The Closet Purge That Saves My Wallet

School sneaks up on you like that moment you realize the closet is full… and somehow your kid still has “nothing to wear.” I’m Madame Ballou, and on Coffee with a Twist I’m talking through my real-time back-to-school reset while my son gets ready for second grade, complete with the nerves, the excitement, and the “how is it already late August?” panic.

I get honest about a mistake I made last year: blind shopping. I found clothes with tags near the end of the school year, plus shoes that never got worn, and I’m not repeating that. I share a simple, budget-friendly approach to school shopping that starts with a full purge, checking what actually fits, and buying only what’s missing. If you’re trying to reduce waste, save money, and simplify your morning routine, this mindset shift is everything.

Then we get into independence. I’m trying to stop enabling and start supporting by using a Monday through Friday outfit organizer so my son picks his own clothes each week. It’s practical, it teaches preparation, and it takes pressure off busy weekday mornings. I also give a quick life update on finishing our basement, donating what we don’t need, and turning the space into something our family can actually use, especially after a recent loss.

Hit play, then send me your best back-to-school hacks through fan mail or the comments. If the show helps you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more parents can find us.

Transcript

Welcome Back And Summer Weather

SPEAKER_00 4:28

Hey guys, welcome back to Coffee with a Twist. You're here with Madame Belou. I hope you guys are having an excellent week and looking forward to your weekend. It is beautiful outside. Uh we're finally starting to get I I shouldn't even speak it because then tomorrow will be like humidity so high, but it's nice. The one good thing I like about August coming in is that you get really nice, what my definition of summer weather should be versus it's nice to have summer, but sometimes like the end of June into July or all of July, it's so hot that you don't even want to be out in it, so you can't even really enjoy it. Like the whole point of summer is so you're outside enjoying it, and it feels like those those month and a half, it's just in impossible. So it's nice to get this nice weather, and I really hope it sticks around because I love sitting outside. Um, I love just being outside. Rather, if it's sitting in my garage, sitting on my back porch, whatever the case may be. So hopefully uh it's here to stay for a while. Um, but yeah, this is the type of weather I like going into fall. Can't believe I'm even talking about fall. At least for me, and I'm sure other parents, our summer is measured by your child's summer break, not by true summer. So my son goes back to school uh late August, and here we are, what is it, the 29th, and I'm just like, oh my god, I gotta start school shopping, I gotta go through his old clothes, you know, purge, things like that. And I'm like, I felt like at the beginning of summer when school was out for him, I was like, oh good, I got so much time to do all this and that. Now that it's approaching, I'm like, I'm not ready. So my next couple of weekends or week, week and a half or so will be going through his room, going through all his clothes, pulling out anything that doesn't fit anymore. Because of course he's growing, and um, so I don't buy too much because one mistake I made last year, in my opinion, was a mistake. I kind of blind shopped, and what I mean by that, I didn't assess what he has. People give me stuff all the time, and I um things that are too big for him I normally put away in in containers and stuff, and oh, I'll get back to him. So last year I realized I overpurchased. My definition of overpurchasing is one, when we're getting closer to the end of the school year, because of course he turns from one age to the next while school is for the one school year, so he kind of grows within that time, which I think most kids do, like after six months of being in school or four months, they kind of get a little gross spurred, especially after December. So typically for me, I school shop for him for you know school starting, and then Christmas time, I shop again for like the rest of the school year because a lot of times he kind of grows, and you're transitioning from like the fall wear where they can still maybe wear shorts or what have you. So I don't worry about buying the shorts much bigger because I'm like, oh, you're just wearing them for you know these few months, if even that. So last year, like as it got closer to the end of the year, I'm pulling out shit with tags, guys, that he never touched, never worn, and they don't fully fit because they were like a size six. And I'm like, what the hell? Same with shoes. So I'm like, I cannot do that this year because that's just throwing money away, and I don't throw money away. So this year I want to try something different. I'm gonna try a lot of things different this year. So, well, not a lot, but some things. So, first I want to actually go through literally all his clothing, pull everything out that truly doesn't fit or we just don't like, get rid of it, see what's left, and buy from there. Um buy, you know, and again, I might not again might not buy a lot. Like, I might literally buy five pair of jeans, three pair of shorts, ten shirts, different shirts, like might be like seven t-shirts and five polos or something. Let him wear that in conjunction with anything that we keep that still fits, to you know, blend it in and then December, you know, Christmas time, you know, buy again for you know next year. Um, because it just goes to waste and the way he's growing, and it's like I can't. The other thing I want to do, um,

The School Countdown Gets Real

SPEAKER_00 9:24

because and again, I'm the enabler, not him. I typically pick his clothes so just to make the mornings go easier. I realize as a mom, like at least for me, I I do things because it makes my life easier um in the morning or what have you. And one of my goals this year, I'm really trying to make him not saying he's not independent, he's actually very independent. I'm the one enabling him and taking his independence away. And I need to embrace his independence that he wants to have because I'd rather him have independence than not. There's some kids, even adults, that don't have independency, and I don't want to dampen it. So a thing that I'm really trying to work on is me allowing him to be him and have the independence and and let him be independent. So something that I do want to do, um, I want to get like an organizer from Monday through Friday, and every Sunday, let him pick out his clothes for the week himself and put them in, you know, the respective, like I'm gonna get like an over-the-door organizer Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and um let him pick his clothes out himself down to the underwear and socks, put them in those areas, and then that way, hey, today is Tuesday, go get your Tuesday clothes. Today is, you know what I mean? I want to really start doing that um to help him with his independence. Also, it's showing him how to prepare for the week because think about it, even us for work, Sunday. What do we typically do? And when the weekend's coming near, near, you know, near ending for the work week to start. Us even as adults, we start prepping for the week, whatever that may look like for you. Some people they might not pick out their clothes for the week, but it might be meal prepping, um getting lunches started, whatever that is, picking out your clothes, or at least having a general idea, um, cleaning up, etc. Stuff to get you ready for the week. So I want to start doing that with him because I feel like this is this prep is something you need throughout your life in general. So if I start it now, and again, while he's eager to be independent, eager to do it, he's not like mom, you pick it. He's not like that. He wants to do these things. Let him do it, embrace it, enhance it. So that's something I really want to start. And honestly, while I'm even speaking about it right now to you all, um, I don't want to just start at the beginning of school year. I really need to start this um like this week coming up, is really what I need to do. Um, again, this is my lack of planning. He's in camp. Camp last day is tomorrow, but I really should have been doing it this whole month for camp. You know, again, time just got away from me. Life was life in, and that's just what it is. So I need to um get something in place sooner than later. Try to get something in place where I can do exactly what I'm saying, something and at a level um height level that he can just reach in and grab it. So I can be like, hey, go get your Monday stuff, and it's labeled. So I'm talking this through um with you all because it's something I really want to do, and I'm I'm um also refining it as I'm talking to you guys. So thank you for this. This is a needed thing. So think about it. Like, what are some things that you do to get school started or some cool ideas that you want to share? Please drop it in the fan mail or um feel free to um drop it in the comment section of this episode. And as always, feel free to write a review um or things you want to hear about, you know, whatever. Remember, I have fan mail, so feel free to reach out to me. I get them live, I can read them. But yeah, just like think about something cool that maybe you think that could help other parents that are getting them their kids ready for school, prepping for this. What are some things that you do that you found, oh my god, this is a godsend. I'm so glad I do this. Um, that you want to share with us. And if you put in the comments, um, the next time I jump on, we I will discuss those. I will read them. So let's let's definitely do that because this getting prepped for school and prepped for just things in general. You're just like, you know, we can just easily um as humans, I guess we adapt pretty well because I mean they're not out from school, but so long, and we're like, this is like the new norm. You're like, oh, he's home. So um, I really need to get started. So I'm finishing up some stuff with my basement. My basement's almost done. Again, I'm talking this through with you all. Um, I'm trying to get my basement finished by I would say Sunday. A lot of it is done. Um, for anybody who did not catch my last episode or two. Um, my dog passed away. Even without her passing away, we were already working on the floors down in our basement. But the part that we weren't gonna work on was like all the other things.

How Overbuying Sneaks Up Fast

SPEAKER_00 14:49

We were just gonna kind of just redo the floors and then still let her down there and be because she was 19, she was 19 years old for some context. But my dog ended up dying before the work actually started. So, with that being said, there's things that we had like in our storage area downstairs for that we were just holding on to for when the time comes that she's no longer with us, and um we are now fixing up the basement, making it more usable for our family. So, the way I'm making it, we have our dining room, like we have a little eating area, we have a living room area, we still have my workout area, and we have a little kitchenette. So, it's split up in like four zones on the side. My basement consists of two sides. So, we're just talking about one side, the other side we're not doing anything with. Um, the only reason why that side is even in the equation is because we put a lot of stuff over there in storage while the floors were being done. So, what we're doing now is taking stuff from over there that was originally on the side that we're fixing up and we're purging and setting it up. So we have like the exercise area already set up, have my little eating, um, sitting area for food. Like it's I call it dining room, it's really just a table and some chairs um area. We're working on the kitchenette, and then we need to bring the couches out so those can be arranged. So that's kind of where we are right now with furniture in the set. So um there's still quite a bit of stuff on the other side that I have to move over or go through. Um, like a lot of the baby toys, I went on ahead, I'm donating those. Um, so they're actually outside right now. Stuff I'm not wanting. I'm trying to put it all out. I'm gonna take it all for donation. So my plan is to get my basement finished by the end of the week. That way, then this weekend, because my son's room is only gonna take I say a day, but it's not even a whole day, it's really just a couple of hours going through his clothes, seeing what fits. So if I can get the basement finished to where I get everything moved out of the other side, then I can start my son's room and then um be able to start the process that I'm wanting to do with the days of the week and clothing. Um, there's a couple of like um things I want my husband to do in the basement that you know, the honeydew list type of thing. Um, you know, my my husband is on his time, so he did get some things done for me, but I want to make like a little beverage area, built-in beverage area, and this little nook that we have down there. And I need him because it these things must go into studs because it's gonna be heavier. I have like a butcher block countertop, some shelving, things like that. So I need his assistance, and um, I got like um um, we have like the uh mini fridge that we'll put under there, and then that will be like where all the drinks and stuff will be when we hang down here. So I'm just trying to make it more user-friendly for our family, and even when people come to visit, because like upstairs, even though everyone is welcome to be throughout my house, um, but you know, upstairs you typically have more of your stuff that is more valuable, breakable, etc. The stuff here in the basement is gonna be very homey, you know, you can't

Weekly Outfit Prep For Independence

SPEAKER_00 18:18

really mess it up, that type of thing. So, um that is what you know I'll be working on. Oh, yeah. So I'm hoping to get that done. It would be nice if I can get my husband to get it done by Sunday, but I'm not hopeful with that because I know he has a test on Saturday that he has to go take. Um, and I'm sure Friday night he won't do anything, so we'll see. But it would be nice if he does it in phases, like um just putting up the shelves one day and then maybe the next day or so, doing the countertop would be nice, but we will see what happens. But for the most part, we got a lot of it done. Um, the main things that I wanted to get done are completed, so I am happy about that. So um, yeah, so if I can get everything done by the end of the week, my part, then I can start Eli's room and move on to the next phases of um the stuff that we've been working on and kind of go from there, but um yeah, so it's school shopping time, and feel free to give any comments of things that you do to get started for the school year. Um, my son is in elementary school, so um the things I was speaking on was mainly elementary school stuff, so it may be different from middle school high school. Still feel free to share it because it will help any of these listeners. And if you put some comments, I will definitely discuss them um in next episodes. But yeah, I just wanted to kind of get on here, let you guys know where I'm at right now. Um, I do have some other things to talk about, but I kind of wanted a light and airy um episode because I feel like my last couple of episodes have been kind of heavy, and um as you guys know, that's not typically me, but in all honesty, that's kind of where I had been. Um just transparency and kind of where my head has been. Um I had a small little health scare as well, and I will discuss that my next episode. Um, I just want to break from certain realities, so I just wanted something light and airy to discuss, so that's why this is kind of light and airy. More about my son and getting ready for school. Um, I'm excited for him to be going into second grade, nervous at the same time, new teachers, new people, new behaviors. Um, I really hope that you know it. Um, sorry, I'm at the park, guys. I had thought I was gonna have to yell at him for a minute because he was like hanging off the side, but um, yeah, so um, but yeah, so thank you for tuning in. Remember to use the fan mail link, and that will come directly to me. Feel free to review me, all the things, and I'm thankful for the new listeners I'm gaining. Every time I put

Basement Reset And Family Space

SPEAKER_00 21:38

out an episode, I get new listeners, and I'm so thankful. Um, I had got my ratings um packet or what have you that my platform sends over to me, and I had last week like 60 downloads, and that is amazing. So, thank you all for listening to me in my non-conventional way of um stop it, Eli. Yeah, um, of doing my recordings, my non-polished way. Uh, you know, thank you for rocking with me. I really appreciate you guys rocking with me and my non polishness. Um, but yeah, have a great rest of the week and look forward to your weekend. And um, yeah, until next time, you're here with Madame Balou, Coffee with a Twist.