her own. If this is truly your friend's issue, you might need to be a cooking spirit guide to be successful." Well, I was actually just looking at my own 10-yr old. She does dance/ballet all year round and golf/tennis in the summer. Just the shoes, costumes, clubs, etc. run to about 1k. One dance lesson per week is about 1K/year (she does three). And summer golf/tennis lessons plus memberships about 1K.  soccer and baseball are cheaper. but hockey is significantly more expensive - and you have to travel a lot all year round. "For the most part, saving money usually depends upon having a budget and being able to stick to it. The toughest part of budgeting is usually setting it up (how much do I need for X) and sticking to it each month. In regards to sticking to it, there is software that you can use that helps figure out how much you are spending and how much you have left in a given category and they all pretty much do the same thing: track your spending and how much you have left in the category. If you are good with spreadsheets you might prefer that route (cost: free) but software that you can buy usually has value in that it can also generate reports that help you spot trends that you might not see in the spreadsheet. Sticking to a budget can be tough and a lot of what people have said already is good advice, but one thing that helps for me is having ""play money"" that can be used for whatever I want. In general this should be a fairly nominal amount ($20 or $40 a week) but it is enough that if you see a new book you want or what to go out for lunch one day you can do it without impacting the overall budget in some way. Likewise, having bigger savings goals can also be useful in that if times get tough it is easier to stop putting $100 a month to the side for a vacation than it is to cut back your grocery budget." We started with our son about age 5 or so.  He was at the time old enough to understand that you buy stuff using money.   We don't give allowance, rather we made up a job chart that he can put checks on, and give him a small amount for each job that he does.  This is meant to enforce the idea of 'work and get paid, don't work don't get paid', and associate the concept of work and money.   We also try to teach him the concept of giving, spending and saving, by having envelopes with those words on them and dividing the 'commission' money between them.   The give money is used for a charitable organization.  The save money is used in a couple of ways - either to save for a large item that he wants, or to put into a savings account.  The spend it money he is free to buy whatever he wants with.   We got this plan from the Dave Ramsey Show, and it has been really good so far.  The best thing about it is that when we are at the store and he sees something he wants, we can ask 'did you bring your money?'  This keeps the begging down to a minimum and also helps us teach him to make a list of stuff he wants and can save for. "There's no easy solution to this. Unfortunately I think you need a different approach, as you say, using software to track expenses to visualise the percentages and such hasn't helped and in my own experience this sort of money management does not work with all people. Maybe you need to look at the expenses and decide what you can cut out. Somehow we all need to make a distinction between what we need (milk, bread) and what we don't need (magazines, dvds) but still purchase every now and then. Sadly buying things for the second category quickly builds up a bill just as big as the one for the weekly shop only that it contains nothing of actual value and it just seems too easy for some to spend and equal amount of money on ""wants"" as on ""needs"" and if a substantial amount of your outgoings are in this category that's where you need to focus the discussion. If you can't find any purchases like that I suspect you need to buy less expensive food." I have odd feet in that 80% of the shoes that are my size, don't fit unless I try them on. I can't and won't buy shoes online. Some things just do not work online. Clothing is also one of those things.