Buying school clothes will certainly add up and trying to save money on school uniforms is something you will be doing for the next 12 years.

Most schools require a uniform of some sort which can be shorts and a t-shirt or something a little more formal such as trouser pants and a button up top or dress and long socks.

Whatever the case, you are probably going to need five of these items or even more in the event of spills and messes during the day.

You don’t want to have to wash your child’s school uniform every night but you also don’t want to spend a fortune every year, especially considering they will probably outgrow the items and require new ones every one or two years. So what can you do?

In addition to the standard uniform, your child will probably also require after school clothes and weekend clothing such as jeans, t-shirts, dresses and skirts.

However, there is a good chance that she/he has a lot of these items tucked into the back of the closet. Start by taking an inventory of the items in your closet and drawers and write a list of the things she/he actually needs.

Check for Sales

Stores like Kmart, Big W and Target all offer fairly affordable children’s clothing and most will have several sales throughout the year.

You should be able to save anywhere from 20 percent to 60 percent on the regular retail price by shopping at the right time.

What this means is shopping throughout the year and taking advantage of these sales.

Furthermore, at the end of each season there may be a rack of “clearance” items that can be used for next year. Just make sure you buy in the next size up.

Consider your Other Children

When your kids hit their teens they will not want to wear their older sibling’s hand-me-downs. However, younger children don’t really mind.

If you have children of different genders, consider choosing items that could be unisex so that you can pass these items down.

Shop Second Hand

Places like Lifeline and the Salvation Army can provide inexpensive t-shirts, jeans, jackets and even shoes.

While a brand new shirt may cost around $15, you can expect to only pay $5 for this same shirt at a second hand store.

Many of the clothing will be in good to excellent condition and only require a simple wash.

You may even luck out and find school uniforms in the right sizes.

Check at School

When hunting down school uniforms, ask at school if there is a way to get in contact with other parents selling uniforms that are too small for their children.

Or you can check Facebook Buy, Sell and Swap pages in your area, and see if you can get a hold of these items.

Consider a Clothing Swap

Another great way to get some new clothes is to host a clothing swap with some friends.

You can swap last year’s clothes for a new wardrobe without paying a cent.

This works best when you have friends with children that are different ages.

Or, if your children are a little older, you can let them do the clothing swap.

This is especially clever with girls who will love the idea of ‘shopping’ in one another’s wardrobe.

These are just some of the ways you can save when shopping for back to school clothes.

Your children will probably want to have a say in what you buy for them, especially if they are a little older.

Let them choose one or two new items to add to the wardrobe and focus on choosing sale items, basics and second hand goodies for the rest.