Money-Saving Tip for Parents of Tall, Skinny Kids

OK, this money-saving tip is cracking me up and I have to share. My kids have tons of cute clothes, but because I am too cheap to buy anything at retail price, they're sometimes lacking in some specific item of clothing that I haven't found anywhere.

This summer, my 5-year-old has been lacking in short leggings to wear under skirts and dresses. She's also low on regular shorts, which means that it's sometimes hard to find something for her to put on to make sure she's not showing her Dora undies when she hangs on the monkey bars at the park.

Yesterday, I stopped into The Children's Place while out running errands and snapped up a couple pairs of capri-length leggings on sale for just a few bucks each. This morning, she was wearing what looked like one of those pairs of leggings under a dress. Only later, I looked more closely and noticed that what she was wearing was a different color than what I had bought. They looked vaguely familiar, but I knew she didn't have any leggings like that.

Then it dawned on me: She was wearing a pair of 18-month size pants that I had put aside because her 2-year-old sister had gotten too tall for them.

So, here's my tip: If you have a tall, skinny kid like I do, don't give away those outgrown pants with elastic waistbands. They might just make good capris or shorts in a couple years!

P.S. Here are the clothes I got at The Children's Place for a total of $26 including tax, or $4.34 per item. Since I typically pay about $4 per item for newish brand-name clothes at consignment, these items were a steal. I bought them on the big side so hopefully they will still fit next summer. And this is really a reminder to myself to remember to check out end-of-the-season sales at the name-brand kids' stores before I end up paying the same price or more for used stuff.

With back-to-school clothes shopping season in full swing, do you have any money-saving tips for clothing your children?