Free clothing storage!

If things go bad, we adults can probably get by on what clothes we've got for quite a while. But what about our kids? They are going to grow, & soon they could be without clothes, shoes or a coat. But all single mom's are barely able to get keep their kids clothed in their current size. How on earth do we afford to buy those things ahead too?

I've found a perfect solution: clothing exchanges! These are starting to get popular. If there hasn't been one by you, go ahead & organize one. We do one every year with our homeschool group. But you could do it with your church, neighborhood, family, anything! Everyone brings everything they have out grown or are tired of. Everyone leaves with anything they want. I've hosted several of these now, & they get bigger every year. What always amazes me it the amount of clothing we end up with. I see people leaving with huge bags of clothes, but there is always tons leftover! We send the leftovers to a local charity. So it not only helps those who come, but others as well. The quality of the clothing has generally been very good! I almost never buy clothing for us anymore. Occasionally I have to find this years shoes or coat at a garage sale (I find even the second hand stores too pricey), but overall I can get everything we need at these exchanges. You can't beat free! A lot of our country's cotton crop has been lost this year to droughts, so it's likely clothing prices will be going up. This has been such a blessing! Our clothing budget is almost zero. I often find something fun for me too, helps deal with the fact I can't afford to buy anything for myself. And I've stockpiled clothes for my son in future sizes. No matter what happens now, I have at least a few shirts, pants, 1 pair of shoes & a coat in his future sizes. That gives me great peace of mind, which is invaluable! It's also a great way to get church clothes, since those get very little wear. And if you have a girl, you'll be amazed at the adorable, like new clothes you'll find! I do very well for my son too, although jeans without holes in the knees are in high demand. ;)

We've also expanded our exchange into things besides clothes & that's great as well! Get your kids to clear out their old toys or books, & get something new!