The first-day of school outfit is a big deal, and so is shopping for the rest of the back-to-school wardrobe. According to the National Retail Federation's latest survey, families will spend almost $10 billion for school clothing for kids attending kindergarten through 12th grade.
With the expenses so high, parents often try to find ways to get clothes for less. They also need to be smart about what they buy. It's easy to spend too much money on clothing that kids quickly outgrow.
"Many parents are taking advantage of shopping early, scouring ads and websites for the best deals, and taking advantage of free shipping with online purchases," says Pam Goodfellow of Prosper Insights and Analytics, which conducted the survey for the National Retail Foundation.
Smart Shopping Tips
The end of August and going into September are a great time to get deals on back-to-school summer clothing, and kids still have plenty of time to wear warmer-weather clothes. Besides that, basics such as T-shirts work all year round.
To make your back-to-school-shopping budget go as far as possible, use these strategies:
Shop end-of-summer clearance sales to save on basics like T-shirts and cargo shorts. These are the items kids will be wearing for weeks, and they're all typically cheaper now than they've been all season as retailers try to clean out and make room for fall items.
To get the best deals, visit stores such as Kohl's, where you can get up to 30 percent more in savings if you have the store card and use a coupon.
Another great store to visit is Old Navy. You can earn cash back by shopping at Old Navy and its siblings Banana Republic and Gap. For every dollar you spend in stores or online, you earn five reward points. Rack up 1,000 points and earn $10 to spend later.
Finally, Target has racks of sale and clearance items, especially at the end of the season. If you use your Target Red card, you can save an additional 5 percent on everything you buy.
Sign up for sales alerts. Retailers are eager to share their back-to-school sales and promotions—and capture your email address. To get the discounts, sign up with your email address and you'll often get additional savings on your first purchase.
For example, if you sign up for special offers at Children's Place, you'll get $10 off the next time you shop. If you sign up for email alerts at Lands End you'll get 40 percent off a single item plus free shipping on purchases of $50 or more.
Shop around for uniforms. Many national retailers offer kids' school uniforms at competitive prices. Take advantage of special deals, such as polo shirts that can you pick up for as little as $5 at Target, Old Navy, and Children's Place.
Browse unexpected places. Sometimes you can really save on back-to-school clothing at places you might not ordinarily think of. For example, a $230 Patagonia puffer jacket sold at a surf shop last weekend for $89. Consider looking for such deals at sporting goods shops as well as military surplus stores.
Another idea: Look for deals at drugstores where you might find staples such as socks, underwear, and T-shirts. While everyday prices likely won't beat discount retailers', they can be a good way to use reward dollars, such as CVS Extra Bucks, to essentially snap them up without shelling out any money.
Consider buying secondhand. With great new options online—sites such as ThredUp.com and plenty of online tag sale sites (such as Westchester Tag Sale on Facebook)—shopping pre-owned is a great way to save money. You can get brands you otherwise might not be able to afford, and many of the offerings are new, with the tags still on. Another option is to shop at eBay, which still offers plenty of pre-owned items as well as new products.