This is a post from Jennifer Lavallee of A Heart for the Home
When it comes to any size family, saving money is something we all should strive to do. There are many areas we can find ways to pinch and save but a big avenue to save money is with kids clothes!
Because children go through many stages and sizes of clothing, there are a few ways to save some money in this area. Being creative and planning ahead is key to saving a lot of money.
Here are 5 ways to save money on kids clothes:
Hand-me-downs. I can’t say enough about hand-me-downs. This really is a big savings. Look around your church or school and find a family that has children close in age to yours and work out a deal to pass clothes to one another. It really benefits both families and it will give a great variety of clothes for your kids. It’s wonderful to give a bag full of clothes away to a family that can use them but it’s also just as wonderful to receive a bag full of clothes too.
Yard sales. This is a great place to find pretty cheap deals and usually you can bargain with them if you’re not excited about their prices. At most yard sales you can find kid’s clothing for 50 cents to a dollar or in some cases you can stuff a bag for a low price too.
Thrift stores. Going thrifting is so fun and believe it or not, they also have sales too. Goodwill will occasionally have seasonal sales where “all summer” or “all winter” will be just $1 for children’s and $2 for adults. The Salvation Army will have “Family Day” where most of their clothing is ½ off. These are great times to find items such as jeans, coats, shoes, and other items you’re needing to complete a child’s wardrobe.
Clearance Sales. Now when it comes to clearance, I usually try and think ahead in seasons for each child. For example, if I find sweatshirts on sale but it’s summer time, I will buy ahead of time for the fall or winter and put those items away. Make sure you have a designated spot to store these items. Finding a good clearance is hard to pass up when in the long run it will save a tremendous amount of money.
Consignment Shops. Selling your children’s clothing will give you some money in return for new-used, name brand clothes, or finding good deals at consignments shops is also a money saver. Many times these stores will discount their clothing during seasonal times and you can “stuff a bag” for a very low cost to your wallet. A benefit of a consignment shop is the clothing is in really good shape and you can find good name brands that otherwise would be to pricey to buy new.
Here’s an added bonus, learning to be creative with storage is also another way to saving money. If you have spaces to store your children’s clothing, you can mark Rubbermaid totes with seasonal items, by months, or even fancy dresses or suits that another one of your children can use at a later time. It’s wonderful to pull out a dress that an older child has worn years ago and know the younger sibling has a chance at using it as well. Here is a great way to organize some of your children’s clothes for these occasions. CLICK HERE.
There are many ways to pinch and save on kids clothes. The key is being creative, thinking ahead, and having fun while saving money!
What things do you do to save money on your kids clothes?
