Stock Up on Clothing Basics • July Prep Challenge #4

The pandemic led to clothing shortages, so our fourth prep challenge in July is to stock up on clothing basics like socks, underwear, and shoes. Clothing sales fell 79% in April 2020, and some of our favorite stores disappeared. Take advantage of summer sales now and stock up on clothing basics for your family. With school just around the corner, some of you may be looking through your kid’s drawers right now. Let’s get to work.

STOCK UP ON CLOTHING BASICS

Take a Clothing Inventory

• Does each person have an adequate supply of underwear, socks, shoes, or other clothing you would have a difficult time making yourself?
• Involve your children as you count and assess. Teach them to generously donate unneeded items.
• Could you afford to buy the next size socks or underwear? Infants grow quickly. Perhaps buy a larger size they will eventually grow into.
• Save clothes in good condition for another child.
• As you learn to evaluate the differences between wants and needs, you’ll soon come up with a plan to stock up on basic clothing.

Clothing Tips

• Buy extra shoes while they are on clearance. If they don’t fit later, trade with a friend.
• If you find a great sale, buy one shirt in your child’s current size and one in the next size up in a different design or color.
• Shop for quality brands at thrift stores so clothes last longer.
• If you sew, do a few alterations. Jeans can be cut into shorts for summer too.
• Keep extra Latter-day Saint temple garments on hand.

“As you think about what you need to store, consider basic items (hygiene supplies, medication, important documents, clothing, and so on), water, and food that you may need to sustain yourself and your family for short-term and long-term periods. Learn about what to store for your area’s specific needs in the Temporal Preparedness Guide for Your Area.

Tips for Food Storage and Production

I hope you stock up on clothing basics like socks, underwear, and shoes for your family.

Best wishes and be wise,

Valerie Albrechtsen
The Food Storage Organizer

Purchase my food storage and emergency preparedness items in my Etsy shop.