Back-to-School Shopping Survival Guide

It's July, which means back-to-school shopping season has officially begun. If you're anything like me, this annual ritual can feel like an overwhelming task. But with a bit of strategy (and a lot of humor), we can get through it. Here’s how I tackle this with my 14-year-old son.

Step 1: Clean Everything First

First things first: every piece of laundry needs to be clean. Yes, I mean everything – bottom of the basket, all the single socks, every random item of clothing needs to be washed. Why? Because it’s hard to know what you need to buy if you don’t know what you already have. Also, because I’m a glutton for punishment, apparently.

The Sock Party

Ah, socks. The tiny fabric devils that never stay paired. In our house, we deal with them through a “sock party.” I don’t pair up socks as I go. Instead, I throw them all into a basket, including any random singles hiding in the house. Seriously, socks have a way of migrating to the most unexpected places – the porch, the laundry room, you name it.

Logan finds this process annoying, but I think it’s genius. Throughout the day, I’ll ask him to pair up ten socks at a time, usually as a break from his video games. “Want to play more? Sure, just match ten socks first.” By evening, we sit together, watch a movie or TV show, and pair up the rest. Any socks left single are either creatively paired (watermelon with strawberry? Why not?) or repurposed for cleaning. No more lonely socks waiting for their soulmate (and taking up space).

Fashion Show

Next, it’s time to sort through Logan’s clothes. I ask him to show me anything he doesn’t want to wear anymore and explain why. This avoids the “I have nothing to wear” tantrums when there’s a closet full of clothes. We do a quick fashion show for anything I’m unsure about to see if it still fits. Spoiler alert: it usually doesn’t.

Organizing and Planning the Wardrobe

Once we’ve sorted everything, I look at the space we have. I used to go shopping blindly, but now I count the items in each category and make a specific shopping list. Logan wears a lot of basketball shorts, which often come in multi-packs. It’s all about finding those deals and making sure we don’t overbuy. Because nothing says “teenage boy” like owning fifteen pairs of the same shorts.

Maximizing Storage Space

Maximizing storage space is key. Logan prefers his shirts on hangers so he can easily browse them. Hoodies, which take up a lot of space, go on hooks over his door. Shorts are rolled up to save space in drawers. If Logan is attached to certain clothes, I recycle them into pajamas, giving him more time with his favorites while making it clear they’re no longer for going out.

Feel-Good by Giving

At the end of this marathon, I’ve somehow managed to make back-to-school shopping feel like an accomplishment. And here’s a little community twist – all the clothes Logan and I clear out are obviously donated to TRIBE. It’s a fantastic way to give back and ensure those clothes get a second life. Plus, it makes me feel slightly less guilty about the new stuff we’re bringing in.

So, fellow moms, as you dive into your back-to-school shopping, remember: clean, sort, and organize with a bit of humor and creativity. Here’s to a successful and enjoyable shopping season, and don’t forget to donate those gently used clothes to TRIBE. We’ve got this!