Monday Q&A | Clothing for boys + food waste for small families
Every Monday, I answer a few of the questions that my readers send me. If you have a question you'd like me to answer in a future Q&A post, just leave me a comment here or email me (thefrugalgirl [at] gmail [dot] com) and put Q&A in the subject line. I look forward to hearing from you!
I am new at frugal living and I am trying to cut down on our clothing budget for my growing boys (4 and 2). I mostly buy clothes for my oldest boy, as he outgrows the last size. Have you been able to find good boys' clothes at the thrift stores? It seems that at several consignment and thrift stores, the boys' clothes are not in very good shape. I think boys are harder on clothing than girls are! Also, do you think it is worth getting better quality clothes if they will last longer and be able to be handed down to other children in the family? Can this be done frugally?
-Christy
I've noticed the same thing about the difficulty of finding second-hand boys' clothes. I think part of the problem is that overall, boys do tend to be pretty hard on their clothes, but I also think it's because we parents tend to overbuy girl clothes more than we overbuy boy clothes (girl clothes are so much fun, after all!).
My theory is that this excess means that girl clothes don't get worn as much (there are so many, they can only be cycled through so many times before they're outgrown), so they're usually in better shape by the time they get donated. Plus, there are more of them to be donated, which gives us a better selection.
Anyway! The fact of the matter is that boy clothes are just harder to find second-hand. So, here are my suggestions:
- Say yes to any hand-me-down offers you get, and put the word out that you're looking for hand-me-downs. Even if some of them aren't in fabulous shape, you can keep them around for times when your boys are going to get extremely dirty. 😉
- Buy items that can be mixed and matched easily (I'm a huge fan of neutral pants, like jeans or black sweatpants) so that you can make multiple outfits from a few shirts and a few pairs of pants.
- Don't overbuy. If you do laundry regularly, you can function with a pretty limited wardrobe.
- Shop clearances off-season. In January/February, buy winter clothes for the coming fall. In July/August, buy clearanced summer items for next summer. Occasionally you may guess a size wrong, but overall, I think you'll find that you come out money ahead. I've found excellent clearance deals for Joshua at Kohls, Old Navy, and Children's Place.
As far as quality items go, I'm really not sure what to advise. It seems like boys wear holes in the knees of cheap jeans just as soon as they wear holes in the knees of more expensive jeans, so paying more for an item doesn't always save you money in the long run.
Any tips on not wasting food when only cooking for a small family? I feel like I do follow most of your suggestions about not wasting food, but I inevitably waste quite a bit only feeding 3 people. I think this happens because I buy in bulk from Costco, but still, it seems cheaper than buying elswhere. Our local grocery stores (Giant and Safeway) often seem overpriced. I'm guessing one place that could save me money is ALDI, but I *have* to use Costco because we buy the supplies for our church, and going to one more store each week seems burdensome at this stage.
Anyway, one thing I have thought would be a big help is some guidelines about what things can be frozen and what can't!
-Rebecca
I have definitely found that Aldi's prices meet or beat most of Costco's food prices. However, at Costco you can more easily get brand name foods, so if you're very brand-loyal, Aldi may not be helpful to you.
I definitely understand not wanting to add more stores to your shopping routine (I started shopping bi-weekly because I don't even like going shopping once a week!). To that end, is there any way that you could purchase two week's worth of church supplies from Costco and then shop at Aldi the next week? That way you'd only have to go shopping once each week and you'd have the benefits of both stores.
When you shop at Costco, it's important to keep in mind just how large a quantity you're buying. Because your family is small, you may have to sacrifice variety in order to reduce waste. For instance, you may only be able to get through a block of mozzarella in a week, so you won't be able to buy Swiss and Cheddar that same week. And you may only be able to get through a few Costco-sized containers of produce, so you may have to buy only grapes and pears instead of grapes, pears, strawberries, blueberries, and pineapple.
Now, onto the freezing topic! I'm going to assume that most of your Costco waste comes from perishable items like dairy, produce, and meats, since that kind of waste is more common than pantry waste (like crackers or rice).
Meat
Most any type of meat can be frozen, so if you've bought more than you can use promptly, definitely consider freezing it. Even lunch meat can be frozen. The texture of it isn't quite the same when it's thawed, but it's still good for cooking purposes, like for panini sandwiches.
Dairy
Milk and butter can be frozen, as can shredded cheese. Block cheese does not freeze well, so if you need to preserve it, just shred it before you freeze it. Sour cream, yogurt, and cottage cheese do not freeze well, but if you store the unopened containers upside down in your fridge, they'll stay fresh longer.
Produce
This is not so easy. The quantities at Costco are just so large that a family of 3 would have a really hard time eating it all before it goes bad. If you absolutely, positively must buy produce at Costco, I'd try to buy a limited number of items, and I'd go for produce that keeps well (grapes vs. strawberries, pears vs. bananas).
Produce can be frozen (though if you're going to do that, you might as well just buy frozen produce because it's usually cheaper and fresher) and you can use it in baking (bananas, squash, avocados, and apples are all good for baking), but of course, a family of 3 can only eat so many baked goods!
Do consider Costco's frozen produce...their bags of frozen fruit are great for smoothies, and if you don't mind eating frozen veggies, those are a great option as they keep for a while in the freezer.
______________________
Readers, how do you clothe your boys frugally? And I'd love to hear about food waste/Costco shopping from those of you with small households!
Today's 365 post: Jellyfish or Bowls of Soup?
For the first time, I think I have something to add in terms of knowledge.
And we are two in this household, but need and try to be frugal also. The cheese - I have frozen blocks of Tillamook cheddar cheese, but found that it is only good for grating afterwards. If I grate some up in advance to freeze, I mix it with a little (think dusting) of corn starch to prevent clumping. I have frozen the blocks of mozarella very successfully. By buying in large quantities at a warehouse type of grocery store (like Costco or Sams), I shop less frequently and have greater savings. But Rebecca pointed out, there are only two of us. So there are limited things I buy there. The produce thing we have covered in a different way, but still have to be vigilant and diligent about making sure we use it all up before it goes bad!
I also have a family of 3 (hubby and 8 month old son) and love to shop at Costco. I don't mind going to lots of stores though! I try to buy less produce at Costco and concentrate on meats, frozen foods, and staples like peanut butter, honey, spices, toiletries, etc. I will buy carrots, spinach and salad at Costco because the prices are comparable or less than Kroger and are usually organic as well. I just make sure to prioritize eating the salad then the spinach. The carrots last forever! Then I pick up the other fresh items that I need for the week at Kroger and just get a small amout that can be easily eaten. Its just not realistic to buy the huge amount of apples or oranges, at least for me.
I was surprised when my friend told me that she's found Target's children clothes to be about the same price as thrift store clothes. Is $4.50 for a pair of new pants a lot?
Would patching the holes be acceptable? I've long wondered if preemptively sewing a patch on the inside of the knees would help - some kids have sharp knees.
I see a ton of kids clothes on offer on Freecycle. If the pants are "girly" colors that you don't want to put on a boy, maybe try dying them?
If blown out knees is a problem, then yes it can. I put a big patch on the outside of my kids snowpants in fall so they are ready to go for winter. It is almost impossible to find more snowpants in Feb or March when they have worn through the first pair.
Patches can be pricey, though. I recommend buying patching material with the adhesive on it by the yard at a fabric store. This is much cheaper than getting patches individually.
And when pants go out, for us it is the hems. But you can always make shorts out of them if the rest is ok.
I did this with my son's pants after noticing that his new school uniform pants arrived with a reinforcing patch on the inside. I was able to score a bundle of iron on patches at a thrift store and used them on the inside knees of pants and jeans before they got thin enough to be baggy. Worked well for me.
We are a family of three and hubby travels for a living, so a lot of the time it's just two of us. I like shopping at Costco too, but we were wasting quite a bit. The solution was to split the perishables with a neighbor. We take turns going shopping each week, and it gives us just the right amount of produce for our families.
OOOOhhhh, I like that idea. We're a family of 3 and I think I'm going to try that.
Clothing boys - I agree with everything you suggested, the one additional suggestion I have is about jeans. Sears has a brand of jeans with a double knee which wear very well. If you can find them at the end of a season for the next season, they may very well last through two boys.
I think they're called tough skins and I was told they have a waranty! Sound like a good deal to me! My 5 year old boy has a major problem jeans wearing in the knees.
I dont have boys, but several friends do. When their boys were young, they used a program that Sears had that allowed them to buy jeans, then exchange them for a new pair when the knees were worn out. It might be worth the cost of new jeans to have them replaced!
Also, you might check ThredUp, a website where moms trade boxes of clothes for just $5.00 each. You get credit for shipping boxes, which allows you to purchase boxes for free!
I have not had problems finding good condition boys clothes second hand. You do have to look more because there aren't as many as girls stuff. Kohl's often has a 75 to 90% off rack where I can find stuff. And sometimes I just buy new, because my sons need elastic waisted pants. They are autistic and zippers and buttons are just very hard for them, so being able to get dressed and toileted by themselves is a big deal.
I regularly freeze blocks of cheese with no problem, you just need to plan ahead a bit so it can thaw before use.
I currently cook for myself and my boyfriend. We are really busy and not home all that much. Luckily, neither of us mind eating leftovers, which definately helps us reduce our food waste. So, for example, if I make pasta or American chop suey, I'll make a whole box of pasta and a whole jar of sauce, and we'll eat it for dinner and then lunch, and maybe even dinner again the next day, until it's gone!
Also, I only plan about 4 dinners per week. I find that if I buy for more meals than that we end up wasting food. If we do end up not having food for one night, there is always canned soup, tuna sandwiches, etc.
For produce, I've started just buying less fresh. I'm fine with frozen produce (I end up cooking my veggies anyway!) for the most part, and I typically use canned tomatoes. I always have onions and carrots in the crisper, but they last forever. I buy enough fruits to get us through one week.
One other tip that is helpful is instead of buying a whole head of lettuce or bag of spinach, get your leafy greens from the salad bar. They are really light weight (so, cheap!), and you can get enough for one or two salads, taco toppings, sandwich toppers, etc., and don't have to worry about wasting a whole head or bag.
Erika, I agree with only planning ~4 dinners a week. It works much better for small families who like leftovers! Even with this, though, we've ended up with "make falafel" on the meal plan for 2 months. I guess they're too much trouble when leftovers are right there.
One way to save on clothes is to buy at the end of the season--you can get some pretty awesome deals from Children's Place ($1 and $2 shirts), etc.
For the person with the Costco questions...we are a family of 3 with a picky 2 year-old, and shot at Costco. We buy most of our meat there because the cost per lb is so much less than what we can find at the grocery. We have a mini freezer that we store overflow in (I think the freezer was abotu $100...we originally bought it to freeze breastmilk, but have continued to use it). We also do buy fruit and veggies there, and Kristen, you are spot-on on quantity. Last week we bought strawberries, blueberries, and lettuce. We ate all the strawberries and almost all the blueberries...and froze the remainder. We also had lots of salads for lunch and dinner (as a side) and used almost all the lettuce.
I love shopping at Costco as well but you do waste a quite a bit of food from there but one thing I do before I feel guilty about it is to compare the prices first. For example, I can buy a bag of Romaine lettuce at Costco for $3.99 (it comes with 6 heads of Romaine lettuce). If I were to shop at my local Safeway one head of Romaine would cost me $3.29 (and no that is not a typo). Usuually, I can eat through 4 or 5 of the Romaine lettuce before it goes bad. So, if I had bought 5 heads at Safeway I would have spent $16.45 versus $3.99. I do live in California where our prices tend to be higher than the national average. I find that most of the produce seems to be this way. The only way I found here that I can get cheaper produce is by buying it from the fruit stand . We have one weekly but it is always on Saturday when I'm busy with my kids' sport activities but one my days to buy from the fruit stand exclusively. We do not have a Aldi's here either.
Can you give the extra head of lettuce that doesn't get used to a friend or neighbor? Then you could get the good deal without any food waste. 🙂
Lettuce soup or braised Romaine lettuce is also very tasty (honestly) and a good way to use it up without having salad yet again. Try making pea and lettuce soup, or adding shredded letuce to cooked drained peas and a little butter to heat through if you're not convinced! Frozen peas are fine.
I can offer a few tips on not wasting food if you are single or a smaller family...
1.) Milk can be frozen - buy a gallon and freeze half.
2.) If you only use milk for cooking, freeze it in ice cube trays so you can take out just what you need at the time (same tip can work for broths).
3.) If you don't need a lot of salad greens, if might be cheaper to buy them from your grocer's salad bar rather than buying whole heads of lettuce.
4.) Whenever you freeze food, do so in small containers so you only need to thaw what you need.
5.) If you can get a good deal on something in a bulk size but know you can't use it up before it goes bad, see if you can get a friend to split the purchase with you.
You can use powdered milk in a lot of baking. Avoid the problem of reconstituting the milk by adding the powdered milk with the flour and the water when you're supposed to add milk.
My mommies' group holds a swap every season. Do you have a group of ladies you could organize one of these with?
clothing swap, that is.
I have two boys, and I've found the same thing - much slimmer pickings on secondhand items than for girls. It is definitely not impossible to find good stuff if you're willing to look, though! Our family's current clothing budget is $300/yr (or $75/person, although we don't divvy it up that way). I've learned to accept that boys blow holes in the knees of their pants 🙂 What I do is keep one or two "good" pairs of pants per kid, that are to be worn on occasions when they need to look more presentable; when they're just hanging around the house or playing in the neighbourhood with their friends, the holey jeans are okay. My guys are very different size-wise, one tall and skinny, the other built more like an NFL linebacker 🙂 so I can't usually pass much down from one to the other. If you have a few kids to pass pants down through, doing the knee-patch technique described in The Tightwad Gazette might be worth it (she says it will outlast the rest of the pants). Also, I turn a lot of the pants with wrecked knees into shorts, so I don't often have to buy shorts!
I've found as my boys have gotten a bit older (they're 11 & 13 now) that the used clothing selection has increased significantly. I have been able to find name-brand secondhand pants that look brand new for $3.00 (on 50% off day at Value Village). We have also had some good success getting items on Freecycle. So, moms with boys, don't give up hope, it's not impossible, just a little more challenging 🙂
My best source for low-cost boys clothes (mine are 3 and 6) has been yardsales found on craigslist. I don't have time to go to a lot of yardsales so I just search each Friday during ths summer for boys clothes. Most people list what sizes they have. Whenever I see one for my size (or larger) I go. I got my oldest boy's entire wardrobe for fall that way - and never paid more than $1 per item. Much better quality and price than the salvation army around here. I would also suggest buying bigger sizes for boys clothes. I find them so rarely that whenever I do I buy whatever looks good even if it won't fit him for a few yrs (haven't had a problem with it looking out of date - I think boys clothing is not quite as trendy as girls).
Boys' clothes - I second letting people know you're in the market for hand-me-downs. That's how we got a lot of my son's clothes from my husband's twin boy cousins (they're only a few years older than my son). I also keep an eye out at Target and Meijer for clothes on sale. I haven't had much luck at consignment stores, and I shop at Meijer weekly, with a Target right next door, so it's easy to just run in quick at least once a month and check out what's on sale.
Buying bulk for a small family: Before you become completely convinced it's cheaper to buy at a bulk store like Costco, take into account how much money your dumping in your trash! My mom finally got this after years of buying 3-lb bags of apples for a family of 5 - now it's just the two of them, and she was throwing away half the bag because it went bad before she could use all the apples. She realized it was cheaper to buy just a few apples at a higher per-pound price and actually use them all than to throw away half a bag of apples. I don't buy 10-lb sacks of potatoes, even though it would be cheaper per pound, because we can't go through a whole sack before they start growing so much they're unusable. I sometimes buy smaller amounts of other things like maple syrup, too, to make my budget work and not go over stock-piling.
I also like Kristin's suggestion to only shop every other week at Costco, then the opposite week at Aldi's, or even another store to stock up on produce and perishables.
We have just me, my hubby, and my 2-year-old son. I plan 4 meals per week, one of which is always pizza on Fridays. The other three meals cover the rest of the 6 nights for us, and anything that we don't finish I eat as leftover lunches. This works better for us than cooking 7 different meals during the week, then trying to go through all the leftovers through lunches.
Ah, I remember (with fondness) those days of cooking only a few times a week and having enough leftovers for future lunches and dinners. Six years and 3 extra people later, and this is a thing of the past.
Clothing boys inexpensively---
Consignments stores: I have found some great deals on name brand clothes for our little guy at a consignment stores. We have two local ones which I have not been very successful as finding much at, as their prices tend to be a little higher than what I like to pay, but I have had great success at the Once Upon a Child in a nearby town. They also have clearance sales which I can rack up on .50-1.00 deals.
Ebay: All of my little guys shoes have come from here as he has wide feet and Stride Rite shoes are a wardrobe staple for him(that I am not willing to pay upwards of $30 new for him). I have also purchased a like new winter coat for him for a couple of dollars. But be careful with ebay--set the maximum price amount you are willing to pay for something (including shipping) before you look/bid, so you don't get caught up in a bidding frenzy and spend way more than you wanted to. Also be willing to pass on something if it goes out of your price range.
Freecycle: I have noticed a lot of ads for children's and teens clothing on the site.Though I have been made several offers of children's clothes, I have never been on the receiving end. But it might be worth checking into since the items are free.
Hand-me-Downs: Never pass up a hand me down offer from friends, neighbors, or even co-workers who may have a child that has outgrown the size that your child needs.
ThredUp: This is something a girlfriend of mine introduced me to and I love it! It is a site where parents across the US swap gently used kids clothes. You search the site (www.thredup.com) for what you are looking for by gender, size, season, tops, bottoms, or both and pick a box of clothes that suites your needs. Boxes are $15.95 and come in a medium flat rate priority postage box. They have a "thredup" gaurantee" that the box is stuffed with as many items as possible and items in the box are free from rips, fraying, worn knees, holes or tears. I actually used this site to score my little guys supply of winter pants/jeans and his entire spring and summer wardrobe, as well as clean out items that he no longer needed or wore.
Target: I love Target's kids clothes. I have found that they hold up a lot better and tend to resist shrinking compared to the kids clothes that I have bought at Wal-Mart. Also, you usually can score some amazing deals on the end of season clearance racks if you are willing to plan/purchase ahead.
I hope that this is helpful and good luck with frugal finds Christy 🙂
I have found some great deals at JC Penney for kids' clothes. You might want to check out craigslist or ebay (you might be able to buy a whole "lot" of clothes in a certain size that someone is trying to get rid of). Ditto on being vocal about accepting hand-me-downs. 🙂
I was lucky enough to find a foodsaver vacuum for $5 at Goodwill. The rolls of bags are expensive, but I portion bulk meat or pre-made meals into smaller servings and freeze them, so they don't get freezer burn. Also, eating leftover dinners for lunch the next day really gets rid of that extra food - and saves money!
For produce that you didn't quite get to this week and is in danger of going bad - you can chop it and freeze it, then use it in soups, stir-fries, or other cooking. Think onions, spinach, zucchini, peppers, carrots, etc.
Look for annual/ bi-annual consignment sales, I know March is big month for spring/summer consignment sales. A website with info. from most state http://www.kidsconsignmentguide.com ... then check individual sale websites for the more info (correct dates, half price days, etc)
My husband and I shop mostly at costco. I do find the produce is in rather large quantities for 2 people however, I find it is WAY fresher and usually lasts twice as long. I definitely cut down on variety of produce each week because of the quantity. I try to freeze whatever I can; for instance grapes are fantastic frozen. I find I buy a lot less packaged food shopping at costco because they simply don't have the selection. If they don't have it, I can't buy it.
with 5 kids i've had to learn to be thrifty with clothing and food. a few tips (hope i don't repeat anything already said!)
- kohls at the end of seasons. period. they sell shirts and jeans for $1-3 in the kids section on those clearance racks at the end of seasons. crazy cheap- cheaper than a thrift store usually, and brand new!
- clothes purchased at sears can be used with the kids program there. when the clothing is worn out you bring it back and get the same thing to replace it (or if they no longer sell that item, then you get something of similar style/value) I purchased my sons jeans there when he was little as he was always wearing out the knees. they'd get bad and i'd just go get new ones. and when he outgrew them i brought them in for replacements which i sent to my cousin for her little guy. not sure how they afford to do this, but it is a great program for parents!
- shirts with a small art related stain on them (my girls love nail polish. their clothes do not) can still be used- i've done everything from fun patches to fabric paint to cover up those types of stains- it makes the shirt last longer and gives the kids something "new" to wear
- when hand me down jeans for the girls come our way they often have scuffed up bottoms on them. I trim that area off and then put on fabric bottoms (like bell bottoms), they look adorable!
for food:
- bake your own bread, mix your own pizza and breadstick dough, make your own cookies, and shred your own cheese (usually), its most often cheaper to do the work yourself than to purchase premade or pre-prepped stuff.
- if a recipe calls for chicken breasts, don't just purchase chicken breasts! purchase a whole chicken and roast it in the oven. use the breasts for the original recipe and then shred the rest to freeze for another recipe at a later date. a package of breasts cost the same as a small roasting bird and this way you get two or three meals out of it!
- garden if possible. your own produce is so much cheaper than purchased. i'm in the midwest so can't garden all year, but i do like to store up potatoes and the like in my basement to last through winter when they cost more.
- serve smaller portions and let the kids ask for more if needed. before i served "regular" portions and SO much food went to waste when they couldn't finish what i'd given them
hope that helps!
It's not easy to avoid wasting Costo goods, especially the perishables like fruit and veg which ironically are where you often get the most savings. I've found a couple of things that have helped.
1) Cooking/processing the items into something before freezing (eg. grate carrots into carrot cakes, make meatballs). This makes it so that I not only have something quick on hand but I don't throw anything away.
2) Go with a friend. I have a friend who doesn't have a membership so they come with me and we split on large perishable items. This way we get a variety and don't ahve to eat VERY large salads at every meal for a week straight.
As far as clothes go, maybe this will help.
http://theswapteam.org/blog
I wonder also if you posted on kijijii that you wanted to swap clothes that you might meet up with a nice group and start a trading chain?
We are a family of two (plus our dog, Luke the Lab). We shop at Sam's Club once a month; from that shopping I plan my monthly menu. Example: From a whole chicken I make three meals: chicken pot pie, chicken noodle soup, chicken salad for sandwiches. Luke gets the leftovers (including the bones). I know, dogs arent supposed to have chicken bones, but we have fed three dogs chicken bones, none the worse for the wear.
My daughter and I share the blocks of cheese, and other large package items. I find fruit (except for bananas) to last for the month.
Large packages of meat are broken down into usable sizes and then frozen.
My rule of thumb for use is: Use fresh first, frozen second, canned last.
The other weeks of the month (for which I have put aside grocery money from the allotted amont) my shopping is at local stores for milk, eggs, bananas. If I find any good specials at these stores, I will purchase them as well.
People have mentioned hitting craigslist for yard sale postings. You can also buy children's clothes by the lot on the site. My local newspaper also has online classifieds that always have children's clothing sold by the lot. I looked out of curiosity for this post, and there was a lot of 50+ size 3T items for $30. Some of them still had tags. It would be worth checking into something like that in your area.
As far as using produce goes, I am the oldest of 9 children and have struggled to reduce shopping for my small household. I finally decided to give up Costco to reduce waste. Now I just tag along with a friend a couple times a year to stock up on paper goods. My grocery budget has dropped drastically as a result.
Here's my best food waste tip. When I get home with my produce, I wash everything and make it into a "convenience food" the moment I get home. Broccoli gets chopped, grapes are cut into bunches, cantaloupe is cut up and put in a bowl, etc. When I am packing lunches, I even divide everything into containers for the week. I find that I use everything up if all the prep work is already done. Plus, when I'm looking for a snack I'll grab fruit or a veggie instead of junk food this way.
I have been able to do a lot of consignment shopping for my boys...or buying off the $4-5 rack at Target & Walmart. I can usually find good quality clothes shopping consignment, some even look brand new!
For Costco - try to find someone that can split large quantities of produce with you. We are a family of 5, but still have a hard time going through some of the huge bags of produce (who wants 5 lbs of broccoli?) I usually shop with my mom and we split up the produce. For romaine lettuce it is far cheaper there than anywhere else - so my mom takes 2 heads and I get the rest.
As for clothing boys - I buy 90% of my kids clothes on sale at Gymboree & Hanna Andersson. Yes, the clothes cost more at first, but they wash up well, the stains come out, and they still look great to be passed down to my youngest son, and when he's finished, I sell them at the consignment store. It gets much harder to find boys clothes on consignment once they're out of toddler sizes so I have no luck finding used.
a block of cheese may also be cut up into bite-sized cubes before freezing. That's what we did with the cheeses left over from our DD's wedding reception. Thawed completely in the fridge, the cheeses tasted just fine but I mostly used them in casseroles.
Used boys clothing are way harder to find than girls clothing but it can be done most of the time. Pants were always the biggest issue with my son as I like to buy used and he needs a slim with an adjustable waist or it will fall right off him! I scour the thrift stores once a week. I just make a quick run through the boys pants section and I'm out pretty quickly. (I use this time to drop off stuff too in an effort to declutter!) I buy several sizes ahead when I find jeans that will fit and are in great/almost new condition. So even though he wears a 10 slim, I will buy 12 and 14 slims right now and keep them in a bin at home. When he needs pants we shop the bin first before hitting the stores. Sometimes I still have to give in a buy some inexpensive pairs to fill out his wardrobe. A friend introduced me to a store called Crazy 8 which has low priced slim pants. Of course the only non-thrift store jeans he has are the ones he tore the hole in last week when he fell! LOL
To get more use out the the clothes he has, he changes clothing when he gets home from school and church and puts on the holey jeans for hanging around the house or playing. This allows me to keep a few decent pairs and not have to fuss at him over his clothes. No one wants to be fussed at over keeping their clothes a certain way! Also the holey pants become shorts in the summer which is great b/c for some reason the hardest thing in the world to find is slim shorts with adj. waist. The wear and tear issue gets a little easier as they get older. My son no longer scoots around on his knees playing cars on the floor and doesn't burn through as many knees as he used to. We used to put a pair of soft, flexible knee pads on him b/c he was doing this for so long that he would burn holes in the pants and get blisters on his knees!
Well, I have to second Costco - but for clothing!
I have bought probably 70% of my son's clothes at Costco over the last 6 years. Yes, the clothes are brand-named but buying boys jeans at anywhere from $9.99-$14.99 a pair is still a good deal for quality clothes. Another clothing item we buy are winter coats and snow pants. This year, my son needed a new jacket and snow pants and both were purchased for less than $40. And the jacket has a removable liner so when the weather warms I will remove the liner and he now has a light-weight jacket. Pajamas - My son is a real hotbox and sweats like crazy at night so he has to wear a fresh set each night. Since I work, I only have time for laundry once a week so that means 7 sets of pajamas. Carters makes three-piece sets (shirt, pants and shorts) that I find at the local Carters outlets for $12.99 but at Costco they are only $7.99 a set. I buy 7 sets in the spring, he wears the shorts through the fall, then the pants in the winter until it is time to buy the next size.
Unfortunately, my kindergartner just grew again and is in a size 8 slim and Costco only carries the Carters pajamas up to and including a size 7. So I will need to figure something else out this spring but it sure was a great deal for the past 6 years!
Oh, and I buy a fair amount of casual clothing for myself and my husband at Costco as well. No, it's not as cheap as thrift stores. But with the brands they sell, it beats Macy's clearance by a mile!
My girls are tough on their jeans/pants, too. I've bought iron on patches and as soon as I buy new jeans or khakis for them, I will iron the patches onto the inside of the pants. It most definitely helps and no one can tell the patches are there.
By hanging all of our clothes (not socks, underwear, or pjs) on a drying rack to dry, instead of putting them in the dryer, will also prolong the life and look of clothing.
Sorry if it's been said but----There is an online site called (growing out in) i believe it's a .com site...Its just like thredup.
I definitely freeze blocks of cheese - it's just a little more crumbly when I thaw it, but for the way we use it, this is not a big deal.
I also portion cottage cheese and ricotta into 1 and 2 cup sizes and freeze it; it's fine for cooking, which is the way I use it most (lasagne, cheesecake, etc.).
If you can't eat all your fresh vegetables, you can always blanche them (plunge it in boiling water then ice water) and freeze it.
I have three boys and I have found that they are terribly hard on their clothes. It has paid off to buy better quality pants for them so that the knees last through the season rather than getting holes after only a month or so. My favorite places for these have been:
1) Children's Place (online they have lots of great sales and coupon codes). Things can be returned in-store if they're a problem with fit.
2) Land's End (online) has an overstock section with some really great deals and frequent coupon codes (and can usually return to a Sears that carries Land's End).
3) K-Mart--their t-shirts are surprisingly good, and they have MEGA clearance racks at end of season. I've gotten summer clothes there a couple of years in a row, and they've been of good quality and very inexpensive. Reminds me--I should go now and get the winter clearance things for next fall.
It's just me and my hubby (Matt) in our family at this time. Matt is allergic to chicken, shellfish & nuts. I detest fish & since he can't have chicken he eats fish pretty often, so I have to cook 2 meats most days to satisfy these issues. However, even with cooking 2 entrees we very rarely waste food anymore! (Thanks to you, Kristen!!) When I cook a large meal (for example a roast or a pasta dish) I plan my dinner menu to include leftovers and even send some to work with my husband and/or myself for lunch. We haven't had to buy lunch items in months simply because we always have leftover food to take--and this has also saved us some significant money! I do freeze some things--spaghetti sauce, certain soups (it's been trial and error for homemade soups), 1/2 of a casserole, etc; but mainly we just eat our leftovers. I really think that's the best way to avoid food waste and save some money at the same time!
I've actually found you can freeze different fruits. I cut up strawberries and add a tiny bit of sugar water to them, and stick them in the freezer in a container. When I want to use them they take about 24 hours to defrost. Also, you can freeze bananas! I peel them and wrap them in tin foil. I've also read that people have frozen oranges (they peel them and divide them into their natural wedges and put them in freezer bags). My husband travels often and unexpectedly sometimes (he's a pilot) so sometimes I will buy produce and have to freeze it because there is just too much for me to eat!!
oo, that reminds me how great frozen grapes are too.
The secret to shopping well at Costco with a small family (and I do it for just ME) is precooking.
I buy a ton of stuff there and precook meals or entrees, then freeze those. It makes it quick and easy to pull a pre-prepared lasagna or casserole or soup or stew out of the freezer and cook or reheat it.
Most of the time I'm feeding myself, and every once in a while it's me and my sweetie. So it's not like we have a bunch of huge appetites to satisfy. But I still manage to make the most of shopping at Costco w/ minimal waste. You just have to plan ahead instead of buying stuff sort of randomly and then not being able to use all of it.
Also I don't get not being able to use a bag of apples for a family of 3. I eat a bag of apples in about 8 or 9 days by myself. An apple every mid-morning for a snack and maybe an additional one or two for dessert (sometimes i just bake them with cinnamon, sometimes I get fancy and make a small apple crumble) ... that's a whole bag of Costco apples in about a week. A family of 3 should be able to polish off a bag in a few days. 🙂
Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but how does upside-down storage for yogurt, sour cream, etc. make them last longer? I'm really curious!!
@sarah, when you turn the container upside down you "seal" the lid. That way no air gets in and it allows the contents to last longer.
It's just me and my hubby, so I try not to shop at Costco more than once a month. (I find that Costco really wears me out, even if I'm just stopping in for a couple of things.) I buy all our perishables at the local co-op each week. It really cuts down on food waste and it's a much more pleasant shopping experience. At the co-op, I stick to produce, dairy and the bulk bins to avoid the expensive packaged items (which I buy at Costco, if I need them).
I love my freezer. I measure everything out for 1 or 2 serving portions before freezing it. That way I can defrost just the right amount. Here are some of my favorite things to freeze: spaghetti sauce, meatballs (in sauce), pesto (add the cheese right before using), lentil soup, pureed squash (to use in baking), stews (especially those without potatoes), won tons or other dumplings, and muffins (pop them in the toaster oven for a few minutes and they'll be all nice and warm). A neat trick with sauces is to put them in a ziplock baggie and lay them flat on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Once they're frozen, you can store them vertically like books.
Forgive me if someone else has already posted these tips for saving money on boys clothes.
Boys often wear out the knees of their pants. I used to take the jeans and cut them off into shorts then hem them. They look nice enough to wear once they are hemmed as opposed to cut offs.
Also I used to buy my boys each like 3 pairs of jeans and I washed clothes often.
When they were little I would buy about 5 different print fabrics and make their shorts. Simple elastic waist shorts are an easy learning to sew project. Then I would buy them colored tee shirts to match the shorts with a pair of sandals they were set for summer. I could make 15 pairs of shorts in a day. I had 3 boys.
When the hand-me-downs are not enough for my two year old boy, I check Kid to Kid, which is a franchise store for used kids clothes, gear, and maternity clothes. I have been really happy with their quality. They are not in all states, but you can check their website to see the locations. http://www.kidtokid.com/
If I end up buying new clothes, I have been happy with the cost and quality at Target.
Clothes have been an issue for everyone. The best deals are the free clothes on craig's list or garage sales. You can find listings there. People are still selling nice 25 cent clothes and ect.. Good luck. I only buy what I need in bulk apples go quick, fruits and salad mix for produce. Butter and any edible food goes quick with a family.
When it comes to clothes for our kids we usally shop at second hand stores and use freecycle. However because boys go through pants quicker than anything else we have decided to buy my sons pants at sears. Doing this we can register for the kidvantage program and exchange them as many times as we need to as long as they are the same size. This program is free and saves us money because even the clearance pants can be registered for this program. SO now anytime he wears holes in the knees we can exchange them.
I am also in a family of three. I cook in bulk and portion out my leftovers into single size meals and my husband takes them to work, or I pop them in the freezer for frozen leftover nights. Two or three containers defrosted beats take-out and we still get a healthy meal on busy nights. Hope that helps.
My mom always used to use this program- my little brother trashed his jeans, they replaced them. I am finding it much harder to find my 2 YO boy jeans, so I am looking into this as well. I'm not sure how the program has changed, but I would think it would still be helpful!
http://www.mysears.com/kidvantage
Thank you, Frugal Girl, for posting my question! =) I got some ideas from your answer and the comments on this post. Also, it's fantastic that your other question had to do with clothing for boys because I have a 4 yr old and have had trouble finding him second hand clothing as well. I'm going to look into ordering him a box of used clothing. In the past I have found that the sale rack at Target sometimes has GREAT deals for babies/kids(like shirts for $1-2!).
Thanks, Kristin and everyone, for your helpful comments about boys' clothing! All the ideas are very helpful! I never heard of the Sears program, so I am excited to check it out. It seems I am not the only one whose boys wear holes through the knees after a few months, due to driving trucks and trains around the house all day. 🙂 I was wondering about patches on the inside of the pants, though; don't they still get holes in the front of the pants?
I mix cottage cheese for lasange, with egg and seasoning and freeze, in the same container, then just thaw it when I want lasange. When I find it on clearance, I can buy all they have.