Some people may have it in their mind that kids in big families wear dirty disheveled clothes. Kind of like the Herdman siblings in the Best Christmas Pageant ever, but that is not always the case. While there may be a kid here or there that gets away with wearing the same clothes two days in a row, typically clean clothes are the norm. Today I want to discuss Big Family Logistics on how we go about clothing our family of 8 without spending a small fortune.
Create a List of Clothing Needs for Each Child
When the seasons change is usually the time, we go about seeing what clothes our kids need. During the Spring/Summer OR Fall/ Winter seasons we figure out what everyone needs. See what items we may already have on hand. Then from there create a list of what clothing needs to be purchased.
First, we make a list for each child and write out what we want them to have for coming season. This list looks the same for four of our boys and slightly different for our baby and Olivia. Over the years we have gone with the capsule wardrobe for our kids. This helps cut down on excess and loads of laundry. This may look like… Olivia 5 shirts and shorts, 5 pairs of pjs, 2 play dress, swimsuit, etc.
Sort Through the Boys’ Hand-me-downs
Since we have no hand-me-downs for Olivia, she usually needs a whole new wardrobe season to season as she grows so much. For the boys we keep and pack away nicer clothing season to season. Then we sort through those hand-me-downs and see what we already have on hand for the next few boys in line. Once we have our lists of what we want the boys to have for the coming season, I will check our hand-me-downs rubbermaids to see if we have any of the items on the list of clothing needs.
For example, if Asher is going to need 5 shirts and shorts, 5 pairs of pjs, a pair of jeans and nicer dress shirt, then I will select the 4T/5T Rubbermaid. Pull out what we have in his size and see if there is anything in there we have listed that he will need. Typically, we can come away with a few pairs of PJs, some shorts, a few t-shirts, and some denim. Underwear and socks are something we ALWAYS buy new if the boys have outgrown their older pairs.
Create a List of Clothing to Purchase for Each Child
After we have gone through the boys’ hand-me-downs. Crossed off items from the list of needs we found we already have for the coming season. Then we make a list of what we will have to purchase from the store. Olivia and Wyatt always have the longest lists since they are my oldest. Most often the younger boys may need 2 to 3 items and a new pair of shoes. Other than that, their lists of clothing to purchase are pretty short. We also set a budget of $100 per child, ($600 total). However, as the younger boys don’t need as much clothing, we never spend that full amount.
Where to Shop for Clothing
Here are the numerous ways we are able to stretch a dollar and dress all our kids in nicer clothing.
Thrift Stores
I am always checking out the kid’s clothing sections when I go thrifting to see if I find anything a kid may need in the coming months. Sometimes I may find a few like new pieces. Other times the clothing is very worn and not something I want to have my kid wear. It always pays to quickly browse through as I never know if I may find something.
Consignment Sales
I enjoy shopping at Consignment Sales because this not only saves us money on clothes, but other items such as toys, books, and larger items as well. Think Cozy Coupe Cars, Strollers, Play Kitchens, etc. Usually, I am able to find a few clothing items for the boys that are in great condition and reasonably priced. We may also come across books or gently used toys the kids have asked for. These items we may save back if a Birthday or Christmas is coming up. Where we live there are typically 2- 3 Consignment Sales in the Spring, and then again in the Fall. I never go to them all, but Sam and I may check out one or two per season if time allows.
Retail Stores
Target is where we usually end up buying the kids their clothes because we love the Cat and Jack brand. And if I am lucky, I can get the boys matching shirts or PJs at a reasonable price. Yes, I am THAT Mom that finds it fun to dress my boys alike at times. 🙂 Also, when they run sales or offer cartwheel deals this helps save us even more.
We also take advantage of Sam’s employee discount as he has worked for numerous retail clothing companies over the years. The times you see our kids in nicer clothing (think matching Wrangler overalls for the older 4 boys) it is because we were able to purchase clothing like this anywhere from 40% to 60% off at his place of work.
Clothing from Grandparents
While we NEVER ask for help from Grandparents I would be lying if I didn’t include them on explaining how we go about clothing our kids. IF they ask to buy clothing for the kids’ we make some suggestions on how they can help. For this we usually have them purchase one or two pairs of pjs. Or maybe a pair of sandals for each kid. We always make sure to give them a list, so they don’t go overboard, and purchase more than is needed. When this has happened in the past, we usually pack up any extra clothes that we like but are not currently needed and plan to use it with the next boy in line. If it is something we or the kids don’t like we donate it to the Local Thrift Store.
What about Clothing for Dad and Mom?
Just like the kids, Sam and I have a pretty basic wardrobe season to season. Over the years we have honed in on our personal styles so we are no longer caught up in whatever is trendy at the time. The boring answer to this question is we buy clothes for ourselves as needed. If there is ever a basic piece of clothing we need then we just buy it new. Like we do when shopping for the kids we also check Thrift Stores and use Sam’s employee discount to save money on our clothing. Since neither one of us is going to go through a growth spurt anymore and we will get a few years wear out of what we will buy.
If I am going through a pregnancy, I may buy a new pair of maternity jeans, shorts or a few shirts if needed, but I am mostly able to save clothes pregnancy to pregnancy. I am even lucky enough to wear my nonmaternity clothing until the beginning of third trimester.
I hope you are enjoying this Big Family Logistics Series. Next Wednesday we will be discussing School Time and what Homeschooling looks like in our family. See you then!
Leave a Reply