5 tips for back-to-school clothing shopping on a budget

BOSSIER CITY, La. (KSLA) - Parents, the dreaded time of year is here, the time of year where you’re perpetually broke because you’ve spent all your money on back-to-school shopping, especially uniforms!

Experts estimate the cost of back-to-school spending for this year to be over $800.

“Between school fees, uniforms for the year, two pairs of shoes, backpacks that will actually last, plus supplies, we spend about $1,000 a kid,” said parent, Meredith Reyes.

It goes without saying that all the parents out there would love to save some money. Here are a few ways you can snag some back-to-school clothing deals:

Buy the minimum. Does your child really need 15 uniform shirts and 12 pairs of pants? Probably not. Get the basics. Start with 5 to 8 shirts and 2 to 5 pairs of shorts/pants. These you can replace as needed after typical wear and tear, or a growth spurt.
Find cheaper stores. Your young kiddo shouldn’t care if their pants aren’t Gucci. Old Navy, Sears, Kohl’s, Target, and Walmart all have some staples you can scoop up for a deal. Bargain=better.
Wait for sales. It’s 10 million degrees outside right now, so your child can probably live without the back-to-school jacket for the time being.
Scroll through Facebook Marketplace and see who might be getting rid of their child’s used uniforms. Oftentimes, they’ll still be in good condition at a fraction of the price.
Be thrifty. Hit up consignment stores. You will be so amazed at the deals you’ll nab, and how next-to-new the clothes can be.

KSLA visited a thrift store in Bossier City, Kid to Kid, to see if they had any tips on how to save for the back-to-school season.

“When you come in here, clothes range from a basic t-shirt is a $1.99, as opposed to the retail price would be like $12. There’s no sense in spending $12 for your 5-year-old kid when they’re gonna’ be in a size 6 in a week. So if you come here, you can get 12 of those $1.99 shirts ranging in different sizes that they can just grow up in, instead of going and buying one $12 shirt that they’re gonna’ grow out of next week,” employee, Hailee Rivers, said.

The moral of the story is don’t be afraid to be frugal and hunt for the best deal.