A great way to save money on your kids clothes is to shop in the off season. So at the end of Spring and Summer when you would usually be buying for Fall and Winter, you go ahead and stock up on clothes for next year. By purchasing off season, you can save 40-75% off of retail prices. That adds up to huge savings when you are trying to support a family.
In fact, we just picked up Winter clothes for a toddler at 60% off – spending only $6 each for long pants and $4 each for shirts! When you go to your favorite retail stores, take a quick look at the sale racks in the kid’s clothing section. Buy one or two pieces at a time – but be careful to keep track of what you’ve purchased because when things are on sale it can be easy to go overboard!
Of course, it can be tricky to determine what size your little one will be in next year (because, growth spurts!) but chances are you can make a pretty good determination. You can even buy a size up in shirts if you think they’ll be between sizes. Check shorts and pants to see if they have an adjustable elastic band that you can tighten, too.
I’ve always been a fan of hand-offs too. Certainly, you are going to want new kids clothes sometimes, but nothing says love like sharing clothes (especially cute ones) with your friends. Start a kids closet with your friends for the year, get some wine and have a shopping party. When you have a friend that is having a tough time, gently used clothes can be a life saver. You can repeat every year and what you don’t hand-off you can donate.
