List of Steps to Inventory your Family's Spring Clothing

Some of you may have already begun the transition of winter to spring clothing. Others will not break out the short sleeves until possibly May. Either way, if you haven't paid attention to what your family has for clothes for the spring/summer season and what they may yet need, now is the time to do it. Here are a few ideas for your inventory.

1. If you have not separated each child's clothing, all it takes is a large tub and a convenient yet hidden place to store it (possibly in his/her closet, in the attic/basement, at the bottom of the linen closet). Keeping them sepaparate will make the inventory process much easier.
2. Make a list with different items of clothing in the left hand column (long-sleeve shirts, short-sleeve shirts, pants, jeans, shorts, skirts, socks, etc). I make columns for 2 or 3 sizes because I buy ahead. I also make a column that says "Need" so I know what I still need. Members to ListPlanIt.com will find several types of Clothing Inventories in the Home Management section.
   
3. Take all of one child's clothing out of the tubs by sorting them into piles (shirts, shorts, etc).
   
4. Count the items in each pile and record on your inventory. I once found that I had 16 pairs of shorts for my boy because I had bought them on sale but had not inventoried.
5. You may realize that you only have 1 t-shirt that will fit your boy for the upcoming season. If a child is low in a particular item of clothing, decide how many he/she will need to get by and write it in the "Need" column.
6. Replace all of the clothing in neat, folded piles either in the drawers, in a transition place (like an under the bed box), or back into the tub. Label the tub with your child's name.
   
7. Create a shopping list based on each child's "needs" for the season. Keep it in your wallet or in a notebook that you store in your purse. That way when you visit a store, you can pull out your list and look for the best prices and the right articles.