Because kids are constantly growing and outgrowing their clothes, the endless process of buying new clothes for them can put a big dent in your pocket. You need a system that'll help you save.
Buying kids' clothes on a budget does not mean that you have to settle for poor quality items. But that's what a lot of parents end up doing.
In this article, I'm going to show you how to find cheap alternatives for your child's clothes. I'll also outline a few tips that you can use to cut costs when it comes buying clothes for your kids on a budget.
Sounds good? Great. Let's begin!
Ways to save money on children’s clothes
1. Buy durable clothes
Kids can be very active. This means their clothes have to be able to take a beating without needing replacement.
For this reason, you want to go for items with quality stitching and durable materials. You want to make sure that they'll be able to withstand multiple laundry sessions.
Buying durable clothes might mean spending a little extra money upfront, but it is always worth it in the end. Go for trusted brands and brands that have a reputation for quality assurance.
In addition to getting quality clothes, ensure that you follow the cleaning and ironing instructions for each garment. This will guarantee that the clothes retain their color and strength for longer.
2. Look out for sales
Whether you are shopping at a physical location or an online store, always be on the lookout for great deals. If you are in a physical store, start shopping at the back of the store. That's where all the magic happens. This is where you'll find all the clearance sales and huge price reductions.
Also, if you find any coupons for clothes in magazines or at the store, seize them. Coupons are a great way to save big on your shopping and walk out of the store with a smile on your face and tons of clothes behind you.
3. Shop off-season
Buying clothes when they’re not in season is another way to guarantee that you'll get them for cheap. For example, if you buy winter coats and jackets in spring, you can get them at almost half the price. In the same way, you can also buy bathing suits and summer wear as summer ends if you want to save some coin.
A word to thee wise: off-season shopping can be a little tricky sometimes because you have to guess what size your child will be by the time they need the clothes. You probably want to play it safe by estimating a couple sizes larger.
4. Sell some clothes
When it's time to shop again, one of the ways you can keep yourself from digging into your savings is by letting the clothes buy themselves. By selling some of your child’s older clothes, you won’t have to spend a lot out of pocket to upgrade their wardrobes.
The only way this works is if you sell clothes that are still of good quality. You can make them look more appealing by washing and ironing them before storing them in a plastic container. This will ensure they are wrinkle-free by the time you are ready to sell them.
You can sell the clothes in a number of ways. Garage sales are always a hit. You can hold your own or join a neighbor or friend in theirs, although this might mean sharing a portion of your sales with them.
Online stores are also quite popular especially if you have a lot of clothes on your hands. Take photos and post them online and there'll always be someone willing to take them off your hands.
Some stores also allow trade-ins. In this case, you bring in your slightly worn items that they will valuate. You can then pick out a few items worth the same value as the clothes you brought in. Most of the time, the value of your clothes will go down by half, but this is still better than fully going out of pocket.
5. Trade with friends
If you have a group of friends with children of the same age or size as your own, it is possible for everyone to upgrade their wardrobes without being set back a dime. This is possible when you do swaps.
To get started, all you have to talk to a few friends and ask everyone to bring clothes that are in good shape and fall in the same size bracket. You can then switch the items as you please and end up with cute clothes for cheap.
6. Hand-me-downs
This is one of the most straightforward ways to save money on children's clothes. It only works if you have an older child, though. Instead of buying clothes new clothes for both your kids, when the older one outgrows their clothes, store them safely till the younger one is big enough for them to fit. This way, you get to use one set of clothes for two kids.
The best way to make hand-me-downs work in your favor is to buy unisex outfits in gender-neutral colors. For clothes like hoodies, snow jackets, gloves, and boots, go for colors like brown, black, and gray. This way, whether your next child is a boy or a girl, they can still wear the clothes you kept for them.
7. Buy clothes for different purposes
Picking out clothes for different uses extends their usage. For play clothes and park clothes, you can opt for cheap kids' clothes that are still of high quality. You can also get them is sets, like half a dozen t-shirts or shorts for playtime to save money. For school clothes, you can choose more high-end items.
8. Avoid collections
Collections may look cute, but they are always expensive. When you split up the outfits and compare their prices with other similar clothes from the same brand, the set is almost always more expensive. Plus, collections will also throw in things like shoes and hats to add on to the total cost.
To make matters worse, these clothes will likely not match anything else in your child's closet. This is why you are better off buying individual pieces.
Final Thoughts
These 8 tips have helped me save a lot when shopping for my kids. I hope they can help you save money on cheap kids clothes, too. Good luck!