My Frugal Shopping Tips for the Summer

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* Updated as of 7.8.2018

With summer here, I thought that I would write a post about how I dress my kids on a budget for the summer. Kids grow fast which means that we are constantly buying them a new wardrobe. I swear my six-year-old grows an inch ever night. We buy him new pants every three months and donate the clothes that we no longer need or give them to our youngest son as handy-me-downs.

I love shopping for me children and over the years have learned a few tricks to keep them looking stylish while on a budget. Each month their clothes and/or shoes budget is $25 each. That's not a lot of money but with my frugal shopping tips I manage to get them 2 to 4 new outfits every month. Here is how I do it.

Kmart, Wal-Mart, and Target:

I am all about getting the best bang for my buck. Stores like Kmart, Wal-Mart, and Target have some great finds for kids. I buy most of my children's clothes from these three stores.

Kmart's Wonder Kids line is amazing! When I was little, Kmart's clothes were not the best quality but since I started shopping there in the last year I have found some really good clothes for both my kids and myself. They often have great deals like "buy 1 get 1 half off" or even "buy 1 get 1 free." The tops are made well, are durable, and come in cute styles for babies, toddlers, and kids. If you are part of their Rewards Program (which I am!), you can use your points to cut your price down at the check out. *If you live in Portland, the Kmart on 122nd and Sandy is closing! So hit up the store and stock up clothes for the kids.*

I stock up on pants, leggings, shorts, and basic T-shirts from Wal-Mart with their Garanmials brand. I buy most of my daughter's leggings and tutu's from here. For $3.88, it's a steal and the shirts are very durable.

Target is my jam! I shop at Target a lot and never leave the store without something cute for my daughter or my son's. I love there Cherokee and Circo brands. I also check Cartwheel for deals and can get up to 20% off if there is a coupon deal as well as an extra 5% off with my Target Red Card.

Local Consignments:

Last August I shared my top five local consignments that I like to buy used clothing from in Portland and Vancouver. You can find the blog post here.  When I go to a consignment store I look for new items with the tags still on. I hardly ever buy used clothing unless it is in great condition. I have a lot of luck mostly with getting attire for my daughter at these shops but occasionally find some good things for my boys. Consignment shopping takes a lot of time and I usually go solo on these shopping trips. I look through every item on the rack and inspect each item that catches my eye.

Discount Stores: Ross, Marshall's, Burlington, and TJ Maxx 

The last stores I like to shop at are discount stores. Ross, Marshalls, Burlington, and TJ Maxx are some of my favorite spots to buy new clothes at a discount. I usually buy jeans and graphic shirts, hoodies, and shoes for the boys at these stores. Last summer for back to school shopping I bought a majority of Amari's school clothes from Ross and Burlington. I saved a lot of money, he still looked stylish, my checkbook was happy, and my husband was happy that I only spent $100 on five outfits and three pairs of shoes.

Subscription Boxes: KidBox and KidPik 

I love subscription boxes like KidBox and KidPik. Lately, I have been ordering a box a season for my daughter. You can read my review of KidBox *here*. KidBox is $98 per box. KidPik is $89 a box but is for girls only.

Where are some of your favorite places to shop for your kids? And if you don't mind sharing, what's your monthly clothes budget for them?