My 4-year-old daughter recently started a dance class this year. She had been talking to me about starting dance, and since she was really excited to do it, we went ahead and enrolled her in a dance class.
One week before class started, I received an e-mail that mentioned dance would be starting soon. I did not realize that it was only one week away. I seriously thought I still had 2-3 weeks to get my daughter ready for dance. I knew that I needed to head over to the dance studio soon to get the dance shoes ordered and to pick up tights. Prior to going to the dance studio, I looked up prices for leotards. I found some reasonably priced ones on Walmart’s website. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any available at the store near me for in-store pickup. I could have ordered one, but it wouldn’t have been there by the first day of dance class.
When I arrived at the dance studio, and as I looked through the leotards, I decided to just fork out the money and buy one. (Yes, even I sometimes end up paying full price for items when I don’t plan ahead.) I wasn’t sure if I would have time to run around to stores looking for a leotard, and I wanted to at least have something for her to wear on her first day of dance.
The next evening when I had some time, I quickly stopped in at a store nearby that sold children’s new and gently used clothing. I wasn’t too optimistic that I would find anything and thought that the dance attire would already be picked over since dance would be starting soon at many studios. However, I was lucky because right there in the dance attire section, there was a black leotard that was just my daughter’s size, still in good condition, and it was only $2.99! Plus, they had tap shoes in her size for just $2.99! I was so happy that I’d been able to find these items. It definitely saved me money, and I was able to return the other leotard to the dance studio.
It is nice to find deals on items and to know that I didn’t have to pay full price for them. Plus, these dance items will be handed down to my other daughter when she’s old enough to start dance class.
There are times when I purchase an item spontaneously, especially when there is a deadline. But I’ve learned that if I am patient and check a few other stores, I can save money. And the other thing I’ve learned is to check second-hand clothing stores first. It’s amazing how much money you can save on clothing at these stores, and they are still in good condition.
I am really excited for my daughter to dance, and I think it’s partly because I love dancing so much! She has already been to her dance class a few times and is really loving it, and as long as she wants to dance, I plan to live vicariously through her. 🙂
You might also want to read the article How to Save Money on Children’s Clothing.
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