How to Maximize Your Back to School Clothes Budget

Get more for less! These tips to maximize your back to school clothes budget brought to you in collaboration with JCPenney. #SoWorthIt

One of my favorite memories about starting each new school year as a kid was our family clothes shopping trip with my mom. It’s a tradition I want to share with my girls as well.

Kids seem to grow out of their new clothes almost as soon as you buy them, so I try to find ways to maximize our back to school clothes budget. This way we get plenty, but it’s not a big deal when the kids have moved up to a bigger size.

5 Ways to Maximize Your Back to School Clothes Budget

1. Start with the Basics

Versatile and durable, jeans are a back to school staple. There are lots of flashy options in denim these days, however, if you stick to the basic blue jean, you can be sure your picks will match everything.

Also, jeans are jeans, so no one will notice repeat wears. You don’t need to buy a wardrobe full of pants — a couple pairs of basic jeans can create an infinite number of outfits!

We paired these Arizona jeans with two different tops (also Arizona), and they could match anything else in my daughter’s closet as well:

2. Pick Your Primary Colors

Shopping in the same color family is another way to make matching easier. My daughter is learning to pick her own clothes, and it makes things quicker if she doesn’t have to think to much about it.

3. Keep Shoes Simple

Light shows, sounds, games — you might think I was describing a toy store, but I’m actually referring to some of the kids shoe styles I’ve seen lately! We avoid all of these extras for a few reasons:

1. Lights and sounds on shoes can be distracting in class.
2. All these “bells and whistles” come at a higher price.
3. Simple shoes are easier to match with clothes.

4. Do Your Homework

Before you hit the stores, find out where the sales are! I love shopping at JCPenney because they almost always have something fun going on…and by fun, I mean I get to buy lots of things for way less than I expected!

One of the sales we’re looking forward are JCPenney’s Penney Friday & Saturday Deals. My calendar is marked for Saturday, August 20th — Arizona kid’s jeans are only $13 a pair! 

Psssst! — If you mention that you and your kids play Pokemon Go! and name-drop your favorite character, you’ll snag an extra 15% off your purchase!

This year, JCPenney is partnering with YMCA to help improve the lives of moms and kids across the country.

JCPenney will donate $1 for each pair of Arizona Jeans sold to support the YMCA’s academic achievement programs and help all kids get ready for back to school. Not only will you be saving money, you’ll be supporting an awesome cause!

5. Have Fun!

Back to school shopping shouldn’t be a chore! Especially when you’re saving money and walking away with some awesome finds!

I always let my daughter pick one thing she loves (practical or not) so she’ll be excited to go back to school and full of confidence on her first day. This year she chose an adorable (and so grown-up) Arizona plaid dress. I love how she lights up when she wears it!

Here’s what we got on our back to school shopping trip at JCPenney:

• 3 long sleeve tops for my oldest daughter
• 1 pair of jeans for my oldest daughter
• 1 dress for my oldest daughter
• 1 dress for my toddler
• 2 shirts for my toddler
• 1 pair of leggings for mom
• 3 t-shirts for mom
• 1 dress shirt for mom

Total Cost: $118.94 

I still can’t believe how many items (14) we brought home, while spending just slightly over $100! And that was for the whole family! Another reason I love JCPenney…it really is a one-stop shop for all of us.

If you haven’t been to JCPenney lately, you’ve GOT to get over there! CLICK HERE to see the latest specials and back to school deals at JCPenney.

You might also like:

5 Retro Inspired Fall Girls Trends (That Never Go Out of Style!)

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