Feb 27 2009
Frugal Clothes Buying
If you’ve got kids, you’re going to need to clothe them. This can be very expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Knowing where and when to shop is key in getting clothes cheap or even for free.
My advice for everyone is to first sign up to be a member of a local freecycle chapter. Not only will you be able to get rid of your own stuff quickly and it won’t end up in a landfill, but you can also get some awesome stuff for free. Last yer, I wrote in that I was looking for a bread machine and ended up with 5 people answering it and offering me one (I love my bread machine by the way). So, you can really get some of the stuff you need without paying for it. I see kids clothes and adult clothes offered all the time on there. When responding to one of these ads about clothes, just make sure to ask about the condition of the clothes. You do not want to go pick up clothes that are all holey and tattered. Look through the class and pass on what you do not want to someone else on freecycle or the Salvation Army.
Ok. That brings me to my next place to shop for clothes - Salvation Army and other second hand clothing stores. My sister buys all her jeans at the Salvo (as it is often called). She gets name brand jeans that are barely worn for very little money. Stores that are near more upscale area often have extremely nice clothes, sometimes even with tags still on them. These places are great if you are trying to find clothes for work and or if the kids need a summer wardrobe.
Craig’s List and Ebay are also other options where you can used clothing cheap. I have had success with both. Last fall I bought my son a bunch of outfits for the winter using craig’s list and only paid $20 for the whole lot. I met the woman at a local store, and she even gave me more clothing later, which was really nice of her. On Ebay I have found that lots of various sizes are usually cheaper than others. For example. I bought clothes for my daughter that were size 2T-4T really cheaply. Small kids and baby clothes tend to be more than teen and adult clothes on Ebay, but you can still get some great deals. And don’t forget to resell the clothes when your child outgrows them.
The other places I get clothing is from department stores. I only buy on clearance and usually at 60% or more off their regular prices. Many stores like Sears and JCPenney have sales up to 50% on their clothes while they are in season, so why buy them unless you can get more off than that. For my two little kids (girl 2 1/2 and boy 15 months) I have a limit of about $3 a piece or $7 an outfit. Now I have went over this, but only a very few times and only for very special items (a dress I absolutely LOVED, a Giants outfit for the little guy). For my 10 year old son the most I will pay is $5 for a t-shirt, $10 for a long sleeve shirt and $15 for a pair of jeans. I buy his clothes throughout the year and when school starts in the fall he is basically all set.
The best times to shop for clearance clothing is when they start coming out with the next season’s clothing. So if you are in an area where you get all four season like us, expect the best clearance prices in February/March for winter clothes and October/November for summer clothes. Of course after holidays like Easter and Christmas you will be able to buy fancy dresses and suits for your little ones for a drastically reduced price.
Right now is a great time to be shopping for winter clothes for your kids or even yourself. I know for a fact that Macy’s, Kohl’s and JCPenney has clearance sales going on right now. So if you have the extra in your budget, it may be the time to do that shopping. Just remember that as you get more clothes for your kids in larger sizes you may want to start keeping track of what you have in either a list or spreadsheet, and bring it with you when you go shopping. That way you do not buy too much of any one thing or any one size.
As a side note, I just saw a commercial for Old Navy and they have a wonderful deal on jeans this week…. $19 for adults jeans and $12 for kids.
