Even before you have children (or are pregnant), the temptation to buy adorable children’s clothes may begin. Quickly growing children, changing of seasons, and new trends may continue to feed the addiction of kids clothes shopping. You could break the bank buying clothes for your little ones. The sooner you learn to get clothes for your children inexpensively or free, the more you’ll be able to contribute to their college fund (or pay off your debts, as is the case around here).
Here are six ways to get great kids clothes at a fraction of the retail rack!
Thrift Stores
Children’s clothing items at thrift stores run anywhere from $.50 to $3 per item. To get even more bang for you buck, see if your thrift store has a half-price day or a certain color tag or certain department that is half off that day.
I seem to find better deals on name brand clothes at stores that do general pricing, rather than pricing each item individually. For example, the thrift store closest to me has all kids clothes priced at $1.75. The Gymboree dress with the tags still on it is the same price as the no-name denim overalls with threadbare knees. I would probably get the dress (either to keep or to re-sell), but I would definitely leave the overalls. Stores with blanket pricing are a great place to find name brands at low prices.
On the other hand, I find better deals on the whole when items are priced individually. If I don’t care about the brand, I prefer stores that price clothes individually. My favorite thrift store is a little further from my house, but when I am in that part of town, I always stop in. From my experience, one of the main criteria in pricing items is the brand. If I don’t care about the brand (just the condition), I can usually get a much better deal at stores that price items individually.
Whenever you’re shopping for used clothing, be sure to check the items thoroughly for stains and wear. Be sure the zippers work and buttons are intact.
Garage Sales
At garage sales kids clothes usually range from $.25 to $1 each, though coats, dresses, and shoes may be a little more. In the last two places I have lived, $.25 to $.50 has been the norm. Remember that prices at yard sales are always negotiable. Just politely ask “Would you take $__ for this?” They will likely say yes. Sometimes they will cut you a deal if you buy a lot or let you stuff a bag for a flat price. If you see many things that you are interested in, don’t be afraid to ask “Would you take $__ for this whole bin?” then you can sort them out at home.
I find the best time to go to yard sales is either near the opening time or right around the closing time. At the opening time, you will get the best selection. When prices are general ($.25 per item) rather than priced individually, you will find the best deals. Of course, the cutest, cleanest, nicest things will sell first. It’s definitely worth waking up early on Saturday morning!
Near the end of the sale, sellers do not want to have to pack up all their leftovers, so they will make you good deals. Sometimes they will do a general “half price on everything” during the last hour of their sale. I have even driven by sales where all their unsold items are sitting on a tarp at the curb with a “FREE” sign. If you wake up late, all is not lost.
There are still great deals waiting for you! I get excited when I see plastic tubs of kids clothes at yard sales. The sellers have not taken the time to price items individually or display them well, so they will likely not be charging as much for their clothes. Also, other shoppers won’t want to take the time to dig through the bin of clothes, so there are many untouched treasures. For a little extra effort (squatting down and digging), I always find great bargains for my little ones.
Swaps
Try organizing a clothing swap with your church or community group where everyone brings their outgrown clothes (and other household items they no longer need). Put signs on the tables to organize clothes by gender and approximate size. When the ladies come, have them set out the items they brought in the proper categories on the tables. Then let everyone take what they need.
Consider organizing a swap in conjunction with a play date, exercise class, or other fun excuse to get together with other moms. You could even make it a potluck “Soup and Swap.” There’s always a better turnout when there’s food!
End-of-Season Clearance
Target is probably my favorite store for end-of-season clearance, with Old Navy close behind. Since I can find used clothes so inexpensive, I usually wait until things are marked down to 75% off before I will take a serious look at clothes. With holiday clothing, I can even get 90% off sometimes! Old Navy often has “Price Cleanser” sales where you take 50% off the clearance price. I stock up on baby shower gifts when I find cute, brand new outfits for $1 or less.
New baby clothes each for $1 or less.
I always buy ahead for my family, so when winter coats are 75% off, I buy the sizes I expect my kids to be in the next year. When they are babies, I sometimes buy more than a year ahead. I leave the tags on until my kids are ready to wear them. That way if they never wear them, I can sell them or give them as gifts.
Sewing Your Own
Growing up, my mom often sewed matching Easter and Christmas dresses for my two sisters and me. That’s a tradition I wanted keep in my family. While I don’t usually sew everyday clothes like shirts and pants, I love sewing dresses an skirts a couple times a year for my daughter and making matching bow ties or neckties for my boys. I also sew pajamas for my kids.
The argument against sewing clothes is the price of fabric and the time required. I have a fabric stash that I have accumulated mostly for free. I also get creative by repurposing sheets and other fabric items. There are no quick tricks to make up for the time it takes to make quality children’s clothing, but I can tell you that the more often you sew, the faster you will get.
For me, it is totally worth it to spend time to sew special clothes for my children. It’s an act of love and they feel it. They watch their clothes come to life and see the effort I put in to making them. They treasure their handmade clothes and love to tell people “Mommy made this just for me!” Maybe when they are older they will not appreciate it as much, but for now, it’s a great way to show love for my children.
Hand-Me-Downs
Hand-me-downs are free! Talk to friends or family who have kids older (or bigger) than your kids and see if you can have their outgrown clothes. When my first son was born, my sister gave me bags and bags of boys clothes from her son who is 3 years older. I didn’t have to buy clothes for him for the first couple years (though that didn’t stop me from snagging some great buys at yard sales and thrift stores here and there ).
Bonus- Online
You can find affordable clothes online from shops that specialize in selling gently used clothes. While their prices are often higher than you’d find at a yard sale, it’s really convenient to be able to search by color or specific clothing item without. For example, if I need to find a black skirt in size 6 for my daughter, it’s much easier to browse online than to run around to every thrift store in town and hope to happen upon what I’m looking for.
Many of the online used clothes shops give you credit when you sign up as a new customer. You get $10 from Thredup and $10 from Schoola. I like to keep an eye out for free shipping and other promotions to add to these deals.
How About You?
- What other ways do you save on kids clothes?
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You have great idea to purchase clothes when sale is on. i also suggest you to buy clothes when all stores have a sale
I like to shop at thrift stores or children’s used clothing stores. I actually just recently started an online new and used children’s clothing store, if anyone is interested. The website is graciemaesfancypants.com Prices are good and there is free shipping without minimum purchase . I am currently working to build inventory, so selection is limited right now, but I’m working hard and adding more clothing daily. If anyone has any suggestions for me about types of clothing and how to get the word out that would be great! Parents can shop any hour of the day, without lines or crowds, for gently used (and new) children’s clothing.
Stephanie, such a great post with great ideas as usual. One other thing I have done is shop at my Salvation Army in Michigan, the last 4th Wednesday of every month ( in Michigan at least) they offer the senior discount and also will add the extra 25-35%. I already get the 30% discount since I am over 55 so…. find someone that will go with you on those days and buy the clothes that might cost a little more ) like snowsuits, or furniture you might need that costs more and make a haul. I am sure you can find someone who will go with you.
It is such a thrill to get things at such a cheaper price. I am able to watch for better name brands and wait for those days and know I can buy more at a time with no limit in what I purchase. It really adds up in savings.
That’s awesome that they stack the senior discount! 🙂
kids grow so fast, I always beeline to the clearance rack and try to stir away from the regular priced items to avoid temptation. Also I sometimes go to yard sales to search for quality used clothing to save more!.
~ anna
That sounds like my strategy too! 🙂
I love the twice yearly Just Between Friends consignment sale in our area. At the last sale I purchased $50 worth of clothing for just over $2 an item on average. And the clothes are in excellent condition!
That’s great Lila! Consignment sales are wonderful! I have to go with a list of what my kids will be needing in the next year or so, to keep me focused. Otherwise I easily get distracted by the sheer amount of great things!
Your blog is great! I have two older kids whose dad buys their clothes for the most part (which makes it cheap for me, lol) but I also have twin girls who are 4. When I was pregnant with them, my older daughter and I scoured the garage sales for clothes. There is a BIG age gap so I had given away all of my baby stuff by the time they came. Between garage sales and baby shower gifts, I got everything I needed for over a YEAR! When they were a bit older, I found a woman on Craigslist selling 3 or 4 large garbage bags of beautiful girls clothes for $100. This year they wear uniforms which were harder to find second hand but I did get their shirts for $5 at Old Navy and the Gap outlet. Tomorrow I will be garbage sale-ing it at some BIG neighborhood garage sales in anticipation of school next year. I also got great deals at Gymboree recently for their summer clothes. Carters too. They had clearance with an additional %off. Its not $.50 but for the quality, the price was great! I’ll be follow ing your blog as we get out of debt too!
I have never shopped at Old Navy or Target for my kids. Feeling like I’ve been missing out!
They have great clearance, especially at the end of each season (which actually starts half way through the season).
My faves are Value Village, thrift stores, baby consignment store sales, and joining a “Pay It Forward” group. Also scavenging Craigslist “free” category. If you start accumulating things when you’re still pregnant, you can get EVERYTHING for free. We could’ve gotten by without spending a dime on the baby if I didn’t fall prey to “this is so cute, I want it” nesting syndrome.
I am reading your blog to give me motivation to not spend $35 on two pairs of girls pajama pants and a 4-piece boys pajama set (and that was on clearance!)…can we make it until the consignment sale in May (thrift stores around me are seriously picked over)? Wish us luck.
You make me smile Cat 🙂 Just that you’re thinking twice about the purchases says a lot about you. I’m sure you can make it if you want to.
Could you convert something you already have into PJs? Do you have some old t-shirts that could be nightgowns (for girls) or night shirts (for boys). Or even if a younger brother wore an older brother’s t-shirt to sleep in.
I hate paying full price for things. With our kids growing up so fast, it’s hard to keep the budget low, especially since they’re the oldest in our friends/family. With the oldest in adult sizes now (since 5th grade!), I shop a lot at Marshall’s and Target clearance. She’s TWO sizes bigger than last summer. I purchased all new summer clothes (4 pair shorts, an athletic outfit, 2 pair athletic shorts, underwear and 6 tops) for just $100! I had to explain how awesome the prices were to my disinterested husband.
Kids do grow fast!! And I know what you mean about trying to explain an exciting great deal to a husband 🙂 My husband knows to just agree with me (if I thought it was a great deal then he trusts that it was) and be excited with me.
I agree with everything you have said here. I honestly can’t believe people still buy clothes at retail, and heaven forbid–full price retail! In my area there are the kids outgrown consignment sales. They are twice a year and I have found such great stuff–not only clothes, but toys and room decor. All of them have a half price time, either the last hour or the last day of the sale and that is only when I go.
I agree. I can’t imagine paying the regular price on the tag for anything!
We have had great luck at consignment sales too. I usually try to volunteer too, which often means you can shop a day early (and get a higher percentage on things you consign).
Hey! I recognize one of those 1$ shirts! 🙂
Finn wore it till it was too cold outside so we thank you for your frugality which we benefited from. And can you just move back here please??? Reading these posts makes me miss you. You can live with us and still have no rent :)!
I am a sucker for plaid 🙂 I bought all of those shirts they had (like five).
We miss you too and would love to be roommates again!
Garage sales and thrift stores are a big YES. I can’t bring myself to spend crazy amounts of money on kids clothes when they grow out of them so quickly. Besides, you can find some amazing clothes in great shape. Thank you for linking up to Thrifty Thursday.
Hi Ruth! I totally agree 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and hosting Thrifty Thursday.
Great list! The Children’s Place is another place where you can get clearance deals for under $1, when you have a coupon and they mark it down to 99 cents. I like to shop end of season sales for myself.
Thanks Sonya! The Children’s Place does have some awesome clearance and it’s pretty easy to find a coupon to stack. I totally forgot about them!
With 8 kids, I appreciate this! (Right now I’m using my favorite method to get clothes for one of my girls… let her spend the night with Grandma and Grandpa who will take her to all the thrift shops in the city closest to us before bringing her home tomorrow! LOL)
🙂 That sounds like the perfect way to get kids clothes!
I love shopping thrift stores, especially for jeans for my boys. Sometimes my thrift store has them on sale for under $1. My kids are so tough on their jeans and if a pair only cost $1, it’s no sweat if they rip through the knees in a couple months.
Amen! It’s the same with my boys.
Nice advice. Kids clothes can normally cost a lot considering that they are always growing so quickly!
When my kids were small, I found there were certain ages that were more difficult to find good condition used clothing. Particularly the rough and tumble years of my boys. It seemed like every pair of pants had a hole in the knee within a week. My solution, buy any size girl or boy item in good condition for cheap at yard sales. Usually, I would only do this if the clothes were a buck a bag or priced really cheaply. Then, I would take them to my favorite used children’s clothing store and trade them in for credit. That way I always had credit to buy the ACTUAL items i needed, like pants without holes in the knees. It’s a little extra effort, but so worth it when the items you need are hard to find.
Great idea Mel! That’s a perfect way to take advantage of great deals on kids clothes and be certain to get what you need in the right sizes. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Very thorough list. Target & Old Navy are also my favorite stores to shop clearance for kids clothes!
Thanks for stopping by SS. Hooray for Target and Old Navy!
Yes! I agree. I don’t even look at the regularly priced items. Straight to the Clearance rack. If it’s not there then it doesn’t exist. 🙂
I’m the same way. I never look at regular priced things. Beeline for the clearance for sure! 🙂