My oldest two daughters will be headed to kindergarten and preschool in just a few weeks and I’m gearing up to buy new clothes. It’s no small expenditure even for little ones, so here are my tips for making the most of your back-to-school dollars.

1) Choose Quality over Cost: I’ve bought new school clothes at Target and at Gymboree. Sure, the clothes at Gymboree were a little more expensive, but they lasted two to three times longer than those I bought at Target. The colors stayed brighter and the overall quality of the Gymboree shirts and skirts kept them looking new.

2) Keep an Eye Out for Coupons: The current issue of Parenting magazine has a 20% off at Gymboree coupon inside. You can also find a 15% off coupon for The Children’s Place at RetailMeNot.com. Be sure to sign up on your favorite store’s web sites to get coupons in your mail and email. I just got a 20% off coupon for The Children’s Place in my mailbox over the weekend.

3) Stick it to Stains: While I don’t love to do laundry, I take it on as my household chore. My husband is content to throw lights and darks together with no regard to pre-treating stains, so if I want to keep my kids’ clothes looking newer longer I handle the wash each week. I also use a laundry stain remover like Shout or Zout.

Through October 31 you can get a full rebate on any Zout purchase. There was also a $.55/1 coupon in the 8/10 SS insert. I was able to find Zout at Target.

Do you have any tips for saving money on back-to-school clothes?

My oldest two daughters will be headed to kindergarten and preschool in just a few weeks and I’m gearing up to buy new clothes. It’s no small expenditure even for little ones, so here are my tips for making the most of your back-to-school dollars.

1) Choose Quality over Cost: I’ve bought new school clothes at Target and at Gymboree. Sure, the clothes at Gymboree were a little more expensive, but they lasted two to three times longer than those I bought at Target. The colors stayed brighter and the overall quality of the Gymboree shirts and skirts kept them looking new.

2) Keep an Eye Out for Coupons: The current issue of Parenting magazine has a 20% off at Gymboree coupon inside. You can also find a 15% off coupon for The Children’s Place at RetailMeNot.com. Be sure to sign up on your favorite store’s web sites to get coupons in your mail and email. I just got a 20% off coupon for The Children’s Place in my mailbox over the weekend.

3) Stick it to Stains: While I don’t love to do laundry, I take it on as my household chore. My husband is content to throw lights and darks together with no regard to pre-treating stains, so if I want to keep my kids’ clothes looking newer longer I handle the wash each week. I also use a laundry stain remover like Shout or Zout.

Through October 31 you can get a full rebate on any Zout purchase. There was also a $.55/1 coupon in the 8/10 SS insert. I was able to find Zout at Target.

Do you have any tips for saving money on back-to-school clothes?