The Frugal Baby » Frugal Baby Clothes

Where and How to Buy Used Baby Clothes

admin — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:29:57 +0000

I know, I know…there’s something a little icky about the idea of putting your fresh clean baby into somebody else’s stained and faded baby clothes. I use to feel the same way. Until I discovered how great used clothes can actually be and how cheap they are in comparison to new clothes. Before you totally write off the notion of used baby clothes, consider these sources and the benefits of each.

Resale Shops
Children’s resale shops are becoming quite popular all over the United States. There are a number of national chains of stores including Once Upon a Child, Children’s Orchard, and Kid to Kid, as well as many independent stores. The beauty of these shops is that they only accept the best of the best in used clothing. In most cases, the clothes have to be in style and free from stains, rips, or fading. You can often find brand-new clothing at these shops. To sweeten the deal, you can then sell your old baby clothes to the shops for cash or store credit.

Yard Sales
Obviously, not all yard sales are created equal. But if you are careful to choose sales with high quality merchandise and reasonable prices, you can sometimes score a lot of baby clothes for just a few dollars. Be sure to examine each item thoroughly to check for tears and stains. Also, don’t forget to negotiate. I recommend at least attempting to negotiate before buying any item at a yard sale.

Ebay
Ebay is a great place to find baby clothes, though it is usually more expensive than other places on this list. Nevertheless, if you look for “lots” of clothing (several items be sold in one listing), you can sometimes get really great deals. Just be sure to factor in the cost of shipping when figuring out how much you are willing to spend.

Consignment Sales
Consignment sales are annual or semi-annual sales held in churches, gymnasiums, and other venue. Similar to resale shops, consignment sales are selling clothing or other items brought in by individuals. They are usually required to be in good condition and often, the sale coordinators will put a cap on how much individuals can charge for an item of clothing. When shopping at a consignment sale, arrive early and be prepared to spend some time sifting through all of the clothing.

Thrift Stores
Thrift stores require the most patience of all the places in this list. Because thrift stores don’t have strict standards regarding the condition of the items they sell, you may very well have to pick through a number of unacceptable items in order to find a few gems. Nevertheless, this is one of the cheapest places to buy baby clothes and should not be disregarded.

Saving Money on Baby Clothes

admin — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:28:21 +0000

Depending upon your personal level of frugality, there are many ways to save money on clothing your baby. Some, obviously, will save you more than others, but they all have their merits. These methods are listed in order of potential savings with the most expensive at the top and the most frugal at the bottom. If you are new to the frugal life and are a bit hesitant to jump in with both feet, start at the top of the list and work your way down. First, though, let’s look at the cost of clothing your baby, along side the potential savings that frugality can provide:

Infant Clothing

The Cost

Frugal Makeover

The cost to clothe your baby can vary greatly depending on a number of factors. According to the USDA, the average annual cost of clothing a child is about $600. Depending upon how you shop, your actual total could be much more or much less. Here is an example:

At an online children’s clothing boutique, I found an absolutely adorable blue cardigan sweater for a baby boy. The cost? $54. Plus $6 for shipping. Ouch. At this rate, I would far exceed the $600 per year average!

Combining some of the frugal strategies mentioned below, I found a comparable sweater for a much lower price.

First, I skipped the boutique and looked instead at The Children’s Place. At their website, I went directly to the sale page. That is where I found an equally adorable sweater for the rock-bottom price of just $10. But wait, there’s more. I used a click-through coupon in a promotional email from The Children’s Place to save 25% on any one item. Finally, I found a coupon code that entitled me to free shipping. When all was said and done, I spent $7.50. At this rate, I should come in at well under $600 over the course of the year.

Shop at Discount Stores

This may be an obvious suggestion but for some people, it is a giant leap toward frugality. If you typically buy your baby’s clothing at children’s boutiques or even at regular retail stores like Baby Gap or Macy’s, you are spending a lot of money on clothing. By shopping at discount stores like Walmart, Target, or even Family Dollar, you can save a considerable amount of money.

Shop at End of Season Sales

Most stores begin marking down their merchandise as the season draws to a close. By the very end of the season, clothes may be reduced by 75% or more. Since babies wear sizes that correspond with their age, you can usually shop in advance for your baby’s clothes.

Use Coupons

True, clothing retailers don’t routinely distribute coupons for their products. But many stores offer coupons for any purchases made in their establishments. And (this is my favorite frugal rule of thumb) ALWAYS look for coupon codes before purchasing an item online. There are amazing deals to be found.

Buy Used

You may feel a little squeamish about this one. Some people just don’t like the idea of putting their baby in other people’s clothing. But before you disregard this idea completely, just browse through a second hand store or spend a few minutes on Ebay. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that many items are new or nearly new. Click here for an in-depth look at second-hand clothing.

Get it for Free

Yep, that’s what I said. Free. Clothing swaps, online groups such as Freecycle, and other parents are all great sources of free clothing. Also, by combining other strategies such as coupons and sales, it is sometimes possible to get items for free or nearly free. Click here for more ideas on getting something for nothing.

How to Get Baby Clothes — For Free

admin — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:10:10 +0000

According to the USDA, the average annual cost of clothing a child is about $600. I am here to assure you, though, that you can do it for much less. In fact, I maintain that you can practically clothe your baby for free. The following five strategies will get you started on scoring free clothes for your baby. Some people can use all of the suggestions and some may only use one or two. Using any of these suggestions, though, will help to save you money.

Register for clothing. Most people remember to register for car seats and swings and even bottles, but surprisingly, a lot of people forget to put clothing on their baby registry. Also, be sure to register for more than just newborn and 0-3 month sizes. Be careful, though, to consider the seasons – don’t register for sundresses in a size 9 months if your baby will be nine months old in the dead of winter.
Leave tags on clothes and keep receipts. Instead of immediately washing your baby’s new clothes and arranging them neatly in his closet, leave the tags on and hang onto the receipts. Why? Because you may have an abundance of one size and be able to exchange a few items for a bigger size. Likewise, your baby could skip the newborn size entirely (both of my babies did) so you could return all of your newborn clothing for bigger sizes.
Join The Baby Chain. I can’t rave enough about this site. Its motto is “give what you can and get what you need” which pretty much sums up its purpose. When you join (for free), you can donate baby and maternity items to people who need them and you can request the items you need – including clothing. It is a terrific service that everyone should join.
Join Freecycle. Freecycle is a network of local groups that works similarly to The Baby Chain. Members can offer up things they no longer need and request things that they do. While it is not exclusive to baby items, plenty of baby stuff changes hands on Freecycle.
Resell your baby clothes. Children’s resale shops are becoming quite popular all over the United States. There are a number of national chains of stores including Once Upon a Child, Children’s Orchard, and Kid to Kid, as well as many independent stores. Parents can bring in their gently used baby and children’s clothing for cash or store credit. In many cases, the store credit will be greater than the cash amount. If you accept store credit, you can go ahead and shop right there for more clothes for your baby – for free!