How I Save Money when Shopping for Children’s Clothing

As a mother of four children, I know how shopping for children’s clothing can strain a family’s budget. Over the years, I have used a combination of the following sources to save money when shopping for children’s clothing.

Freecycle and Cheapcycle

To help save money on clothes and other items, I joined my regional Freecycle and Cheapcycle groups. Through Freecycle, I receive children’s clothing, and a host of other items, for free. When you join you have to post one item in good condition that you will give away. Members then respond to your offer if it is an item they want. I give the item to the first response that I receive. After this you can respond to members’ offers. Some groups also allow you to post requests for items that you need. I strongly suggest that as you go along, you do not limit yourself to donating only one item. Be aware that you have to pick up items in person. Since you may be meeting a stranger in a non-public place, use caution, always bring a friend with you, and let someone know where you are going and what time you expect to return. Cheapcycle works in a similar way as Freecycle, except the items that are offered are not free, but available for a low price. I think of it as an advertised, online yard sale. Most of the clothing and other items I have received this way have been in good condition, and it has helped stretch our budget. You are also being environmentally friendly, as you are keeping unwanted items out of our landfills. You can find a local Freecycle group here: http://www.freecycle.org/group/US. Local Cheapcycle groups can be found by searching for them on Yahoo Groups and Squidoo.

Local Churches and Thrift Stores

In my region, several churches offer a monthly “clothes closet” where donated clothes are offered for free once or twice a month. You can also check out your local Salvation Army and Goodwill stores for deals on gently used clothing and other household items. In my area, there is a thrift store that is operated by a shelter. The proceeds go to assist homeless families in crisis. This particular thrift store also offers a deal once a month. You bring in two canned food items and you can fill a kitchen-sized garbage bag full of any clothing for $2.50. When visiting a thrift store, ask the employees if they are running any special deals, or will be in the future, to save more.

Consignment Shops

Consignment shops offer gently used clothing at a discount. This is an opportunity to earn money as well as save money. Bring in the items you wish to sell when you are shopping. Some shops will give you more of your items’ selling price if you will take your payment in the form of store credit rather than cash. I have found this to be a great way to save, especially when teenagers want trendy, brand name clothing.

Rummage Sales, Yard Sales, Clothes Swaps, Family and Friends

Many areas offer annual rummage sales for children’s clothing. You can find one in your area by typing in “Annual Rummage Sale” in your search engine; you should be able to locate dozens of sites, often by state. Cruise your region’s yard sales on sunny weekends, and do not neglect to make friends with parents of children of similar ages as yours so that you can swap clothes. Always graciously accept clothing offers from family and friends, and suggest a clothing item if a well-meaning relative asks you for hints for gifts for your child’s next special occasion.

Facebook Reseller Pages and eBay

On Facebook Reseller pages you can search in Pages by brand name, and can pick up new or gently worn brand name clothes at steep discounts. Many parents buy and sell their children’s clothing here, and the same goes for eBay. When purchasing, it is best to try to buy from the same seller if they are open to bundling the shipping charges, as this will help you save even more. You can pay and be paid with a free PayPal account, and several friends take the money that they earn from selling the clothing their children outgrow for their new clothes purchases.

Department Store Sales and Coupons

I also try to buy clothes at department stores near the end of the season, on the markdown rack, but in the next larger size, so that my children have “new” clothes for the following year. If you end up with something too big or too small for the next year, offer the item in the “clothing swap”, consignment shop, eBay, or Facebook Reseller Pages. One young mother who is a good friend of mine, Shannon, uses a similar strategy at her favorite retailer, Gymboree. According to Shannon, “Gymboree almost always has 20 % off coupons available. Their clothing can be out the budget for most people. However, if you wait it out you can get their clothing marked down 60% after a month or so, and then use your 20% off coupon on top of the markdown. Plus, if you have a Gymboree card, you get an extra 5% off for using it on the purchase. They recently had a sale where everything in the store was $12.50, or less, and you were allowed to use a 20% off coupon. This is a major price reduction when you consider that t-shirts can be $25 each. I got a pair of boots that are normally around $50 for less than $10 during this sale.” Many department stores are also now online and often offer discounts of 20-30% off with a coupon code, which can often be found by searching for “Discount Code” online. If you combine shopping their sales with logging in from a “reward points” type site, such as Mypoints.com, you can earn points for your purchases that can later be redeemed for free gift cards at retailers. Also, if you pay with your credit card that is earning Airline miles or some other rewards points offer for purchases, you can save and earn more free items.

These are a few ways to save when buying children’s clothing. By employing several different strategies, it is possible to stay within your budget when shopping for your children’s clothes.


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