Save 50 to 90% on back-to-school clothes at thrift stores
Saving with back-to-school thrifting
The cost of buying your kids back-to-school clothes can add up fast. The National Retail Federation says families will spend an average of $425 per child this year. One way to knock that down is through thrifting. FOX 26 Consumer Reporter Heather Sullivan has tips on how to pull thrifted looks together.
HOUSTON - The cost of buying your kids back-to-school clothes can add up fast. The National Retail Federation says families will spend an average of $425 dollars per child on clothes and shoes this year.
One way to knock that cost down is through thrifting.
Whether your kiddo is heading to kindergarten or to college, thrift stores carry a variety of new and donated jeans, clothes, uniforms, shoes, and backpacks. And they get new items daily.
We asked Goodwill to show us how to pull some outfits together for just a few dollars.
You can find just about anything your child needs in back-to-school clothes in thrift stores for 50% to 90% less than what you'd pay in a department store. Just ask mom Deanna Molina.
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"Miss Me jeans are $120. I got them for $20. So there’s a lot of cost efficiency price-wise," said Molina.
We asked the folks at Goodwill to coordinate some trendy outfits for a fraction of the price.
For their first look, 7-year-old Anna was wearing a cute t-shirt with jeans that were $2 each. Emma, 18, who's heading to college, was sporting a blouse for $6, her jeans were $7.
"At a regular department store, you could spend $75, $100 a shirt, $50 a shirt. Here at Goodwill Houston, we have awesome prices, and you can get them for less than half of the price at a department store. And name brands all the time," said Barbie Parker, Goodwill's Vice President of Fund Development and Community Relations.
Molina says thrift shopping helps cut costs because kids outgrow their clothes so fast.
"Teenagers, they want to have all that name-brand stuff from the mall. But you can really find those things at Goodwill as well," she said.
For our second Goodwill look, Anna was wearing a cardigan and dress that were $5 each. Emma had a rust-colored dress for $8, and her long-sleeve top was $6.
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Thrifting also helps to keep clothes out of landfills, and it helps the community, too.
"At Goodwill Houston, we provide free education and job opportunities to people with a barrier to employment," said Parker.
For their third look, Anna wore a blouse priced at $2 with a jumper that was just $5. Emma's Zebra striped top and white cropped pants were a total of $12.
Thrifting can not only help families save money, but it can also help teach kids about being financially, environmentally, and socially conscious.
You can also make room in your child's closet by donating clothes that don't fit anymore.
Goodwill often has many other back-to-school items kids need, too. Goodwill Computer Works sells refurbished laptops and computers for a fraction of the cost.
They also often have lamps, bedding, and decor for setting up a dorm room. You can find backpacks, lunch boxes, jackets, educational books, and games, and sometimes musical instruments.
Goodwill has 53 store locations in the greater Houston area.