Last week I did something out of character: I impulsively stopped into Bark River Kids, an upscale kids’ boutique off Hwy C in Delafield, to investigate the tiny “75% sale” sign in the window.
I blew my entire monthly clothing budget in that one trip.
But am I stressing about it? Nope. That’s the whole point of a budget. I have the power to spend our money the way I want to, within reasonable guidelines, and our checking account stays in the black.
Last month I spent my budget at several rummage and consignment sales, plus Kohl’s and Kmart. I got tons of great stuff. But even I get a little weary of second-hand and inexpensive-looking clothes. I admit that sometimes I covet cute, expensive clothes and accessories. 90% of my kids’ wardrobe is used, but I still love buying high-quality new stuff for them occasionally.
Less stuff, more fun
This month I got much less stuff, but I picked up a few items I’ve been searching for that I couldn’t seem to find anywhere else. Plus, these clothes are, well, boutiquey. They are cute and stylish in a one-of-a-kind way. They’ll make great birthday and Christmas presents for my girls, too. And most were less than $15!
Here’s what I picked up:
- A pink-and-white striped hat for the baby that ties under the chin. [Do you know how hard it is to find a hat that securely ties under the chin so my grabby-hands baby can't undo it?!]
- A stainless-steel sippy cup for the baby. [My attempt at avoiding BPA-laden plastic.]
- Lightweight, long-sleeved white embroidered jammies for the 2-year-old. [Perfect for summer nights!]
- Three funky stuffed animals (among them are a snail and an elephant). [Great for Christmas for all three kids -- they love getting matching gifts.]
- Several t-shirts, shorts, pants, skirts, etc. in multiple sizes for all the girls, now and later. [I love stocking up like this!]
Goes to show that even boutiques can offer good values, if you’re willing to wait and budget for them. Maybe I’ll go back next month to see what’s new on sale.
Local value
There’s another component of this shopping trip that makes me smile: I’m shopping locally at a family-owned business not 10 miles from my house.
One of the owners of Bark River Kids has a son in my oldest daughter’s preschool class. I like the idea that I’m helping to support their store. I also like knowing that the dollars I spend there are going directly back into my local community — not into the vast coffers of nationwide chains like Target, Kohl’s and Kmart. You can’t beat that kind of value.