Children’s Clothing Options That Are Budget Friendly

When it comes to buying clothes for children, this is an area that can become an expensive endeavor. It is also an area of a parent’s financial responsibilities that are affected by the age of the child for which they are buying these clothes. Obviously, the threads they buy for their teenager will tend to be far more expensive than the clothes they purchase for a toddler.

Children’s clothing is a major expense for parents, especially if you have more than one child or have a boy and a girl. Children wear out clothing while playing rough, or quickly outgrow clothing when going through a growth spurt. The following are some ideas on how to buy and obtain clothes for kids that are budget friendly.

Here are some children’s clothing options that are budget-friendly:

Gently Used Clothing –

Those with children, particularly very young children, know that kids often grow so quickly that clothing is outgrown before it has seen very much use or no use at all. Buying gently used clothing is a great option for those interested in saving money on children’s clothing.

Holding on to the clothes that one child wears for when another child comes along is a huge money saver. If the two children are close enough in age, the hand-me-downs a parent holds on to might even still be in fashion. There is nothing wrong with recycling clothes this way because this is how a parent can keep their budget under control. Remember, the idea here is to save money, not waste it on clothes as so many parents do today.

There are several ways to shop for gently used kid’s clothing. The first is to visit local children’s consignment shops like Once Upon A Child. Children’s consignment stores buy and sell gently used children’s clothing. Another good option for gently used clothing is neighborhood yard or garage sales. Finally, there are many online options such as auction sites like eBay or uBid and even online consignment stores like Once In A Blue Moon.

Earn Money With Old Clothing –

In addition to purchasing gently used clothing, a parent might consider selling their children’s gently used outgrown clothing and toys. Selling online, holding a yard sale or visiting a consignment store that buys children’s items in good condition are all excellent options. This provides extra money for purchasing new clothing when needed. You can also request store credit for any items you sell and use the store credit to purchase new gently used clothing. Many consignment stores will give you the option of choosing either money or store credit.

There are many places online where people advertise that they are giving away old clothes. Sometimes a thrifty parent can find entire bag loads of clothes intended for toddlers and older kids alike. Often these offerings are first come first serve, so they have to jump on them when they are being posted to popular sites for local pickup.

Sales, Clearance, And Strategic Buying –

Shopping sales and in the clearance section are both great ways to save a little money on children’s clothing. For maximum savings, however, shoppers must shop even smarter than before. For example, when bathing suits and summer clothes go on clearance at the end of summer, parents should pick up a bathing suit in their child’s next size for the following summer. If there is a great shoe sale, a parent might purchase a favorite shoe in several sizes to avoid paying full price when the current size is outgrown.

Goodwill And Other Consignment Type Stores –

One place where savvy parents can find cheap clothes for children of all ages is the local Goodwill store. Often, if a parent checks Goodwill on a regular basis, they will find that people have donated perfectly intact designer clothes. This is especially true when it comes to buying designer jeans for boys or casual slacks for girls. Goodwill is also a great place to keep an eye out for jackets and coats. Parents looking to save big would probably be shocked at how good the prices are for some of these clothes too. In fact, if a parent shops here first, they may not need to waste time at other retail stores where clothes are being sold at a premium price. The only thing to pick up at those kinds of stores would be socks and underwear.

The clothing that a teenager is going to want does not have to have the latest designer labels. However, many consignment shops exist that offer discounted, slightly used clothing for a fraction of the price of regular retail stores that sell clothes. Often a picky teenager can find what they are looking for in these shops without needing to break the bank.

Use Those Coupons –

Coupons are not just for groceries. Children’s clothing retailers regularly issue coupons that can be used in-store or on the store’s website. Parents should sign up for the e-mail subscriptions at their favorite children’s stores to receive coupons and special offers. Pay attention to expiration dates to avoid letting a valuable coupon expire. For maximum savings, parents should try to combine a sale or other special offer with a coupon. They are many Smartphone apps that provide instant coupons for stores that you might visit often. If the app is free and the coupons are good, why not go ahead and install it on your phone.

Make Your Teen Get A Job –

A truly budget-friendly approach to obtaining clothes for a teenager may simply come down to helping them to get a job. There is nothing wrong with allowing a teenager, especially a teen with expensive tastes, to earn the money they use to purchase the clothes they want to wear. As a parent, that is the way to deal with this type of expensive child. Once they start buying their own clothes, this will be a far lesser burden on their parent’s wallet.

Also, it is an experience that will help this kind of child to understand firsthand the cost of wanting to be adorned in all the latest fashions. They will quickly find out why their parents have been so hesitant to spend vast amounts of money on overpriced clothes when cheaper options work just as well to obtain adequate clothes for all seasons.

Go Cheap Or Look For Great Value –

It is important to know the difference between purchasing an item that is cheap, versus an item that is a good value. In some cases, the cheapest option will suit the child’s needs. Sometimes, it is better to purchase a better quality item for the lowest possible price to avoid replacing a clothing or toy item earlier than expected. For items that are expected to be worn for a while or during playtime, it is best to choose the best value, rather than the cheapest option.

Conclusion –

Saving money while raising kids can start with finding budget-friendly places to shop for children’s clothing. There are so many tips and tricks to comfortably dressing babies, toddlers, and kids while still sticking to your budget. There are free options, like using hand-me-down clothing from friends and family or organizing a local clothing swap, but these aren’t always accessible to everyone. You should be able to use the advice from above to purchase children’s clothing on any budget. Don’t forget about local community places like churches, Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. They are there when you need them!