Well it’s that time of year again when we have to begrudgingly pack away our shorts and sandals and unpack our woolly jumpers, fur lined boots and cosy coats.
The transition from summer to autumn clothes is thankfully quite simple for me, there is always the odd new thing I like to get to spruce up my wardrobe and make it feel new but apart from some little treats it is a relatively cheap changeover. However the change of season for my kids is another thing all together.
As you probably know from my other posts I have two children, Isaac who is 5 and my 3 year old Malachi. Having two boys is a really handy way to save money as Mali gets the classic ‘hand me down’ treatment, which he thinks is great because his big brother is so cool ( I wonder how long this will last for?!). Also because they are close in age Isaac’s old clothes aren’t too dated so it’s lovely to be able to reuse them – perfect!
Isaac however always needs a full wardrobe of new clothes and this can very easily become an expensive do.
A great way to save money though is to shop in the end of season sales. I know that it might seem a bit crazy to go shopping for clothes that are too big for your children in a season that has just ended, but it seriously is a fab way to save money! For example, having a look through the sale rail at my local supermarket last week, I managed to find a load of trendy clothes at crazy prices, shorts for £4.00, a pair of sandals for £6.00, t-shirts for £2.50 and summer hats for only £1.50!! You can’t realistically ask for better prices than that can you? So to set Isaac up with all the basics he will need will cost me under £30.00 which I think is great. 🙂 Obviously when summer does come back around again I will pick up the odd t-shirt and hat for the pair of them that are too cute to pass by. What mother can’t resist the odd extra treat?
I must admit though that in being an organized person by nature (my hubby laughs at how much Monica from Friends reminds him of me) I find real satisfaction in knowing that I don’t need to rush out to the shops as soon as the weather changes, having no choice but to pay full price for the new season range. Instead I can smugly bring out my pre-bought wardrobe changeover and not have to spend a penny if I don’t want to. 🙂
Shopping out of season really does offer you the opportunity to find some great bargains as long as you don’t mind having to wait a while and store away your newly bought items until the season arrives when you can enjoy the fruits of your shopping labours.
Have you saved money by shopping out of season?
They say the best time to buy Christmas cards is the day after Christmas: I think that as long as you’re not buying perishable goods and as long as you’re guaranteed to use whatever it is you’re buying (and not just because “it’s too good to pass up”), why not think ahead and use your head to save yourself some cash?