Looking for creative ways to cut costs on kids’ clothes? Check out these ideas from my Facebook followers:
1. Shop Thrift Stores
“Shop at Goodwill, for sure. We have five people in our family and we all have name brand clothes and shoes simply because of Goodwill. -Amber”
“Thrift stores. We buy new shoes, underpants, socks and the rare fill in item we cant find at thrift stores. -Anna”
2. Buy at the End of the Season
“I shop for next year after this season has passed. So when winter stuff goes on clearance in April, I’ll grab the next size up for my boys to wear this next October. -Jessica”
“I stock up for the next size/season when Children’s Place or Kohl’s has their big clearance events. Sometimes I can get items for $2 or less. -Joanna”
3. Don’t Buy If It’s Not on Sale
“Kid’s clothing stores will rotate sales, so if an item isn’t on sale wait because it probably will be sooner than later. I also will buy clothes on clearance for the next year at the end of season. I also have a pretty simple wardrobe for each of them with about 7-10 outfits that can be mix and matched. -Emily”
4. Buy Multiples
“Buy multiple sizes of staple items on sale. For instance, you see good denim jeans on clearance for $4. Buy a pair they can use now and also buy another pair or two of bigger sizes. Same with socks, undies, plain colored shirts, etc. as they don’t go in and out of style. -Amanda”
5. Buy Online Through Rakuten (formerly eBates)
“Check online clearance at stores like Children’s Place, Kohls, Old Navy and shop through Rakuten (formerly eBates). Rakuten gives you % cash back at most stores and will show you any coupons available. Also, often times if you sign up for emails you get a welcome bonus % off your purchases. -Jessica”
6. Ask Your Friends for Hand-Me-Downs
“Ask friends/family with kids a bit older what they do with their clothing once done. If they donate, ask them if they wouldn’t mind donating to you and offer to babysit or make them dinner in exchange. -Karen”
“I let friends and family know via Facebook that I’m looking for a certain size and I usually have multiple offers of free clothes! -Christie”
7. Look at the Clearance Racks
“I like going to the mall and shopping the clearance racks. My motto is, ‘Buy now, Save later.’ Right now my daughter has summer dresses for a few months from now from H&M and JCPenneys ranging from $1.00-$2.19 a piece. She also has summer sandals from H&M for $3 and sneakers from Old Navy to grow into that I snagged for only $2.47. Buying on clearance allows me to purchase the styles that excite her, such as glittery pieces. The trick is to go shopping in the middle of the week before the clearance finds get picked over. -Jessica”
8. Only Buy What You Need
“Lately, I only buy what they need. I used to buy anything on sale that was cute!! But now we just place an order (Amazon, Walmart, Kohl’s) as needed. -Rachel”
9. Go to Consignment Sales
“Check for consignment sales in your area. Rhea Lana is a national chain of awesome consigner sales. Some churches hold their own sales. My area has two or three church sales plus the Rhea Lana twice a year. I prob get 90% of my kids clothes from these sales. -Katie”
10. Have a Max Per Item Price
“Have a max price in mind per item. I don’t spend more than $5 per item for my preschool son (I can buy Garanimals at Walmart for $4.48 and they are high quality and cute!) and $5-10 per item for my 1st grader. It it’s more than that, we don’t need it or I’ll ask Grandma to buy it as a gift. Shoes are excluded — I’ll spend up to $50 on a good, everyday pair. -Christie”
11. Sell the Outgrown Clothes to Afford New Clothes
“I sell my daughters outgrown clothes on Kidizen. It’s an app similar to Poshmark. I then use those funds to buy her ‘new’ stuff. -Lucy”
12. Buy a Size Up
“I always buy a size up for things like t-shirts. Example: child currently wears a size 6. Buy shirt in size 7. He can wear it now and still wear it when he grows to be a size 7. -Sarah”
13. Participate in a Consignment Sale
“I sell my kids’ outgrown clothes during a 3-day pop-up consignment sale. Because I consign, I get to shop ahead of the public, where I buy the harder-to-find items. Then I shop the last day, when most items are half price. -Kari”
14. Buy Fewer Clothes
“Don’t buy so much! Each kid doesn’t need 75 outfit choices! Have 10-12 per season. And end of season clearance! We are currently watching for Walmart to throw winter boots on sale to stock up for next year! -Micah”
15. Start a Facebook Group for Your Area
“I started a group on Facebook to recycle kid’s clothes for the Moms in the area. We posted clothes that we had and were able to get clothes free or low cost. -Ann Marie”
What tips would you add to this list?
