As moms you know how fast kids grow, especially babies between the ages of 0-2!! I never saw the point in spending a ton of money on clothes that are only going to last a month or two. So here are my top 5 tips to get good quality baby clothes for cheap.
Tip #1 Hand Me Downs
You know what they say, "the best things in life are free".....well so are the best clothes. Especially when they are just going to get spit up on and spilled down anyways. Sometimes the price is right, when it is FREE!!
Tip #2 Garage Sales
Make sure you hit garage sale season with a vengeance. Garage sales are the best places to find baby clothes and gear. Usually you can get clothes anywhere from .25 cents to $1 a piece. I avoid garage sales where they want $2 a piece for clothes.Especially when I usually can find clothes for $2-$3 brand new from the Department Store Clearance Rack.
Tip # 3 Mom to Mom Sales
These are great for getting not only clothes, but other essential baby gear. Check your local papers for your local Mom to Mom Sales. They are better than garage sales because you are guaranteed that there are going to be baby items.
Tip #4 Second Hand Stores ( St. Vinny's , Good Will, Salvation Army, Etc.)
I LOVE 2nd hand stores!! I love the challenge of digging and finding really great stuff for cheap prices. I allot myself anywhere from 1-4 hours to dig at 2nd hand stores depending on the size of the store and what I am looking for that trip.
You can be successful too, just follow these quick tips:
#1 Make it Worth Your While!!
You can usually tell when you walk in if it will be a hit or a miss. Give yourself an allotted amount of time to dig and if you aren't holding anything when your time is up, don't bother wasting anymore of it.
#2 The Beloved 1/2 OFF Color Tag!!
Most 2nd hand stores have signs when you walk in that will tell you if a certain color tag is half off that week. I follow the same garage sale philosophy here, I can find brand new store items for $2 - $3 so I wont pay it at Goodwill. Know the Color and keep it in the back of your mind while shopping, sometimes you can find basically the same items in the same condition but one is 1/2 off and the other is full price.
#3 DIG, DIG, DIG!!
I have made out BIG at 2nd hand stores by getting down and dirty!! I go through every rack, and bin available. I have scored some good finds from .35 cent clothes, to .90 Cent BRAND NEW COLUMBIA Zip-Ups, to Christmas Outfits and MORE!!
#4 Plan Ahead!!
I have tubs for both of the kids from Newborn to Age 5 Clothing. If it is in awesome condition and only a dollar or two I am grabbing it, even though they don't need it now (They will need it eventually). I especially like to do this with Winter Coats, Snow Pants, Jeans, Sweaters, and Swimwear!!
#5 Know What You Have
Since I buy everything ahead of time I had to be careful not to overbuy for one size and under buy for another.
For example, I love little boys cargo pants and I stocked up!!! So when I saw them for .65 cents I grabbed them for Coop and threw them up in the bin in his closet. When the time came for his 18 month bin to come down he had 15 pairs of cargo pants!!! I had bought him 5 khaki, 4 Brown, 2 Gray, 2 Blue and 2 Green!! Wow!!! It was a little unnecessary. I didn't know what I had so I ended up overbuying....not a good idea.
Just remember to dig and keep in mind what you could find brand new. (Don't pay more for used when you could get new!) With many of the Department Stores taking an extra 40%-70% off the clearance price you can find some awesome department store deals, especially if you buy out of season!!!
Here is some 2nd Hand Inspiration to get you motivated !!
Coop's .90 Cent Columbia Zip-Up
$50 Graco 4-1 Convertible Crib
$4.99 Toddler Rocker
You may have also saw on my Fabulous Find Page the Toddler Rocker that I got for Coop from Goodwill for $4.99!!
Food For Thought- Don't be Afraid to Haggle
If you feel something should be a lower price, don't be afraid to ask. Most of the time people just want to get rid of the stuff. Even if they may not take your initial offer but they may come down a little.
Happy Bargining!!!
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