Kids today are really into image and appearance, more so than our generation was. With today’s style, one outfit will set you back nearly $100.00, no matter what region of the country you live in. Clothes from stores like Abercrombie, Aeropostale, American Eagle, popular among middle school and high school aged kids, are not cheap.
Here’s your survival solution. What we have been doing for years is having a “thrift store day.” I know there have been a few reality shows that have featured thrift store finds, but I have been shopping in thrift stores for 35 years, since my grandmother began taking me to thrift stores with her when I was a child.
Now, what we do is visit several stores on our “thrift store days” and I set the budget at 3 or 4 dollars per store for each child. Make it a fun event, kind of like a treasure hunt. You will be amazed at what you can find for cheap, but you have to be patient. Don’t be in a hurry. Let the kids really look through the items. Incorporate some things that you may need as well. I have found estate jewelry, ties, household items, lots of things other than clothes, and that makes it fun for me as well. Let the kids know that once their pre-determined amount is spent, then shopping time is over for them.
Now, make sure that when you buy clothes, they are items that can be laundered in the washing machine. Why? Because as soon as you return home, you want to wash the clothes that you’ve purchased. It makes no sense to buy a shirt for two or three dollars, and then be charged $5.00 for it to be cleaned at the dry cleaners. Economically, it dosen’t fly. Even if the shirt you found is a great bargain, say a Ralph Lauren shirt that retails for $80.00 and you got it for a steal at $3.00, it makes no sense to pay another five bucks to get it cleaned…now you’re at $8.00. I know some of you may say “Yeah so what ..I’ve saved over $50 or $60..” but you have to stay in the parameters of your budget.
These days, the distressed look is “in” and I’ve been in retail stores where a shirt looked like it should have cost a dollar, but it was forty or fifty dollars. Thrift stores are a great way to introduce the kids to budgeting and shopping. You are giving them some degree of independence, they are in a small store, they can take their carts and take their time to find things that match their style within their budget.
Get to know which stores in your area have the best sales where on certain days, many items are 50% off or certain color tags are a fixed low price. We have one store here that on occasion has $1.00 jeans day. On one particular “thrift store day”, one of my sons got four shirts for $8.00 because of a 50% sale…but you really have to take your time and find the best bargains.
You have to start this practice early. Teach the kids how to be practical and lead by example. When our kids were smaller, they would see me go to the thrift stores, come back, wash the clothes and wear them or replace a household item that was on the blink by purchasing one nearly new. So by the time they were old enough to do their own shopping, they were eager and excited. It’s almost like a friendly competition now to see who can find the best items for the cheapest price. Many times the younger two of my sons have been complemented by their friends on their “cool A & F shirts” and we would snicker because we knew that the cost to us was 1/10th of the price they were charging for the same shirts at the mall.
If you apply this tip, you will be amazed at how far you can stretch your money. You will be showing your children how to be frugal, how to stick to a budget and set their priorities. A foundation laid early on will pay off tremendously in the future.
Stay Home Dad Survival Tip # 16 – Three Day Dinner Dilemma
If you are on a budget and you want to make a hearty, healthy meal that can last for a couple of days…here is a suggestion. Go to one of your buying clubs (Sam’s,BJ’s, Costco…etc) and get one of those family packs of ground beef. They usually contain about 7 or 8 lbs or ground beef and buy a 6 lb bag of spaghetti or pasta noodles of another type. Take this package of ground beef and divide it in half, freezing the other half for later.
Cook the half you are going to use in a medium sized pan on top of the stove. Add your seasonings and while the beef is preparing, get the bag of pasta, divide it in half and cook it. Purchase spaghetti sauce that is on sale. You have already added the seasonings in the meat so a heavily seasoned sauce sold at a higher price is not necessary for the flavor.
This is ideal meal for the end of the week. At our house, we have weekly ‘rap sessions’ where each person gets to tell about his week or talk on any subject that is on their mind. This is an informal meal that lends itself easily to this setting.
After the meal is over, put the remainder in a plastic storage bowl. The next day, take the left-over pasta, place it in a casserole dish, sprinkle a generous amount of mozzarella cheese over it and bake it. This is day #2 for the meal. For the vegetable, use steamed broccoli or green beans.
For day #3, get some Italian sausage. They cost on the average of $4.00 for a package. Take the sausages and cut them into small pieces, cook them in a saucepan and add this to the pasta.
Now you’ve gotten 3 days of meals at a total cost of about $20.00. Make enough so that neither you nor the kids are worried about portions and having enough. On busy Saturdays when the kids are sleeping in late or going in and out to play or have their athletic events, the pasta is easily re-warmed on individual plates in the microwave (for those who have them) so the kids don’t have to warm up the entire pot if only one or two servings are needed.
To download my recipe for this dish click here.