• Go through closets and drawers to find out what the kids have outgrown.
• Make a give-away pile and arrange to donate it to your favorite charity. There are a lot of needy people who can really use your discards!
• Take a look at what is left. Make a list of what clothing items you need to buy to get the kids through fall and possibly winter.
• Buying separates that coordinate with each other and that can be layered, will allow many different looks and help clothing last into the winter months.
• Don't forget underwear, socks, sleepwear, shoes and accessories.
• Also backpacks, lunchboxes, school supplies, and sports supplies

• Start looking for best back-to-school deals, sales and coupons for your favorite stores online.
• Have the kids look through current catalogs, magazines and mailers so they have an idea what kinds of clothes they want. Then you can shop around to find the best price on comparable items.
• Shopping early helps you avoid the stress of waiting until the last minute and gives you a better chance of finding the right size, color, style or item before everything is gone.
• Some stores already have their back-to-school inventory out, while many wait until August. You can find some of the best deals in late August, just before school starts, but you run the risk of the item(s) you wanted being sold out.
• Buying a few things each week or month helps spread out the cost. However, you will save on shipping costs by ordering more at one time and looking for free shipping deals.
• Even if you prefer to go into a store to buy clothing or school supplies, save time and money by researching online before visiting the stores. Many online deals and coupons. will be honored in the store. You may also find that a store doesn't have the size or color you want, but the online store does.

Go to your favorite online store. You can search for them here:


You will usually pay more for quality, but it will last longer through many washes without shrinking, fading or falling apart. It may be worth it if you are tired of wasting money on something they can't wear more than once. The best advice is to buy the highest quality you can afford.

PS. If you are in the Portland area, check out USA School Supplies

Happy back to school shopping.