Five Ways To Save Money On Children's Clothing

In these difficult economic times it seems trips to the mall seem less and less practical; but we all have the desire to keep our growing kids looking clean and well dressed. Here are a few money saving ideas...

1. Frequent Online Baby Resale and Consignment Shops - This is the best tip I have! The great thing about most of these online resale and consignment stores is that they are more like boutiques for babies!! Typically, they are owned by moms who understand your desire for name brand clothing at discount prices. The merchandise is thoroughly inspected to be free of rips or stains..and looks new. Most of the time there are new items there too because babies grow so quickly. Also, because they are online store fronts the clothing tends to be cheaper because the owner doesn't have to pay rent for their space.
Another great perk - you can sell your clothing there too! Make money while you shop! If you take a store credit you tend to get more value for your gently used children's clothing but they will give you cash too. A reliable shop I know is Never OutGrown http://www.neveroutgrown.com/

2. Check out local discount department stores - Stores like Marshalls and TJ Maxx have a ton of name brand children's clothing for very reasonable prices. We used to think of these stores carrying only last season clothes but that isn't the case. They often buy overstocked merchandise from department stores. I have purchased high quality name brand outfits retailing at $10.00 and a few days later I saw the same outfit at the mall for around $60.00!

3. Shop wholesale stores - Wholesale clubs like Sams and Costco sell name brand clothing so cheap. Again, you can get trendy and in season clothes for a fraction of what they sell in the malls.

4. Start a Clothes Swap with Friends or Your Local Mom's Group - Set a date once a month to get together with your friends to trade the clothes that you love but your munchkin can no longer fit in. Try to do this with your friends with kids of all ages so that everyone benefits. You can set your own groundrules like everyone must bring 2 items of clothing or everyone must bring 1 item of clothing and any packages of diapers they have outgrown. This helps you clean out your own closet and get a few things that are "new to you!" Whatever doesn't get taken from the trade - donate to your local charity.
This doubles as a great Mom's Night Out - bring a fruit platter and a bottle of wine!

5. E-Bay - The nice thing about E-bay is that the clothes are typically sold by the lot. You can get multiple items for pretty cheap. Always make sure the seller accepts returns just in case you aren't pleased.


(article properrt of: http://www.neveroutgrown.com/)