School uniforms come with a love/hate relationship for most people. Many districts say that they save parents money, plus there is no more stress over what to wear everyday or that someone else has more fashionable clothing.  While those are all great, buying a line of clothing that is like work attire for children is expensive. Now they have school clothes separate from play clothes! That’s double the clothing (not to mention double the laundry). If you need to get new uniforms on a budget, here are a few ideas on how to save on school uniforms.

5 Ways to Save on School Uniforms

Shop Consignment Sales/Goodwill

We are in the middle of back-to-school consignment season.  You’ll find many uniform racks in almost every sale running in your city.  Many times these will be brand name items (Lands End etc.) for over 50% off the regular price. Go one step further and head to Goodwill.  Our local stores have a large selection of uniform apparel and all start at $2.79 per item!  My girls need uniform pants and a polo shirts to wear with their American Heritage Girls uniforms each year, and this is where we grab them.

Use Coupon Codes & Cash Back

Look at going new with a number of online deals various sites will run during back to school season. You’ll also find deals specifically on uniforms at Old Navy, Target, Walmart and a number of other retailers.

Before shopping online, always look for a coupon code and make sure to go through Rakuten first to earn cash back on your entire purchase.

Attach Your Own Insignia or Patches

Many times school uniforms are just khaki pants with a polo shirt.  If your school requires special insignia, ask if there are local embroidery shops that have the pattern.  Rather than buying from a special school shop that has things already made (and costs a fortune), grab your own apparel and take it to a local shop or do it your self.  To save more, make sure to have all your clothing in the same order.  Many shops offer a discount when it is a the same logo repeated.

Start a Uniform Exchange or Buy/Sell Group

Be a problem solver and start a uniform exchange to help everyone out!  You aren’t the only family needing uniforms, so band together and swap uniforms with others to get the sizes you need.  This is incredibly easy to do, just invite folks to meet at a person’s house or even at the school and have items ready for swap or sale. In our area, there are also Facebook groups for schools where parents can sell uniforms to other parents who need them. This is a great way to get gently used clothes at a fraction of the cost, and if you sell your kids’ uniforms when you’re done with them, you might come close to breaking even!

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