Update on our 2015 Zero Dollar Clothing Budget!

David, ready for church yesterday morning,
in a darling outfit given to us by another mama friend.

I thought it was time for another update on our family's Zero Dollar Clothing Budget for 2015! 

My husband was traveling across the world last week for his work with unfoldingWord, and while I was at home with the kids, I decided to tackle the huge project of switching over the kids' clothes from Summer to Fall/Winter. Here's the multi-step process that it involved:

1. I first treated any clothing that had stains with my favorite homemade stain remover!
2. Then, I went through their summer wardrobes and donated items that were too small or I stored the items that David outgrew, which my youngest son Joel will fit into in the future. 
3. I went through their Fall wardrobes that I have in storage and pulled out items that will fit for the upcoming season, then I also donated items that I did not want to keep due to poor fit or overabundance (we've been blessed with so much). 
4. Finally, I re-filled and organized their closets/drawers with the new season's items. 

Let me tell you, with three kids' wardrobes, this took me days to complete, working mainly during nap times. I felt quite accomplished hanging up the last items this morning, just in time... as our home school year starts tomorrow!

I'm amazed that, even in a year of a zero dollar clothing budget challenge, we have plenty! I'm literally stuffing items into overflowing drawers and donating bags of items that we just don't need. God is a good, loving Father who provides, if we just let Him.

In my last update, we still had $82 in birthday/gift money that we had set aside for any necessary clothing purchases this year. With two more birthdays in July, we were given an extra $60 to add to that total, now at $142.

I've found that the most unforeseen purchases this year have been for my five year old daughter. I have had new shoes in larger sizes for her in storage, but her shoe size has remained fairly consistent over the past year, so the shoes in storage still aren't fitting and she's worn out her current shoes.

Also, being the oldest, she is involved in several extra curricular activities that have required various updates to her wardrobe (i.e. new athletic shoes for T-ball, new dress shoes/tights for church, uniforms for her art/music classes, etc...). Plus, we've just been given a lot more boy items for some reason.

My free tights purchase for Anna from Sears!

Here is what we have bought (or gotten for free) using the reserve gift money:

• New athletic shoes for Anna - $3.18 
• School uniforms for Anna -  $49.55 (plus, we had a wonderful neighbor and church friend hem the two pair of pants that were too long for free)
• A "Little Brother" shirt for Joel's birthday in November - $1.03
• Tights for Anna - FREE using points from Shop Your Way

Plus, grandma bought 3 pairs of school shoes for Anna and a pair of shoes for Joel. Got to love those grandmas!

So, negating those purchases, our reserve is now at $88.24!

Four more months until I can go shopping! Truth be told, I'm getting antsy to update my wardrobe!
:-)