Hi, it’s Katja from Skimbaco, I’m thrilled to be guest posting about back to school shopping here! I really mean it what I said in the title; I’d buy kids clothes in bulk if I could, and in fact I did for a long time. Skimbaco used to be a children’s clothing boutique, but I closed my store a few years ago. It was great; my kids wore the same clothes for five years in row, people probably thought they didn’t grow at all; what kind of mom would buy her kids the same clothes in three to four different sizes, right? Well, that’s just how I feel about good sales (or buying clothes at wholesale price), I get a little excited and buy for the next year or two too.
If we realistically talk about back to school shopping, it can take a huge dent in your wallet, especially if you have more than one kid (three here!). So here are some of my tips for saving some cash this BTS shopping season and please come on over at my blog where I am actually giving away a $2,000 gift card to H&M so your kiddo (or you, I won’t tell) will get clothes for an entire year!
Yes, I know, you’d rather be at the pool or you are still on your summer vacation with your family and probably rather not to think fall and school right now. But if you want to save money – now is the time to shop. The selections are the best and the prices are good too, plus the stores are not crazy full yet. Summer sales are on, look for capri pants, tees and leggins. For girls look for summer dresses (spaghetti strap or sleeveless) that you can easily layer with solid tee under, and with a cardigan on the top, even maybe leggins under when the weather gets colder.
Another reason to time your shopping trip right: many states offer tax free shopping the first weekend of August, but it varies a bit state by state. In Maryland the tax free shopping is August 14-20. Don’t miss the tax free shopping dates for extra savings!
Many stores are also offering a pre-season sale right now and their prices are lower now than in just a few more weeks when you really need the new stuff for school. Subscribe to your favorite store’s newsletters to get their coupons, or easily use a search engine like Google to find out any coupons your favorite store might be offering right now. If you like Swedish H&M clothing chain as much as I do – here is a 20% off coupon for BTS shopping at H&M.
If you are not a big fan of shopping at the malls, try T.J.Maxx and online shopping. My favorite online shopping destinations are the invitation only sites, and I buy a lot of children’s clothing from Gilt and HauteLook but if you have younger kids Zulily is your place to shop. What are some of your favorite places to score great kids clothes?
Guest post by lifestyle expert Katja Presnal of Skimbaco Lifestyle. Katja is a former children’s boutique owner and owns the Skimbaco brand and blog network. You can also find her writing for LifetimeMoms.com and she has been featured in Redbook, NY Times, Glamour and other publications. You can connect with her on Twitter @katjapresnal
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oooh- I forgot about the tax free shopping window. I need to check to see if I missed it in PA.
Thank you for letting me guest post!!