Maximizing The Family Dollar Isn't Easy When it Comes to the Kids' Seasonal Wardrobe

Every year after my taxes are filed, I daydream about all the ways I could spend the refund.

It normally starts out as wishing for a tropical vacation, but then my “mommy brain” takes over and the extra money ends up being spent on things for the kids—usually their summer wardrobe.

Summer outfits are pretty much the same for us: T-shirts, shorts, flip-flops and Crocs. They’re not expensive pieces of clothing, and we usually have a few nice outfits for the summer family reunion, but the kids tend to live in the same T-shirts and shorts for summer’s duration.

Each summer, it seems like they need a completely new set of clothes. As soon as we shake off winter, all of a sudden there’s nothing to wear. In the spring, I spend a Sunday afternoon packing up winter gear and drag out the summer items, followed by the standard call of “can you come in here and try this on, please?” I know they've almost always will have outgrown last summer's clothes but I do it anyway.

While the summer clothes probably did fit when boxed for the winter, there’s little hope of them fitting next year. I’m always left with a bunch of clothes I just end up donating to charity. While I understand that many organizations are dependent on donated clothing, it would be much more cost effective for my family if we could trade in clothes for larger sizes.

I've seen clothing exchanges for women and wondered if this would work for children. Participants bring used clothing in good condition and trade it for something else more to their liking. For each piece you bring, you can take a new (to you) item. It seems to me like a fantastic way to recycle clothing.

I think it's a fun idea but I wonder  how others feels about trading clothes. Is it a good idea for saving money on a short-lived summer wardrobe? How would your children react to wearing used clothing?