Have you ever taken a few minutes to look back at your child’s baby pictures and realized just how much he or she has grown? If you have a child, chances are, you notice this every few months to a year when their pants are too short and their little bellies are peeking out under their shirt. Fact: Children grow. Also fact: You don’t have to spend a small fortune on new clothes. It boggles my mind to hear how much people spend on clothes that children will only wear once or twice. There has to be a better way. I am excited to share a few tips today that will allow your kids to be dressed well, yet also keep some money in your pocket.
- Accept hand-me-downs. We are blessed to have almost all of our daughter’s clothing provided in this way. Yes, the clothes are used, but most look new (remember, kids only wear things a handful of times before they are too small). We live in the woods and we home school. This allows us to have a much larger stash of “play clothes” and a small collection of “good clothes”. Our daughter loves receiving those bags of clothes every 6 months or so! She has plenty of options in her closet and we pass down what we don’t need to others.
- Yard sales/Kid’s Sales/Facebook. Yard sales provide 70% of my boy’s attire. For me, there is no shame in saying that. We are frugal AND wise when it comes to clothing our children. They don’t need the best and the most expensive. They don’t even care about all of that… until they are older, but maybe not even then if carefully taught. Our town has a Kid’s Sale twice a year. When those come up, I plan what is still needed for my children’s wardrobe and search there. Think about items that are most expensive in the store and look for these when checking out cheaper venues. I always snatch up snow boots/mud boots, winter coats, snow pants, sports clothes/shoes and pajamas.
- Trade clothes with other families. This can be quite helpful if you don’t have a ton of space for storing clothes your child has outgrown. It is a way to spend once, but clothe twice. Try seeking out family members or friends who have children with similar sizes (slightly larger or smaller). You can also ask on Facebook. Don’t be shy. Chances are, someone else will think that is a great idea too!
- Quality over quantity. Especially true for our “good clothes” stash. If I buy something that will be worn for outings, church, parties, etc., I want to be sure it will last through at least 2 children. We focus on buying quality items more than having tons of options. I often visit yard sales and find name brand products that look like they have never been worn. I will consider paying a little more for these types of clothes knowing they will last for a long time.
- Add clothes to your child’s wish list. When it comes to birthdays and Christmas, young children often have grandparents, aunts, uncles, and even cousins who want to give a gift. They typically ask me for a list. In our house, toys are abundant. While we don’t mind a few more toys, I tend to add some needed clothing to the list too. In this way, my children have gifts to unwrap, but some are practical.
- Prepare for the next size. This is a huge money-saver for us. I am able to buy from clearance racks for next year or snag great deals at yard sales. We all know that kids will NOT stop growing until they are in their late teens. So, there is a 100% chance your child will need that next size in the near future. In the past, JCPenny sent out $10 off $10 coupons for their store. I would go straight to the clearance rack and purchase items for my son that added up to $11 or so. In the end I paid $1 for 2 or 3 articles of brand new clothing, that my son will grow into, and then pass onto his brother. The same goes for Kohls. You can use the 30% off coupons on clearance items, but most of the time the clearance options are for the season that has just ended. So, I look for clothes that my child can grow into. In doing this, I am saving even more money and preparing for the future. There is nothing worse than realizing that your child had a growth spurt and you have no clothes that fit. When this happens, you have no choice but to run out a buy whatever is available to he or she will have clothes. Talk about expensive. We keep an under the bed box under each child’s bed with the next size of clothes so they are easy to access.
- Sell your surplus. When you know there will be no more kids to pass down to, it is a good time to sell. But I am also talking about the abundance that doesn’t need to go to the next kid. Sometimes I wonder how I acquired so many clothes for my son during his 18-24 month range. I knew there was no way the next boy would wear that many clothes in such a short time. You can always give away clothes you don’t need, but if you sell them, you may make enough to get a jump start on the next size.
- Keep yourself accountable. I am not one to ooh and aaah over kids clothing, but if this describes you, it may be helpful to set up a kid’s clothing category in your budget. Doing this will allow you to set limits on splurges. Keeping track of what you spend may shock you. If you do sell some used clothes, you can add some money back into your budget.
- Remember why we wear clothes. Since the Garden of Eden, clothing has been non-negotiable. The clothing we wear, or have our children wear, does say something about who we are. When we clothe our children, we want to say that clothes aren’t the most important thing. We can dress well without spending lots of money. We want our kids to feel comfortable getting dirty and be able to play without worrying about ruining brand new clothing. We desire for our children to learn to dress in a way that pleases the Lord. This can be accomplished by being wise with how much money we spend on clothing, how much clothing we accumulate, and what style we choose to wear.
I realize this isn’t everyone’s lifestyle, but I hope it has helped you think about ways YOU can clothe your growing children well without overspending.
Seeking Wisdom,
