Every parent of a teenage daughter faces the same dilemma: your daughter loves to shop and buy the most fashionable clothes. You want to encourage her to look good and you know she wants to look like her favorite young celebrities, but not by breaking the bank. How can you find the happy medium for this situation?
Let her have one.
Allow your daughter to get that one dress, jacket, or pair of jeans, whatever it may be that she fell in love with. It’s very self-expressive and she will love to wear it. It’s also very expensive. How do you manage this as a parent? You want to make your daughter happy. You want to teach her smart money management techniques. It’s a want, not a need. You know she’ll be disappointed though if she walks out of the store not having it in hand. By allowing her to have this one piece of apparel that will make her feel better, she will be proud to wear it. It’s a boost of self-confidence.
If your daughter is in the tween to teen age, than she no doubt has a favorite Disney or movie character. She probably wants to look like just them, but that it might be a little expensive to dress your daughter up in the same tween dresses that celebrities are wearing, like the Obama girls.
When you tell her she can buy it, explain to her that because of the high cost, other purchases will be limited and she won’t be able to get much else. She’ll be more understanding about it. Explaining that teaches her a lesson too: If you really want something usually out of your price range, you are going to have to make sacrifices.
Buy off-season.
The leaves are changing. Temperatures are dropping. It’s the perfect time to try on those cool shorts at the mall. Wait, what? When you buy clothes during the lowest levels of demand, the best deals can be found. You might find the best jacket on sale for over 70% off. Imagine how much you could save if you bought those shorts in the middle of fall? You’re winning two times by saving money, and finding clothes you or your daughter will love!
Many stores, both online and retail locations, offer deep discounts in order to clear their inventory. They will put out the excess and cut down the prices to make room for the next season’s trends (which you can go look for in the next off season shift!) Pair that with coupons and store card discounts and you could almost make money shopping…. well, not quite. But it would be nice!
It’s okay every now and then.
The reality is that it’s okay to indulge in our wants every now and then. You can use this opportunity to teach a lesson to your daughter, but at the same time building her ego! (Just be careful not to expand it too much!) Just like anything good in life, you can enjoy the best in moderation.
By adhering to these two simple tips, your daughter can show some confidence knowing she got the one outfit she loved, and she knows how to shop smarter. Share this with your fellow parents, grandparents, and godparents. Let’s face it: we all know someone!
Leave a comment below if you have any other tips or suggestions.