Walmart sent me a $50 gift card to see if I could buy a week’s worth of back-to-school outfits for under $50. I accepted the challenge and also received two gift cards to mail out to two readers. Last weekend, we drove over to our local Walmart in search of inexpensive back-to-school outfits for my preschooler.
Here’s some possible ideas from the people at Walmart:
Truthfully, I have not bought much at Walmart since I moved back to New York state. However, when my husband was Active Duty Army and we lived in Central Texas, Walmart was a close, convenient, one-stop option. And with a deployed husband and a colicky infant, I really appreciated how shopping Walmart saved me multiple stops. The Walmart near me in New York is not as large and does not have a full grocery, so we are less likely to shop there. However, I was intrigued by the challenge because I like thrifty options, especially for kids.
While I like to support local and independent artisans and businesses by buying their work, I usually shop for the basics for my kids at places like Old Navy. Children outgrow their clothing so quickly and even the neatest, most well-behaved have a tendency to destroy their outfits. And frankly, a kid should be able to play without worrying about dirtying an expensive ensemble. So, I have no problem buying some cheap basics at Walmart for my daughter and then adding some more unique pieces for special occasions.
At Walmart, we checked-out three departments: Junior’s, Girls, and Toddlers. In all three departments, we saw a lot of 80s-style black and vivid color checked plaid, adorable for back-to-school.
In the Junior’s section, the Miley / Max Azria line was in full effect with a prominent display. Most of the Junior section will run you $20-30 an outfit but you could still pull off five combinations under $50 with some mix-and-matching.
The girls’ section had plenty of cute, appropriate options for under $10 an outfit, mostly by the private Walmart label, Faded Glory. There were Hannah Montana and Tinkerbell licensed products sprinkled throughout a sea of pink, purple, and cerulean blue. Most pieces were $5 each, so it was easy to come up with a $10 outfit, before tax. If you “splurge” on a $7 or $10 item, there were also a few shirts for $3.50 to balance it out. You find real value with matched outfits–sweet sets for just $6. Adding a hooded top to extend the clothing through late fall, though, may send you over budget.
Here is what we found:
If you stick to the Faded Glory label, you can easily find five outfits for under $50 (before tax) in the boys’ and girls’ departments and dress your child for the school week.
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WIN IT – REQUIRED ENTRY: I have two gift cards from Walmart for $50 each to give away to two winners. Check out the Walmart Apparel and leave a comment with two outfits for children or juniors you spotted for under $20, total.
Additional Entries (leave a separate comment for each additional entry):
- Link to our Back-to-School Guide on your website or blog (leave the URL where you link in your comment)
- Follow @Mamanista and tweet us with your tip for back-to-school savings and include a link to this contest: http://bit.ly/mamamart (leave your status URL in your comment)
Contest ends August 31, 11:59 PM EST. Shipping to US addresses only. Winners chosen by Random.org.
