It is not cheap to dress kids. They grow fast, blow through sizes like the wind (my son spent like 18 months in 2T and about a week in 3T) and invariably are the wrong size in the wrong season if you have by some stroke of luck managed to stockpile some hand-me-downs or bought ahead at end-of-season clearance sales.
One way to save on name-brand clothes is consignment stores. At these, you can sell your outgrown kids' clothes that are in good condition and get store credit or cash. I find these are not always great money-savers; between clearance sales, regular sales and special offers I find I can save more on brand-new clothes. But let's say your child transitions into a new size in, say, April; it's not warm enough yet to buy a bunch of shorts or play skirts in their new size, but they're only going to be in cool-weather clothes for a few weeks, most likely, so you don't want to buy warm sweaters and cozy pants for just a short few week's wear. And even if you did, regular stores have shifted to summer merchandise. That's a good time to hit the consignment stores.
If you don't have one near you, check out ThredUp; you can buy used clothes for a fraction of what they would cost new or send in a bag of your child's nicest used clothes and get cash or credit.
Do you shop consignment stores? What good finds have you come across?
We have 2 nearby our house and always find clothes for the kids and myself there. Sometimes you just have to watcht he prices because they will mark them up and you are paying what you would purchase them new for at a store.
I have found that childrens consignment stores around here jack up the prices. we have 4 childrens resale (consignment) events a year, Which I also Sell at. I have gotten some pretty decent things for my kids there. I shop goodwill alot also.
I love once upon a child....this past February I got $300 worth of clothes for $88.
same here. I wait for them to have the consignment events and I sell and buy at them, I get better deals then actually going into the store. I love goodwill.
Quoting Bradensmommy719:
We have a few but tend to be higher priced than i like. I shop thrift stores a lot for clothing cheap and usually in good condition. I also am given hand me down a lot.
Smarter Family: Rainy Day Rescue
- AmyKuras
on May. 24, 2012 at 12:00 AM