it’s that time of year. nope. not valentine’s day. no. not president’s day. no, not spring either. i wish. its supposed to snow here. done guessing? here’s a hint. it’s probably not already on your calendar. but it should be.

it’s the time of year to save money. go ahead and get out your calendar. mark it for september and february and just write “time to save money.”

i am not an expert on saving money, but like you i’m sure, i have a few tricks up my sleeve and some are worth sharing. as a stay-at-home-mom, i’ve found some creative ways to “make money” since losing my full-time paycheck to the love bank. this money may not come via direct deposit but it does count as savings that stays in the bank.

here’s the secret. if you’re anything like my former self, a new season comes around and you are scrambling to buy appropriate clothes for your children {and maybe even yourself}. the full-length leggings are now capris, the shoes are crunching toes, the t-shirts are no longer weather appropriate. when a new season hits, those new season clothes are not on sale. they are brand-spanking-new-full-price clothes and all of a sudden you’re spending more on your one-year-old’s jeans than your own.

i’ve been there. i used to spend way too much money on wardrobes when new sizes or new seasons arrived. i posted about shopping ahead for summer clothes last fall. the thought of hitting the clearance racks to buy for the next season used to be entirely too overwhelming. i wasn’t prepared. that’s the thing. once you’re prepared, the rest is easy. here’s how you can make it easy, and whether you have children or not, everyone can benefit from planning ahead to save money.

the first step is storage. i never bought clothes ahead of time before because i didn’t know where to put them. when we lived in our townhouse, storage was always an issue. i knew we were eventually moving so i waited it out. but i could have been more creative. if there is no move in sight, and you’re short on storage, there are solutions out there.

under the bed, above the cars in the garage, storage tubs in all shapes and sizes, closets cleaned out and rearranged {it’s amazing the space you can find when you clean out}, guest room closets, spring loaded shower rods in out of the way places, your parents’ basement {i know, you swore you’d never go back there}. take the time to brainstorm the right solution for your family.

for us, storage took shape in the form of shelves and bins in our basement. i will admit, these big bins are not the wisest use of space, but they work for us and that is the first step. pick a system and don’t waste a lot of time rethinking it. it might be an investment at first but it will be worth it. i have storage for the next two sizes for both of my kiddos so when i buy, those are the sizes i browse.

you will need to know what size your children will be for the following season {and they might even span two sizes}. remember a season lasts a few months. i usually calculate how old my kids will be at the end of the season and buy things in that size. i err on the side of big because i can always throw items in the drier or they can wear them big at the start.

let go of the fact that everything will and has to fit next year. i know that gives many of my friends anxiety – guessing next year’s size. once in awhile, i strike out on a couple things. but if i’ve spent less than $5, i don’t care if a few don’t work. it’s ok if the shoes don’t end up fitting. i put them away for the next kiddo, give them as a gift, donate them, or pass them on to a friend.

the next step is timing. i have found that if you want to buy clothes for the following summer, you should start shopping in september, at end of summer and labor day sales. if you are in need of clothes for the following winter, the best time to shop is in february, at end of winter and president’s day sales.

coupons. that’s next. i have an email account dedicated entirely to coupons. if i am not going shopping, i don’t look at it. that way i avoid the lure of the daily deal {which results in me spending more money}. sign up to receive coupons for your favorite stores and sign up to get them in the mail as well. if it is time to go shopping and you don’t have a coupon, google “________ printable coupons” and see what pops up on your phone.

i have used the most random-look-like-someone-made-them-on-their-computer-coupons and they have worked. i did it at victoria secret last weekend for myself. free lipgloss. no shame. if there is a survey at the end of your receipt to save 10% off your next purchase, do it. it adds up.

this might be most important. set a price limit. mine is $5. i go into a shopping trip with a goal to spend no more than $5 on each article of clothing. this week i went to an after hours sale where i knew clearance would be marked down another 50%. i called ahead to make sure i understood the sale. no sense wasting time. because we shop there often, i have a general sense of the way the store typically prices clearance. i knew i would be looking for tags $11.99 or less. because of the way that store does their pricing, this would get me the closest to $5 an article {or less}.

do i make exceptions? yes, but very few. it’s hard. i have to put things back. things that are really cute. but the goal is saving money and it’s possible to do that AND get cute clothes. the exceptions i make are usually for shoes or boys pants. if i can get boys pants under $10 i consider it a win. the same goes for shoes. i also make exceptions for winter coats and holiday outfits. christmas dress for $7? yes please.

remember, you can always return. if you have a coupon but aren’t exactly sure if the clothing will fit your child next year, buy it. go home, have your kiddos try it on to make sure it is big now. if it’s not, return it. this is especially helpful when buying online. most stores will let you buy online and return in store. if there is free shipping over a certain amount, spend that amount with the intent to return. get things in more than one size if you’re unsure. i returned a whole box of clothing to old navy last week because i bought pants that were longer than i had guessed.

i started my shopping for next fall/winter’s clothes a couple weeks ago. i had the best luck at old navy {above}, both online and in store. in store, i brought a 10% off coupon i got for completing a survey after my last purchase and i only shopped the clearance rack. i also tried out the gymboree after hours sale {mentioned above}, which i’ve never done before. i didn’t find as much there but that had more to do with sizing and the crowd. i still need to check out target, crazy 8, gap, and i randomly discovered i sometimes have luck at jc penny. i am sure there are dozens of other stores where i could save, but there is only so much time.

you got this. make a plan. maybe this season you focus your energy on a storage solution so at the end of summer sales, you are ready. maybe you have your storage, coupons, and sizing ready and you just needed a little whisper that february is the time! trust me, when the next season hits and all you have to do is go to your storage for that new wardrobe, you will be doing a happy dance.

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