10 Tips For Saving Money On Kid’s Clothes

One of my favorite things to do is shop for kid’s clothes and I love finding great deals on things that make them look even cuter than they already are. Clothes purchases can be a large portion of your budget if you let them so I wanted to share ten of my favorite ways to save money on your kid’s wardrobe.

1) Shop garage sales during the warmer months (and use my tips below to get the best bargain)

I’ve been amazed at some of the deals I’ve scored at garage sales because people just want to get rid of their stuff. The best deal I found was outfits for a quarter! If you find a great sale with nice clothes but they are a little too pricey you can do one of two things. You can ask the person what day/time their sale ends and go back right before they are closing to get a better deal or you can give them your phone number and ask them to call you if they still have clothes leftover at the end of their sale. People are more likely to give you a bargain if the alternative is giving them away or putting them back in their basement for another year. Another way to save money is to ask for a discount on their prices if you are buying a number of items.

2) Shop the end of season clearance racks

The end of season clearance is the best way to score some great deals on brand new clothes. You will take a chance guessing on what size your child will be the following season so I’d buy one extra size up. Your child will either have clothes that fit or clothes that are a bit big and can be worn two seasons. I’d also suggest purchasing things that aren’t super trendy if your kids are older since trends change. Stick with basics for them like tshirts, athletic wear and pajamas.

3) Find clothes for free

If you are really in a bind trying to get clothes for your children, Freecycle is a great place to look. When I first had the boys we were struggling financially and I got the majority of their clothes from people giving them away for free. The majority of the clothes were wearable and some were even name brand (which didn’t matter that much at that point- I was just happy to have clothes for them).

4) Check local thrift stores

Thrift stores can be hit or miss. My favorite is Savers because I’ve found quality clothes at good prices there and they give back to charity. Goodwill is another well-known thrift store that I like to shop at and some even have clothes with tags on them. Our local Goodwill gets items donated from Target that they resell at a steep discount.

5) Get hand-me-downs from family 

If you have family with children of the same gender you can always ask for hand-me-downs. We were lucky enough to get some hand-me-downs of my nephews who was about a year older than Jacob. Make sure to check if they will want them back and if so, mark the tags of the items so you know which ones are theirs.

6) Use an online consignment site

There is nothing better than being able to shop from the comfort of your couch. I love selling on Swap and also just recently learned about Vinted Kids. Both sites I’ve worked with in the past and you can see my reviews here- Swap and Vinted Kids.

7) Swap with friends

If you are in a local parenting group you can always see if anyone is up for participating in a clothing swap. Everyone can donate clothes to the swap that their children have grown out of and then you can get the items you need. To make it fair for everyone, one item has to be donated to the group for every item taken. My local moms group has bins for younger children that they pass around.

8) Check the outlet malls

I was surprised to find that outlet stores have the same on trend items and seasonal offerings that their main stores do, just at a fraction of the price. Before shopping at a store in your local mall check out their outlet location to see if you can find what you are looking for there.

9) Buy basics for cheap at the big box stores

The best places to shop for basics are Walmart and Target. I love buying plain sweatpants and sweatshirts for the boys at Walmart because they are usually less than $5 each. I make sure to keep a set for each of them in the car in case of cold evenings or when they need a change of clothes due to spills.

10) Shop at discount stores

Discount stores like TJ Maxx, Ross Dress for Less and Marshalls often sell name brand items at amazing prices. They usually have a great selection as well which makes shopping easy.

What are your tips for saving on your children’s clothes?

 

 

Baby Budgeting For The Nursery Essentials

The following is a guest post by: Ashley White. Ashley is a blogger and self-described HGTV addict. She scours antique and resale shops for goodies to fill her family’s eclectic home in upstate New York.

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Babies need a lot of stuff — or so they say. While I was pregnant with Patrick, people —including my friends, family, coworkers and those who met me on the street — would tell me I had to have a Bugaboo stroller or that a travel crib was essential. It was a bit overwhelming, and sometimes tempting, but I learned after the crib, dresser and rocking chair, the real nursery necessities are below.

A Night Light

It was an adjustment getting Patrick on a sleep schedule that didn’t involve him staying up all night and sleeping all day. Once we invested in some roller/solar shades he started associating darkness with sleep and light with being awake. With curtains or shades that block out light (great for nap time) you’ll need a night light. Find one that emits enough light for you to navigate the room but not so much that it keeps your baby awake.

Not necessary: Stubbing your toe in the dark while you are trying to calm your child. Or worse, waking him up because you flipped on a too-bright light just to check on him.

Garbage Pail

Find a sturdy, 4 gallon garbage pail with a lid for your baby’s nursery. Walmart.com has a great selection of trash bins under $15, but check your local dollar store as well. In the beginning, we changed Patrick in whatever room we were in. But when I found a week old dirty diaper in the spare bedroom in the basement, that changed. Learn from our experience: Designate one garbage pail for dirty diapers. Control the smell by regularly sprinkling a little baking soda in the bag and make sure it always gets taken out.

Not necessary: A Diaper Genie. If you change that dirty of a diaper, just run it out.

Sleepy Swing

Every child is different, and when deciding on nursery items it really depends on your child’s personality and your parenting style. But, I have to say, a comfortable little swing for Patrick to fall asleep in saved my life. We love to rock and snuggle, but when I need a nap, to cook dinner or finish some freelance work, the swing is Patrick’s new best friend. We found a gently-used Graco swing on Craig’s List for $25.

Not necessary: Toys. Your child won’t be interested in them until later, and infants shouldn’t sleep with stuffed animals for safety reasons, anyway.

A Handy Hamper

Your baby will need his or her own hamper. We keep Patrick’s on the floor in the corner of his closet. It is out of the way, but still very accessible. Since we only change dirty diapers in his room (see above: garbage pail) this hamper comes in handy when we are getting ready for a bath or when changing a disaster of a diaper.

Not necessary: Carrying those onesies around after a diaper explosion.

Baby Monitor

Those first few nights my husband and I would lay awake listening to Patrick breath so we didn’t need a monitor. But when we got used to him being a part of our family — and when we succumbed to a much needed deep sleep — the monitor came in handy. It is also great for nap times when I’m downstairs cleaning or working. My suggestion? Ask around to see if someone has an extra. My sister lent me hers so we got ours for free.

Not necessary: A video monitor. Just go check on him or her.

 

Boost Your Budget {January Recap}

Boost Your Budget Pantry Challenge

Today is the final check in of the Boost Your Budget Pantry Challenge. To be honest we ate out less than we normally do this month but did not reduce our spending in that area as much as I had hoped. We did pretty good this last week of the challenge though. We only ate out once and that was because we left really early one night to go to Disney on Ice and we had to grab McDonald’s on the way there and then I had a slice of pizza while there because my little cheeseburger did not fill me up. Jake got some treats, too. Other than that we resisted the urge to grab food while we were out so that was a big accomplishment for our busy family.

How did you all do? I would love to hear about how your month long journey went. You can leave a comment below or link up your post. Remember, everyone who does so has a chance to win a $25 Coupon Clutch gift certificate! :)


Boost Your Budget {Week #4}

Boost Your Budget Pantry Challenge

How is everyone doing with the Boost Your Budget Pantry Challenge? Week 4! Wow! This past week we failed at the eating out less challenge. I was sick most of the week and the rest of the family was sick some of the week, too. I used all my energy taking care of the kids, blogging, and working. Our house was a disaster all week and I didn’t feel like cooking anything. Thankfully Sinisa cooked some but he was working a lot so it was just easier for him to pick something up than to add to the mess in the kitchen.

Thankfully we are back on track after this past weekend. I am feeling better, our house is spotless, and I am moving into the week with the mindset that we won’t eat out any meals. :)

If you are participating in the Boost Your Budget challenge make sure to leave a comment below or link up your post. We’d love to see how it’s going for you! And remember, one lucky person will win a $25 Coupon Clutch gift certificate!


Boost Your Budget {Week 3}

Boost Your Budget Pantry Challenge

Welcome to week 3 of the Boost Your Budget Pantry Challenge hosted by Shopper Strategy and co-hosted by other bloggers, including myself. Not much is different from last week to this week in regards to our spending on eating out though we are doing better than when we started this challenge. Having groceries to make meals and some “quick” meal options at home save us from purchasing fast food. Sinisa suggested we go out to dinner one night and I was proud of myself for saying that we should stay home instead.

If you are participating in this challenge, how is it going for you? Make sure to leave a comment below or link up your blog post if you are a blogger. Remember that one lucky person will win a $25 Coupon Clutch Gift Certificate.


Boost Your Budget {Week 2}

Boost Your Budget Pantry Challenge

Welcome to week 2 of the Boost Your Budget Challenge with Shopper Strategy. {If you missed the intro post you can find the information about this challenge here.} How is everyone doing so far? We are doing okay here. Our goal was to spend less on eating out which we have done but did not cut out that spending as much as I would have liked. Sinisa came home the first night of the challenge with pizza which was really yummy but didn’t help with the fact that I am trying to eat healthier and spend less money on food. At least he got cheap pizza though :) One day we were out really late so we stopped at Wendy’s and got me a chili and the boys hamburgers. We then took it home and completed the rest of our meal from what was in our fridge (apples and milk for the boys and leftovers for Sinisa). That is not something we normally would do so that is an improvement in our habits. Yesterday Sinisa and I had a lunch date at Red Lobster but I had a gift card since I’m doing a review of their new restaurant design so we payed the tip and only $3 of the bill so that was a pretty cheap date.

My goal for this week is to eat out no more than once. I hope to stick to that plan and eat the yummy dinners on my menu plan for the week and eat my breakfasts, lunches, and snacks on the Special K plan so that I can limit the money we are spending on food.

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Would you like to join in on this challenge? It’s easy to do! Just leave a comment below or link up your post about how you plan to spend less on food this week! All entries will be entered to win a $25 Coupon Clutch gift certificate and one person will win it!

Link up below:



Boost Your Budget {Week 1}

Boost Your Budget Pantry Challenge

Welcome to week one of the Boost Your Budget Pantry Challenge with Shopper Strategy and co-hosts Making Time For Mommy, Going Crazy Wanna Go?, Matter of Cents, Frugal Mom of Two, Joan, Mama’s Money Tree, The Frugalista Chick, Coupon Pals, How About Free, Sweeping The USA, Pary Moppins, Coupon Pals, Thrifty Divas, TheItMom.com, Mommies Point of View, Full Price? NEVER!, Crunchy Frugalista, Fab Find Foodie, A Savings WOW!, Danielle Leonard, Adventures in Coupons, and Generations of Savings.

The new year has started and I know many people have made a resolution to spend less money {including myself}. With that goal in mind I am excited to be helping host this blog hop because it’s all about saving money on something we have to do-eat!

All you have to do is write a post about how you plan to spend less on food in the month of January and add your post to the linky below. Your goal can be eating out less, not buying any snack foods, or spending less money than you normally do at the grocery store. This challenge will run the entire month and each Monday there will be a new linky so that you can share how you are doing on your goal. Each week one person who links up will be chosen to win a $25 Coupon Clutch gift certificate.

My goal this month is to eat out less. Though I make a menu plan weekly we sometimes eat lunches out or grab something quick for dinner when we are out and about and I really want to do that less this month.

What is your goal? Please link up below to share with everyone and enter to win a gift certificate to Coupon Clutch.