How to Save Big Money on Baby Clothes

I’m a sucker for cool baby clothes! With their cost so high, if I ’m not careful I could blow an awful lot of money on them even though they are only worn a few months or even weeks. Since I’ve had ten babies in the last 22 years, I’ve discovered a lot of ways to save money on infant clothes. Want to know how?

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Buy the minimum.
   
   First off, resist buying unnecessary clothing. Babies don’t need nearly as much clothing as most “authorities” suggest. A wardrobe of newborn baby clothes twelve onesies or T shirts and twelve sleepers is sufficient for those first six weeks when all your baby is doing is lying in baby crib or baby carrier. Footwear? Why would babies need $30 leather shoes? If it’s summer they might do fine going barefoot. But if their little feet need protection from the elements, $1.99 booties keep tootsies warm quite well and you keep $18 cash in your pocket! Remember, these clothes are only going to fit for a few months or even weeks. And if you’re hoping to have more than one buy mostly unisex shade and styles of infant clothing.
2. Buy the maximum.
   
   Buy clothes for your baby boy or baby girl that are six months larger than the infant’s age. This gives them much longer life. We only used newborn-sized clothes with our first baby. She wore them for a grand total of about a week before she started into the next size. With larger garments, just roll up the sleeves and legs as needed. If the legs on a sleeper eventually get tight, simply cut out the feet and use booties instead. Now that you have in mind the few things you’ll need, let’s talk about how to get them.
3. Ask for them!
   
   Hand-me-downs are wonderful! Why spend more money when you can get baby apparel for free? Many people have donated a lot of second hand garments to us over the years and am often surprised at how nice they are. Some have been designer baby clothes. Some have never been worn! Let your friends and relatives know that you’d appreciate their no-longer-needed baby clothes. You would be surprised how many people would love to share all the clothes filling their attics with an actual person rather than donating them to an organization.
   
   Freecycle is another place to ask for them. This is a group of people in your local community who want to keep good stuff out of the landfills by giving it away. See Resources below for the link.
   
   As a last resort, run a classified ad in the newspaper for children’s clothing in whatever size you specify. Name your own price. And don’t be surprised if people just give you their kids’ old stuff for free.
   
   Once you’re got the clothes, sort through them. Donate what you can’t use. Store clothes that are too big for your baby in the attic, under the baby bed, or in a closet, in Rubbermaid totes labeled by sizes. If you find a garment that is fine but has one stain on it, try my laundry method for reclaiming stained clothing explained in one of my other articles.
4. Frequent Yard Sales.
   
   Before Freecycle there were yard sales! A yard sale, garage sale, tag sale -- whatever you call it -- are especially nice because you can see what you’re getting. You can easily buy shirts and pants for 25 cents a piece, socks for a dime a pair, dresses for a dollar. And we’re not talking thread-bare, stained clothing. We’re talking nice-looking name brand clothing. Sure, they’ve been worn and washed a few times. So what? They still look nice! Of course, you do have to search for the good brands. But that’s half the fun. When you find them, it’s like you hit the jackpot!
5. Attend Swap Meets.
   
   Baby clothes swap meets are a good place to acquire reasonably priced baby clothes as well as baby gear. You can plan one yourself and invite all your friends with children. Often convention centers will host them.
6. Find Moms of Multiples Club Sales.
   
   Often, parents of twins or multiples form clubs which host sales of used baby items. These are often inside. They are more expensive than yard sales or swap meets but still reasonable.
7. Buy at a thrift store.
   
   Goodwill, Salvation Army or other thrift store is a great place to find brand name clothes in great condition. Often, they will have one day a week or month when they have special deals, like $1.00 day when certain garments are only $1.00 each, or bag day when you pay $5.00 for an entire bagful. Our Goodwill sells baby clothes and toddler clothes for $2.50 each. Where else are you going to find Gymboree, Childrens’ Place, or even designer baby clothes for that cheap?
8. Buy online.
   
   You can find inexpensive baby clothes online. Two websites that are especially good for buying as well as selling used children's clothing are gently-used.com and mykidscloset.com. They are both awesome sites! In addition, you can buy children’s clothes in lots on eBay. Just search for the designer baby clothes you want. If you don’t require Tommy Hilfiger, you will save even more money. And be sure to check out the Craigslist in your area so you don’t have to pay shipping.
9. Frequent consignment stores.
   
   Try calling the consignment stores in your area. Sometimes they carry not only adult clothing but baby and children's clothing as well. In larger metropolitan areas, there may even be several specialized consignment stores that carry only baby and children’s clothing. You’re sure to find designer baby clothes there. This is probably your best bet for special-occasion clothes. Visit your local consignment store, and pick up a princess dress or a tiny suit for a fraction of its retail cost. Chances are good its previous owner wore it just once or twice.
10. Find discounts.
    
    If you keep your eyes open year-round while you’re shopping you can often find baby clothes at a good discount at each season’s end. Buy your discount baby clothes at that time and you will keep a lot of cash in your pocket. In July I’ve purchased winter sweatshirts on a clearance sale for just $1 each at Wal-Mart. One word of warning: don’t sink too much money into clothes for the future because babies don’t always grow at the expected rate. That cute coat that you bought for $5.00 in July may be too small in December.