My kids are well dressed, nearly for free. I have tried a variety of methods and seem to have stumbled upon one that works well for me. Here’s how I do it.
1. Plan ahead. Shop ahead.
I make a list of what each kid will need in each of the next few sizes and keep that list in my purse. Sweet Pea is currently in size 18 months, but I have nearly a full 2T wardrobe ready in the wings, which saves me from having to buy clothes at full price and gives me time to be picky about getting cute stuff on the cheap. As I shop, I note what I got, so I can see at a glance where there are gaps. I also plan each kid’s wardrobe around a few colors and try to shop for pieces that will mix and match.
Here’s the table I use to determine how much of each type of garment to buy. I got the amounts from a website for what foster kids need, and added to give a well rounded wardrobe consistent with our climate (California, no snow) and once-a-week laundering. Peanut is 4 years old, wearing 4 T currently, so I’m working on 5T and 6T acquisition. The one I keep in my purse has space in the notes to write out the color/pattern/image on shirts so I remember what’s in the closet.
Here’s his list:
BOY – 5 T | Needed | Purchased | Notes |
Underpants | 10 | ||
Undershirts | 10 |
|
|
Socks | 10 | ||
Pajamas – light | 3 | ||
Pajamas – heavy | 3 | ||
Dressy outfits | 2 | ||
Everyday shirts – short sleeve | 10 | ||
Everyday shirts – long sleeve | 10 | ||
Shorts | 10 | ||
Pants | 10 | ||
Sweaters/Sweatshirts | 5 | ||
Light jacket | 1 | ||
Heavy jacket | 1 | ||
Swim suit | 1 | ||
Winter hat | 1 | ||
Summer hat | 1 | ||
Rain coat | 1 | ||
Dressy shoes | 1 | ||
Sneakers | 1 | ||
Sandals | 1 | ||
Slippers | 1 |
Sweet Pea has a nearly complete 2T wardrobe, so I shouldn’t need much for her right away. I always put bike shorts or leggings under everyday dresses and skirts, so I list them together. Here’s her list:
Girl – 2T | Needed | Purchased | Notes |
Underpants | 10 | ||
Socks | 10 | ||
Pajamas – light | 3 | ||
Pajamas – heavy | 3 | ||
Dressy outfits | 2 | ||
Everyday shirts – short sleeve | 6 | ||
Everyday shirts – long sleeve | 6 | ||
Shorts | 4 | ||
Skirts & bike shorts | 2 | ||
Pants/Jeans | 6 | ||
Dresses & leggings – summer | 4 | ||
Dresses & leggings – winter | 4 | ||
Sweaters | 5 | ||
Light jacket | 1 | ||
Heavy jacket | 1 | ||
Swim suit | 1 | ||
Winter hat | 1 | ||
Summer hat | 1 | ||
Rain coat | 1 | ||
Dressy shoes | 1 | ||
Sneakers | 1 | ||
Sandals | 1 | ||
Slippers | 1 |
My kids have been consistent in sizing, so it’s easy for me to determine what size they’ll need. I have a hard time gauging shoe sizes ahead, though, so I tend to stick with closed-toe shoes that can go year round. Sweet Pea is a lover of “cute” clothes and already a shoe-loving girl (she doesn’t get that from me) so I anticipate that we’ll have more need for shoe columns as she has more of a say in things!
Generally my list gives about a week’s wardrobe plus a few spares for spills or accidents. Also, I hang clothes in outfits rather than folding individually, so while we could get away with fewer pants than shirts, it is just easier for me to have equal numbers. I buy 10 pairs of the same socks per kid as well, so every sock matches every other sock. No more sock hunts! (I do this for Mr. Penny and myself as well; we actually share everyday short socks.)
This picture is from last year, when I instituted the one-hanger-per-outfit rule. A top, bottom, and underwear for Peanut are all on the same hanger, so he can pick out his own outfit and it matches every time. I’ve since removed the hanging shelf and those clothes hung up or in the dresser, but I’ll maintain the single hanger option as long as they’ll let me. Putting clothes away is so easy!
2. Second hand and know my brands
I don’t buy kids clothes often, but when I do, I buy lots. Craigslist lots to be specific. I’ll buy a lot, or group, of clothes for about $1 per piece, often cheaper, and have a nearly complete wardrobe very inexpensively. I haven’t had great luck finding good quality cheap clothes at local thrift stores and garage sales; they’re frequently no less expensive than clearance at regular stores, and I have a hard time finding things in really good condition that I can later resell.
I look for ads with pictures that state damage free (no holes, no stains), brand name clothes in excellent or very good used condition, from non-smoking households. I am not a brand name shopper for myself, but I have found that some brands hold up better to being worn by multiple kids than others. No-name brands fall apart quickly, while better quality brands can go through multiple kids and washes without falling apart.
This trick seems to work best for small kids. After age 3-4, kids wear out clothes faster than they outgrow them, so fewer lots in great condition seem to be available. As Peanut is moving into big-kid sizes, I’m having a harder time finding used clothes in good condition for $1!
3. Stock up at Gymboree (really!) and other clearance sales
Now Gymboree isn’t known for it’s cheap kids clothes, but they have really good sales and it is worth learning how to take advantage of them! I use the method outlined at Never Pay Retail Again and routinely save 60-75% off retail price. I try to get a variety of pieces in the same series so I can easily mix and match for a variety of outfits at the least expense.
Starting Thursday, 3/18, they’re offering a Fill-A-Bag sale – 30% off your entire purchase – PLUS you can stack a 20% coupon and earn Gymbucks toward a future order! Check out the details over at Never Pay Retail Again.
Clearance sales in general are fantastic to keep an eye on, but have a bottom line, a dollar amount you won’t exceed per item, to make it most cost effective. I will not spend more than $5 per piece for anything other than jeans ($10) or jackets ($20). I have had great luck with finding quality pieces with this limit in mind.
Target often marks down 30%, then 50%, and occasionally more. Carter’s Outlet will mark down to 90% off, and frequently offer coupons, but they’re in-store only. Old Navy has crazy end-of-season sales smack dab in the middle of the season, and they occasionally have 50% off of already clearanced items. I’ve been able to stock up on new things for the kids for under $1 in the store. I could save even more next time by buying gift cards online for less.
4. Resell it!
These are all tricks to buying clothes inexpensively, but inexpensive is not practically free, so I’ll let you in on part 2 of my kids clothes plan: I do my best to keep clothes looking good and then resell them when they’re outgrown. (I buy stain remover in bulk!)
For lots that I purchase on Craigslist, I pull out the clothes I like and then rebundle what is left to sell. I resell good brands in lots on Ebay, where I can get a few dollars per piece. Less great brands or basics sell at garage sales for $1 per piece. Recently, I bought a lot of 80 pieces for $30, including 7 Gymboree outfits that will be resold to recoup the entire $30; what’s left is free!
When I buy clothes, I leave the tags on until the kid is ready to wear the outfit, because occasionally a piece never gets worn and the resale value is higher with tags.
And there you have it, my method for clothing kids close to free: plan and shop ahead, buy good brands used and on clearance, and resell to recoup your money.
Do you have tips for buying kids clothes that I missed? Leave them in the comments!
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This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.
Those are brilliant tips! Baby clothing is the one area where we really struggle on keeping costs low. I’m working on buying secondhand and buying in lots…but more than anything, keeping in mind that she doesn’t need as much clothing as we think she does! Right now her dresser is FULL, and it has way more clothing than she needs.
Right! Sweet Pea had an abundance of stuff until about 9 months when I started my system. It’s working out well for me now, but I’m still finding myself with too much and edit down. I have a “to sell” container in the kids’ closet so I can easily cull into that and have stuff to sell.
I should list a few lots, now that I’ve posted about it!
We do a lot of hand me downs from church folk. It has been a huge blessing!
I basically never buy anything new for my kids (except socks and underwear). I get a lot of free stuff from freecycle.org (a giant network set up in many cities where people offer things for free) or my sister (who has an older daughter) or a couple friends with bigger kids. I have about 8 boxes of clothes for my 2 girls in the basement, covering the next couple of years. If a friend needs something in a bigger size, I go hunt for it in the basement – it always comes back in time for my girls to wear it. I also have a bag of gently worn shoes for eah of them, although I have bought a new pair or 2 lately. I look at my local thrift store to fill in the gaps for clothes and shoes.
Hand me downs are awesome if you’re in a network with kids slightly older than yours. Unfortunately, we don’t get a whole lot of hand-me-downs and I’m sure there are other moms whose kids are the oldest of their cohort. Still, we need to find a cheap way to keep them dressed, and this method has worked well for us.
I just stocked up on socks and underwear for Peanut at Target. Hanes were 5% off, which isn’t a fantastic deal, but there were peel-off coupons on the packages for $1.50 off, and I had 3 $1.00 off coupons from the Target website which can be used along with manufacturer’s coupons. Voila, 3 packages of underwear, each with a bonus pair (6 pairs instead of 5), regularly $6.99 for 5 for just $4.14 for 6! $1.39 per pair vs. $.69 per pair is 50% off – not bad!
I printed out more Target coupons to take with me today to get a few more packages in the next few sizes.
Yanno, I don’t have kids, but I kept thinking while reading this–what a great idea for adults, particularly with career wear! I desperately need to go through my closests and figure out what I have, how it works together and what I need to donate.
Plus, I just love list making. ha! But I am definitely using some of these tactics to dress myself. Thanks!
It totally works for adults! The Capsule Concept comes from the book “Working Wardrobe” from the 80s and describes basically that same idea – a mix-and-match career wardrobe of 12 or so pieces that make 50+ different outfits. The outfits are obviously dated, but the concept is a good one.
Most of my wardrobe consists of jeans and t-shirts, so there isn’t much that doesn’t coordinate, but once I’m back in the workforce I’ll put this in to action.
You can also sell adult clothes on Ebay and consignment shops if you get good name clothes and take good care of them.
I just stocked up on Winter school clothes for my boy for the coming year (kindergarden) and got his school shoes for his first grade year, all on clearance at 70% off and then got an additional 15% off with a coupon. Now, I just have to make sure that I remember them when he’s ready to where them – I have been known to forget and then find them after he’s already outgrown them 😦 Not so frugal.
I fully agree with the Gymboree tip! I buy almost all of my kids’ clothes there – on deep clearance, usually a year or more out. People used to make snide comments about my Gymboree stuff and how they shop at Target because it is cheaper, etc., when in fact my Gymboree stuff is purchased at a Target price or lower and it’s higher quality. Even Gap has great clearance sales. It’s all about watching and being willing to store clothes until that size is needed. Shoes are the only item for the kids that I don’t buy in advance.
I clicked on this link thinking you wouldnt have anything new to add, but you do. LOL.
I’m not into reselling AT ALL…but everything else is great.
I have tons of clothes of every size that I have to get rid of. The problem I run into is that I have a lot of children in various sizes and I hate to get rid of their reallly nice clothes…even if I dont have a child coming up in that size.
I dont knwo what to do about that.
anyway….I’m going to pare down a bunch of our clothes.
any suggestions on what to do about play vs nice clothes? If I get all nice clothes and let them wear them whenever…they pretty much end up with nothing nice after a few months.
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