The more you know about a graduate's plans for the future, the easier it is to come up with a cheap graduation gift. However, the suggestions below should work for most any grad and cost less than $25.
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Cheap Kids Shoes
In our in-store research, we found Walmart to have the lowest prices, with boys dress shoes for $10.87, girls dress shoes (flats) for $5, boys sneakers for $7.87, and girls sneakers for $10.87. That being said, Target has a much bigger selection of all types of cheap kids shoes and the prices are only slightly higher, with boys dress shoes costing $14.99, girls dress shoes (flats and low heels) for $9.99, and boys and girls sneakers for $12.99. Old Navy falls in the middle on price but has a very limited selection of cheap kids shoes.
Cheap Kids Coats.
Outwear definitely factors into back-to-school budgets, as kids are going to need items such as a winter coat, a lightweight coat, and possibly a raincoat, as well as hats, gloves, and scarves over the course of the year. However, at the time we did our research, most stores did not have cheap kids coats on their racks yet. In fact, the only stores that had any cheap kids coats were Sears (Protective Systems boys and girls lightweight coats starting at $45), Old Navy (boys lightweight coat starting at $19.94 and girls jean jacket starting at $19.50), and Target (Champion boys and girls lightweight coats starting at $21.99). Old Navy comes out on top so far with the lowest cost and most stylish options.Return Policies.
Kohl's outshines the others on our list with a hassle-free return policy. You can return anything to Kohl's at any time for a full refund or even exchange with a receipt, even if - gasp -- the tags are missing. If you paid with a credit or debit card, customer service can look up the transaction in the computer system and issue a full refund or exchange even without a receipt. If a transaction record can't be found in the system, Kohl's will issue store credit or an even exchange for the current retail price of the item as long as the tags are still on.
All the other stores we reviewed have a 90-day limit for a full refund or even exchange with a receipt. After the 90 days, Target, Sears, JC Penney, and Old Navy offer store credit for the lowest in-store price of the returned item. Kmart and Walmart will not allow any type of return after 90 days. If you don't have a receipt, many stores are willing to look up your transaction if it occurred within the past 90 days and if you paid with a credit or debit card. However, Sears can look up only recent transactions (just how recent depends on the transaction list) and Walmart can look up a transaction only if the customer knows the exact purchase date. All the stores require that you present the card that was used in order to access the transaction information. Kmart is very strict even within the 90 days: If you don't have a receipt and the transaction cannot be traced, the return will not be allowed. Finally, while most stores will issue a merchandise credit on the spot, Old Navy mails a store credit that arrives within 10 to 14 business days after the return.
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Back To School Clothing Stores
JC Penney
One word -- uniforms. JC Penney has every imaginable uniform item your child would need for low prices that happen to be compatible with high quality. In fact, selection is good in most categories at this venerable department store, although prices can creep up on you. As for quality, the Arizona brand ranks up there with the best when comparing T-shirts, hoodies, and polo shirts. Customers say JC Penney is a convenient place to shop, especially if they need to buy uniforms.Kids Clothes Deals
| JC Penney.com |
Kmart
Kmart offers shoppers something of a mixed bag. Although jeans are well-priced and sturdy, most tops seem a bit flimsy. Customers seem split in their opinions of Kmart. One mom told us the quality of the cheap kids clothes seems to have improved over the past few years, while others say they don't shop at Kmart because of the flimsy materials used to make the clothing. In addition, the return policy is quite strict.Kids Clothes Deals
| Kmart.com |
Kohl's
Frugal shoppers say Kohl's offers a wide range of high-quality brands for low prices. While the store placed as the most expensive in our shopping cart test, the coupons and in-store discounts are impressive and help lower prices drastically. In our review of cheap kids clothes, we found that Kohl's kids dress clothes, including dresses and pants, surpass the rest with a large selection of items that should last a while. Plus, the return policy is unbeatable -- completely hassle-free, meaning you can return just about anything at any time with or without a receipt.Kids Clothes Deals
| Kohl's.com |
Old Navy
Excellent quality jeans and polo shirts at affordable prices make Old Navy a top store brand. This retailer also boasts the greatest assortment of styles in outerwear that we saw while shopping toward the end of July. Consumers seem to like Old Navy; they say the budget kids clothes are well-priced and right up there with the latest fashion trends. One arena where Old Navy flags is its return policy. In certain situations you can only get a store credit mailed to you rather than receiving it on the spot. We also found a very limited selection of budget kids shoes, and pajamas are available only online.Kids Clothes Deals
| Old Navy.com |
Sears
Everything you need for your child's back-to-school wardrobe can be found in-store at Sears. That's right -- from underwear to uniforms and everything in between, it's all there. But you may pay slightly higher prices for the one-stop-shopping convenience. Still, consumers don't have any complaints about shopping at Sears.Kids Clothes Deals
| Sears.com |
Target
Target outshines the competition in budget kids shoes. It boasts an outstanding selection at very low prices and several shoppers laud the quality. Cheap kids tops also seem to be a good value at Target; fabric used in the Cherokee brand seems quite durable. Most customers seem satisfied with Target's back-to-school options and consider the return policy easy to work with. On the downside, we found a limited selection in certain categories, such as uniforms, pajamas, and dress clothes.Kids Clothes Deals
| Target.com |
Walmart
In our shopping cart test of cheap kids clothes, Walmart was the clear winner with the lowest total: $218.36. The store also came out on top in the jeans and underwear match-ups. In jeans, Walmart offers the lowest prices for relatively high quality; the durable fabric is unlikely to rip or fray easily. Many retailers carry the same brands of panties and briefs, training bras, socks, undershirts, and tights, but Walmart sells them at the lowest prices. Customers seem to like Walmart as a place to stock up on these basic items.Kids Clothes Deals
| Walmart.com |
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