Some people ask how we can make it on one income with me as a stay at home mother to five. I have always shopped at thrift and consignment stores, and this has helped tremendously with big ticket items like furniture, shoes, and coats.
Recently I went to Boulder and shopped for Ben’s Kindergarten wardrobe. As our youngest child he has always worn second hand clothes, with a few wal mart socks, underwear, and t-shirts thrown in to fill in the gaps. Childish Things is my favorite consignment store and we have been shopping there since I was pregnant with Allison seventeen years ago.
Here is a link for my local readers.
The owner has a twice yearly 50% off sale and we were able to purchase everything Ben will need for school for eighty dollars. I also bought him some church clothes, a new suit jacket, pants, and shoes, plus great quality soccer cleats, a ton of t-shirts, pants, and two sets of pajamas.
Here is a picture of him taken before church in his new suit:

Jenny Hatch
PS Susanna Baig has a great entry on more ways to economize at her blog, Home Spun Life.