3 ways you and your family can save money together

When it comes to saving, you don't have to go it alone. You can find ways to look at your family's habits and needs, and tailor your saving methods accordingly. Read on for some helpful tips.

• Children's clothing stores have a great thing going: since kids grow so fast, their clothes quickly become unwearable even though they still look nice. So parents have to buy a constant stream of new apparel just to keep up with their growing kids.
• Instead of enriching the coffers of your local kids' clothing store, organize a club of parents from your child's school or day care to exchange hand-me-down clothing. Twice a year, in the fall and spring, everyone can bring in the clothing that's still in good condition but no longer fits, and you can quickly assemble a new wardrobe for your child while getting rid of items you no longer need.
• Just make sure a wide range of ages is represented at the gathering, rather than only kids in one grade. That way you'll always have bigger clothes working their way into your trading system.

• Always buy the same colour and style of socks for your child—preferably white—so you can bleach them when they're stained.
• Since socks invariably vanish, when you lose one of a pair, you can simply pair it up with another, because they're all identical. You'll never be stuck with an "orphaned" sock that has no match. Just imagine how the clothing manufacturers will grit their teeth as you stroll right by that display stand of socks in every imaginable colour and texture.

• If you're looking for a part-time job, fill out applications at stores where you frequently make purchases, such as clothing stores or sporting-goods shops, which give their employees a discount.
• If you have teenagers in your home who are ready for a job, encourage them to work at your family's favourite stores with employee discounts too. Not only will you benefit from the discount, you'll also gain access to a new world of inside information on upcoming sales!