Today’s questions is from Sara:
What is the best, most frugal store or website to buy new toddler clothes?
I’ve been blessed to have a friend supply nearly all of my daughter’s clothes through hand-me-downs, but now that friend is moving away, and I’ve been caught off guard.
I have tried shopping clearance sales and thrift stores, but everything is out of season at this point, and we’re headed quickly towards cold weather with only three long-sleeved shirts. I am employed out of the home full time, so time is a precious resource as well.
Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated.
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All of the tips are above are great and I personally get almost all my kids clothes from consignment. But another idea would be to find someone you know a friend with a child right above yours or someone from church etc. or work with a child in size clothing right above your child and ask can I buy their clothes as they outgrow them. I do this with my daughter shoes from someone I do this with my daughter shoes from someone I know. It has worked out beautifully.
This thread might be inactive (i.e. no one’s reading it anymore) but I just came back from vacation and saw it. People keep giving me hand-me-downs for my kid, so I don’t have a problem in that area.
BUT!
When I was a kid, my grandmother used to shop Salvation Army sales. Now this is important for one very good reason: Senior. Citizen. Discount. Every Wednesday, the thrift store had 50% for all senior citizens. I’m not saying use people to get a better price. But if the kids’ grandmother lives in the area… I’m just saying. Also, maybe find an older woman in your neighborhood and have her shop with you to get the discount in exchange for something else, like doing her yard work. If my grandmother were still alive, I’d probably be pulling the same thing. As it is, like I said, people at my church keep giving me stuff, so I don’t really have the need right now. But if I ever get to the point where I DO have to thrift shop, I can think of quite a few little old ladies who wouldn’t mind tagging along on a shopping trip in exchange for having their car washed. 🙂
You might check and see if there are mega-consignment sales in your area. Our area has a twice a year blow-out where the fairgrounds are overrun by local moms who set up tables and get rid of all their clothes, toys, etc. I’ve never been before myself but I hope to go this year to stock up on newborn baby girl clothes and other gear I need for my next arrival.
My source of hand-me-downs has dried up, too. So I have been buying clothes at Target and Old Navy. I wait for a sale and stack with a coupon and Cartwheel for Target. At Old Navy, I buy discounted gift cards when I see them available at Rite Aid or QFC (Kroger) and I stack those with a coupon code, promotion, or sale. I pay about $3-5 per top, pants, or pjs. I pay closer to $10 for dresses or outerwear. I look for thicker, sturdier fabrics because my toddler is hard on clothes.
I haven’t had luck with thrift stores closest to our area and I think the gas and extra time to drive to the nicer thrift stores in high-end neighborhoods is not worth the additional $1-3/item I *might* save. Plus, the search isn’t a hobby for me the way thrifting is for some people.
Also, I just do a load of laundry from start to finish every evening. 7-10 outfits per size works out fine for us.
I am not a mom but like to follow due to all the helpful information. I am a full time single dad to an 8 yo. The two places I frequent most for extras are local Goodwill Store and one Salvation Army. As for new and a great idea. Gymboree I think it is called is a great resource. If you sign up for emails they give you huge percentage off emails several times a week sometimes. Plus you can save up the bucks they give you for further use.
I love Children’s Place, and mostly I shop online. Watch for sales because you have to get the deals. They run sales a lot and often free shipping on any order. The clothes are really good quality and hold up well. I get leggings for my daughter for under $4 each and get jeans for about $6. They hold up so well you can easily resell them to a consignment store.
Local resale groups on facebook. I had great success with this in the San Diego area – I would buy a “lot” of clothes for a good price, or just go to someone’s house and buy each item for a dollar or two.
Now I’m in Idaho and I haven’t found quite such a great group, but there are a few. It does take some creative typing into the facebook search bar – something like “[your town] buy sell” or “[your town] resale” might come up with some results. once I joined one, facebook started suggesting other similar groups in the area.
Consignment, garage sales, ThredUp, and if you have a “1/2 of 1/2 Name Brand Clothing” store in your area, sometimes you can find some really great steals there (though it does take time to really go through and find the good stuff). I signed up for email alerts for our local kids consignment store, and that’s a great way to know when they are having their “tent sales” or “fill-a-bag” sales. ThredUp will probably also have some kind of “Welcome” discount just for signing up. One other option might be to try Listia.com. Similar to ebay, but it’s more like a trading/bartering website… if you list items you are willing to give to someone else, you get points. You can then use those points to bid on toddler clothes (or whatever you want). So essentially everything is free. I’ve never used Listia.com personally, but it looks like a great concept.
I have found the Once Upon a Child in may area to be great! I like that they have lots of Carters, Children’s Place for a fraction of the cost. Some Wal-Marts carries a line of Carters clothing which is really nice too.
I shop on ThredUp.com quite often. Another site I recently found is called TheNextSizeUp.com. The selection on NextSizeUp is a lot smaller but they do have some nice items.
Childrensplace.com has fantastic end of season sales and there’s usually coupon codes and free shipping at these times too. I have frequently been able to find great NEW stuff for only slightly more than thrift store prices.
Craigslist can be good too up to 4T, but after that there doesn’t seem to be much. To get the best deal you need to buy a big lot.
I tend to stock up on clearance items at the end of a season for next year. For items that I need right away, I shop at Kohl’s and Target. I have a Kohl’s card. I usually shop online from Kohl’s when there is a 30% off and free shipping coupon code. Sometimes, they also have coupon codes for $10 off $25 or $10 off $30. Also, shop on Friday nights or Saturday mornings, their night owls and early bird prices are the lowest. I can usually get their Jumping Beans brand for dirt cheap this way!
Kohls is great! Jumping Bean brand seems to run a little small.
One option is to go to the website of a store you know has lower prices and do a search specific in your child’s size, then sort by price. Walmart.com isn’t too bad when they’re in clearance mode.
Something else is to check with local churches to see if they have a rotating kids’ clothes closet–my parents’ church has a room that’s full of kids clothes and winter gear, free for the taking, as part of the church’s ministry. If you can’t find such a thing, suggest it at your own church! It’s been a blessing for us!
Another thought is that, if you have family in other places, ask them to take a look for you at their local thrift shops. It’s amazing the difference in merchandise from place to place–even different regions of the same state! Thrift prices + postage may still be less expensive than retail prices.
The hard thing is it really boils down to either time or money–for everything! Either time has to be spent combing through the racks at the consignment/second-hand store or the clearance section of a department store or running around to garage sales and “stocking up”, or you have to bite the bullet and buy something for retail because it’s faster. I suggest that, next year, once garage sale season hits, either you, or a friend who can shop for you, comb through the paper and hit up a few big sales–churches have fundraiser sales, and there are some places that do “annual” kids clothes sales in a school gym or something–and buy clothes for the next size or two above where your child is currently. That’s worked well for our family.
Kids clothes can be so hard! My 4 year-old son is impossible to keep in the right length pants, because he either out-grows them or puts a hole in them–and so do all the other kids his size, so there’s not much left in the second-hand stores. God bless!
Yep! Four-year-old boys put the knees out! Hard to find boys jeans in size 4 and up! How keep the knees in? Iron on a patch to the inside of the knee, before he starts wearing the jeans! It really works! I have a pair or two of jeans that my 33-year-olds wore in size 12 that my 6th boy/8th child just outgrew and still whole knees! The knees were patched brand new on the inside!
OK- That is really smart! I wish I knew about that last year! I ironed patches on after they were worn through (Denim patches are about $1 at Walmart) but really never liked the way they looked. I will have to try it your way.
Let someone in your church nursery or local MOPS groups (like on their facebook page) know that you are looking to purchase some hand-me-down clothes for winter. A few moms will likely just give it to you for free. What I found was that the moms were more nervous about offending me by offering me hand-me-downs than I was nervous about asking for their help.
Excellent! It’s so true! Maybe that’s why people just give them to me. They know I like secondhand and I’m not offended.
My church also does a “Free Indeed” clothes exchange. This is two or three times a year. The fellowship hall turns into a free thrift shop of clothes for all family members. We have fun doing group shopping. Ladies picking things off the rack or put of the pile say, thus looks like you. You should try it! Loads of fun! Afterwards, the leftovers go to a charity. Maybe someday we will have a clothes closet all the time. But this other way is so much fun!
Have you tried Schoola.com? Its a second hand online shop that gives proceeds to schools. They’re pretty accurate about descriptions of the wear and staining on any items. Plus they send you a bag to send in your child’s outgrown clothes to earn money for your local school. After them I usually try Children’s Place since they’re always having a sale or free shipping or both, then Old Navy.
I’m not a big fan of consignment for buying simply because I find that people price their used, less-than-stellar items for near retail. My favorite brand is Gymboree, as my tall boy outgrows this brand last. They seem to make everything a bit bigger than other brands, and the quality is great. Hit it up at the right time, and you can get some really great deals. Get on their email list for coupons and sales info. The Children’s Place is my next favorite brand. Their clothes are typically less expensive, and their sales are really good. Plus, there’s almost always a coupon available. I just bought my 3-year-old 3 pairs of jeans there last night for $17-something total.
I’m not crazy about discount brands from Kohls or J.C. Penney or Target. They’re okay, but the quality hasn’t been as good, and they seem to run smaller. My tall boy outgrows their stuff first. That makes them often not worth the money for me. Just figure out what brands fit your kid best and go from there.
This is more of a long-term answer, but our church recently started a “free room”.
You can drop off clean clothes that are in good shape. Volunteers sort and display them. Anyone can come and take what they need.
It’s been amazing, on both the giving and receiving end. I love knowing that my kids favorite clothes that don’t fit anymore are being enjoyed by their friends… and have found some awesome clothes for my kids. (And have been “rescued” when a little one had an accident and I forgot to bring a change for them!)
Disclosure: I blog for Valpak.com and on sites like that, Savings.com, etc. you can save on clearance items and shipping. I bought my son three $30 shirts for $30 total from Aeropostale that way. I know that’s different from your situation with little ones but we do have deals with thousands of retailers including many of the ones mentioned. Sorry to toot my company’s horn here but online coupons really do help if you choose to shop online.
Buy at consignment stores/garage sales/thrift stores. When they’re done wearing them, sell on eBay. Use the money from eBay to buy the next size up. I did this when my kids were little and they wore name brand clothes for practically free!
I have found groups of children’s clothes for sale on Craigslist. Also, you can do a garage sale search within Craigslist as each weekend approaches. Type in the size you’re looking for, and then you could even contact the yard sale host before the sale and ask specific questions to make sure you’re not wasting your time going out there.
Also, I’ve learned to sometimes be content with fewer clothes for them than I think I need–do wash more frequently, or wear not-visibly-dirty clothes twice. That mentality could at least buy you a few more weeks while you stock up. 🙂
Kids’ clothes are so hard when they’re growing so fast!
I shop first on Craigslist (would check the local Facebook sales pages if I had Facebook) for any good “please take this box of clothes out of my house!” deals.
Next I go to consignment stores.
Then I fill in the gaps at Kohls or Target. I have learned to avoid Wal-Mart for toddlers. Their cheaper clothing gets destroyed very quickly around here, and their nicer brands aren’t any less expensive than other stores. I do like Wal-Mart’s cheap baby clothes, though, for when little ones are growing out of their clothes faster than they can damage them 🙂
Second the above comments regarding ThredUp, Zulily & buying items on clearance from sites like Diapers.com & Target.com. I’m also a huge fan of hand-me-downs and of using other frugal shopping strategies like going for too-big clothes – more on that and my other tips here:
http://hintmama.com/2014/04/09/todays-hint-dress-your-baby-toddler-in-too-big-clothes/
Hope these tips help:)
I’ve been able to find some good deals at ThredUp and Children’s Place online!
Get a Target RedCard. They have a debit version if you are opposed to credit. Then you can order clothes online and they will ship to you for free. Prices are very reasonable.
Target has free shipping on ANYTHING now through Dec. 20th!
Sara,
I understand how hard it can be to find infant and toddler clothes at decent prices. I have a baby and 3 little ones, and over the years I have bought them clothes from Once Upon A Child, garage sales, Craigslist, on clearance and JC Penny’s and from Ebay. Since you need the clothes fast, you should definitely check out clothes on Ebay. If you do a search, make sure to type in lot of boy or girl clothes in the size that you need. I sell toddler girl and boy clothes in my Ebay store, so if you would like to contact me I could tell you if I have anything you might be looking for. Also make sure to check out if the area you live in has any large children’s consignment sales, one I use to go to in when I lived in MN was called Just Between Friends, it is a franchise and they have them all over the U.S. I hope that helps 🙂
I love JBF. I go both times they have it (one in spring and one in fall), and score my kids clothes for cheap.
Places like Kid to Kid (consignment shops) – they only carry items for the current season (unlike thrift stores), are usually picky about the quality and are deeply discounted. Plus, you can sell clothes/items to them and use your credits to buy more clothes.
Also, I use Kohls cash stacked with coupons sometimes to get great deals.
Sometimes at Kmart & Sears you can combine the Shop Your Way rewards coupons w/ a sale and get a decent deal. You also rack up points which turn into cents off your next purchase. Plus I frequent second hand stores as well. Don’t hesitate to call them and ask them if they have any new merchandise in so you can save yourself a trip.
I work full time too and feel your shopping pain! I gave up running from store to store and hunting thrift stores and now buy from gap and gymboree when they are having great sales.
The quality is high, the fit is good, and I can make sure it all mixes and matches. I find paying a few extra bucks is worth it go save time!
Could your friend ship them to you and you reimburse her for the postage? Otherwise, mom to mom sales are great. The clothes are sorted by size and gender. Or stop by a Once Upon a Child type store, where clothes are similarly sorted and are in season.
I second Target & JC Penny. I also like Whippersnapsbaby.com for infant & toddler boys. Versatile, durable and colorful.
Being a pt working, homeschooling, female entrepreneur, & mom of four (ages 7, 5, 2.5 & 11mths) I understand not having a lot of time to shop around for deals. You want durable clothing at a decent price that make your children look nice and together even though you may not feel it 😉 I find these stores make that happen.
We have a nice Goodwill near us and I find that it is perfect for everyday play clothes! Go armed with a little patience because you will need to sort through everything. They even have a great jeans and sweatshirt section for adults.
The Walmart Garanimals brand has some pretty cute stuff and everything is priced under $5. My daughter wears that brand (among other hand-me-down brands) and the clothes hold up pretty well.
I have been pleasantly surprised with how well Garanimals holds up. I have bought several pieces used for 99 cents at my local thrift store and they are still in amazing condition by the time my kids are done with them.
Check out re-sale stores. I shop at Kid to Kid. They are a national franchise so check to see if there is a store in your area. Anyway other parents sell their gently used items to the store and the store sells them for a very low price. I typically sell back all of my gently used items for store credit that way I can use the store credit for clothes that he needs.
Our local consignment shop is the place I go. Got my son 4 onesies, two jeans and a fall jacket for $8.21! I also use my local Trash and Treasure on Facebook. Search “(your city) trash and treasure” to see if there is one nearby. I also got my 15 month son 5 Fisher Price toys for $21. Barely used, I just cleaned them up and they are going under the Christmas tree.
I have recently discovered Kindermint and was completely pleased with my first order. It is a used clothing online store for mint condition name brand clothes at a fraction of the price that you would normally pay. Also, you have the opportunity to return a Mint Pack filled with your quality used clothes at no cost and you receive credit to shop in the store or a check.
I love Gymboree! If you use the 20%off coupon along with their clearance sales you can buy for each season. Resell is great for Gymboree too.
See if there’s a FreeCycle.com group in your area. You can make a request and if someone has what you need, you agree on a pick-up place. It’s free to receive items and to give items. The idea is to keep things out of the landfills.
Some tips.. don’t buy white.. it looks nice new but never lasts long with my kids. Also, little girls work great in a peasant or baby doll style shirts/tunics that are a few sizes too big. Pair it with leggings now, then it can be a shirt in the next season or two. You can also put short sleeve shirts over a basic long sleeve t-shirt for a different look if you don’t have a lot of winter clothes.
I have found Gap and Old Navy to consistently have way better prices than even Target and Kohls and the quality is far better. Gap regularly has an additional 40% off sale where you can get CHEAP stuff. I rarely pay over $4-5 for shirts and never over $10 for jeans (old navy usually). The resale value is often higher for those brands as well.
Honestly, if you know what kind of clothes fit your daughter well, continue to buy them. If you can’t get to the store, buy online. The last thing you want is to spend time & money at a store and get clothes that your daughter will not or cannot wear. For example: Old Navy is a wonderful option, but they run small on my boys, so I buy very little clothing there. Each brand is different & size is different in my opinion, so make it as painless and stress free as possible. Get a coupon and make one trip or buy online with a coupon of course. If you don’t want to deal with coupons, go with kmart or walmart. I usually don’t have any size issues with these stores.
I found it interesting that Old Navy runs small for your boys. My son has a long torso and short legs, and the pants fit him perfectly at Old Navy compared to other stores. The interesting thing is that the only place that I can also find pants that fit perfectly are Old Navy(short legs, too–ha!). Even the “short” pants at Kohl’s are still a little long for me. It’s interesting to see how different stores work differently for others. I’ll keep this in mind when others ask me, and I’ll make sure that my friends who have long-legged kiddos double check Old Navy stuff.
Second on Old Navy for basics. If you sign up for their emails you can get an additional 20% off online OR in store.
I usually use Children’s Place, they are not as nice quality as Baby Gap or Gymboree but it suffices for us. Wait until they have a sale with free shipping and sign up for their emails. I just purchased 4 long sleeved shirts and two hoodies for my 3 year old for $25 (used a $10 gift card, so $15 OOP).
I would say shop in stores NOW for next spring/summer. I just came back from Kmart where they had all summer clothing items (children and adult!) for $2. They had swimsuits, shirts, shorts, dresses, even some short/shirt sets, etc… all for only $2. Again, this isn’t fancy clothing but my daughter is 3 so I don’t really care. 😛 Find a good thrift store or keep your eyes open for yard sales advertising they have children’s clothing too.
I’d say that 90% of my daughter’s clothes are from the Kohl’s Jumping Beans line. They are comfortable play clothes and wash well on the delicate cycle and perma press dryer setting. They are almost always marked down 50% off and Kohl’s will run $10 off $30 and will let you sack percent off coupons on top. I bought six tops for the price of one a few weeks ago by taking advantage of the sale, dollars off and percent off.
Great ideas here. I just had to say that I was in a similar bind–my son attends private school and needs tan or navy pants. I didn’t want to buy ahead last season because I wasn’t sure what size he would be and then I kind of forgot. Well, cold weather hit and suddenly I realized he only has 3 pairs of pants. I posted on facebook, searched the facebook yardsale sites, and scoured thrift stores with no luck. But then I walked into Walmart this morning and was pleasantly surprised to find exactly what I needed–brand new obviously–for $5.97 a pair! You can’t beat that for a brand new pair of pants. I was so thankful–I wasn’t looking forward to spending much more on something he’ll only wear a couple of months. Good luck to you!
I second (or third or more) other posters. My top choices, now that garage sale season is over, would be:
1) Once Upon a Child
2) Crazy 8 (especially with the coupons that are in many parents’ magazines)
3) Target
3) Facebook groups
Oops — second #3 was a typo, obviously.
Most toddlers can get by with 3-4 everyday outfits, 2-3 nicer, 2-3 dressy/church outfits, 2 sweaters, jacket, and 3 pajamas if you have access to a washer/dryer. I have never had any hand-me-downs for my 2 1/2 year old daughter (except a few random items) What I have done is shop goodwill, thrift stores, yardsales, and kids resale stores (like once upon a child). I look for name brands that can mix and match with what we have. I mostly shop goodwill and then hit Once Upon a Child when they have a sale. (they are the best place for quality, inexpensive shoes) It is easiest if you can shop ahead a size/season so you have a base wardrobe then you can build off of that with extras. This is what works for me. If I didn’t have time to shop various stores for the deals then I would check out ebay, craigslist or thredup.
I realize the clearance sales won’t help with things you need right now, but use them for next year’s clothes. Buy the summer clearance clothes in the size you’ll need next spring/summer, then put them in a bin or bag clearly marked with sizes so that you can easily see what you have when you need that size. Also, try asking on FB or in your circle of friends if there’s anyone a size up from your toddler who needs a family to pass things down to *and* ask if there’s a family you can pass your todder’s stuff to when you’re done with it (unless, of course, you’re saving it for another child).
Most importantly, remember that most of us have way more clothes than we actually need. So determine what’s a need, what’s a want, and then focus on the needs.
Since toddlers grow out of things so quickly and usually only get one season out of them we don’t worry too much about the best of quality and think of cost per wear more.
We watch Target for the ability to match up sales, coupons and cartwheel in order to buy for my toddler. This happens quite frequently but the brands vary. Also, using Kohl’s 30% off and a sale we can get a pretty good price on their Jumping Bean’s line. We’ve also gotten great deals by watching the sales at Old Navy and JC Penney. We also try to buy mostly basics that can mix and match and a few special items to change things up (my 2.5 year old loves her clothes already). Layering is also helpful and we watch for cute long sleeved and thermal shirts to layer summer t-shirts over as it get colder out and light weight sweaters/sweatshirts to layer as well.
I shop at Children’s Place, Walmart, and Kmart for new clothes. For used clothes, thrift and consignment stores, garage sales. If you or your husband work, ask around. One of my husband’s co-workers gave us a big box of used clothes with several sizes. It doesn’t hurt to ask!
If you’re crunched for time, then I think you’ll find the most bang for your buck at Once Upon a Child, if you have one. That’s where I get what I need right now. They have all seasons all the time and though prices are better at garage sales or thrift stores, those take more time, and at Once Upon a Child it’s all in one place and sorted by size, season, and even color, sometimes.
I have started using thredUP. They have used, but like new items for great prices. I love their website and it is very easy to use. It is easy to search and the pictures of the clothing are nice and clear. Here’s my link if you want to try it: http://www.thredup.com/r/GMMP8U We would both get $10 credit.
Here’s my favorite “secret” for cheap toddler clothes with the best selection during clearance sales: Toys R Us! If people buy clothes, they tend to go to their sister store, Babies R Us (which has their clothes displayed front and center), but Toys R Us has a clothing section, often tucked way in the back corner, away from general traffic. It is often filled to the brim with cheaply priced clothes. I remember getting new winter boots for my toddler for $4 in January! The one I visit sometimes can’t get rid of their clearance items when they first get marked down, so I’ve seen them go another season, so that I can buy clothes in the seasons I need them, when I need them! I don’t have time to physically go to places, but this is the one exception!
Otherwise, I will shop online at Gymboree, Children’s Place or Kohls during their clearance sales, using discounted gift cards, coupon codes for discounts and free shipping.
Our area has huge consignment sales twice a year (fall and spring). Ask around, and look online. Most consignment sales have a 50% off most items the last day of the sale. I’ve gotten moat of my clothes there, Target clearance, and thrift stores (including ThredUp).
We have a clothing swap for my sons school but, I think I donated two huge boxes and came out with 3 shirts and a pair of shoes. They don’t have much for boys there but tables upon tables of girls clothes. He is in early Headstart that starts at birth to kindergarten. If you have that program where you live its wonderful! Lots of freebies! Since they don’t have much for boys there I shop through Children’s Place when there is free shipping and pick up a couple clearance items for now and a couple in bigger sizes. They have free shipping often and items at thrift store prices. If you sign up for their email they will let you know their specials. Also see what clothes you already have that you can layer. Maybe a long sleeve shirt under a dress with a pair of leggings. You can make lots of outfits from mix and matching. Instead of buying a bunch of toys for my kids I buy clothes and pick up a couple clearance toys I know they would enjoy at the Target toy clearance. We don’t get gifts from family for our kids but if you do ask for a gift card or clothes.
See if you can find another source (or sources) for free hand-me-downs. I am part of a MOPS group, and the moms are always sorting through clothes and gifting them to each other. If you are in a mom’s group, or if a friend of yours is, have them get the word out that you are looking for a certain age/gender of clothing. Put a memo on FB that you are looking for clothes. Kids outgrow clothes SO quickly, that it seems like there are always free kids clothes floating around . . .
There is a pretty great sale going on at Gymboree on the website today. I was able to get around two hundred dollars worth of clothes for $80 total. Gap and Old Navy have a bunch of longsleeve shirts on sale with free 2-day shipping on all orders today. Can you tell I’ve been Christmas shopping today?
For new clothes, I usually go to Wal Mart or Ross. I start in their clearance sections first and then work outward. From time to time I also alter the kids clothing. For shirts, I will get some warmer fabric that coordinates and create an extension for the short sleeve shirt. We bought a shirt from Wal Mart that looked like a short sleeve shirt with a thermal underneath it and I used it as my inspiration. It usually takes me less than an hour to cut and sew the new arms on. My 10 year old boy doesn’t seem to mind (yet at least) and my 7th month old obviously doesn’t care.
I would join some local FB buy and sell groups, then search for kids clothes from there. I have had good luck at thrift stores (Salvation Army is my favorite!), especially when they run 50% off days. Which may or may not work for your area, but it’s worth looking into!!!
Opinions seem to vary on Once Upon a Child in my area, but I LOVE them for relatively inexpensive I need it now clothes. Their prices aren’t fantastic compared to mom-to-mom or garage sales, but everything’s right there in all seasons. Last year, our local store (possibly others too) had 40% off everything in the store on Black Friday and I got everything I needed in size 6 for my 5 1/2yo for comparable to mom-to-mom sale prices. They also do cash on the spot for anything you have in good condition to get rid of. They’re really picky about quality, so don’t tend to buy as much as people would like them to, as well as don’t pay a ton, but they are, you know, a business and want to make money. I like that I know the quality is good and I can usually get nice brand stuff for far less than retail. If you can get through the fall with new or consignment, mom-to-mom sales come in the spring and it’s easy to find infant through about 3T at any of them. I’ve pretty much given up on those now that I’ll be shopping for size 7 (7? wasn’t she just born?) but I did great on the toddler sizes. Probably any of your friends with littles can vouch for which mom-to-mom sales are worth frequenting.
I shopped Once Upon A Child a lot when my kids were little. I brought a tub of clothes to sell and shopped while I waited. I also had their punch card and often found coupons online or in the newspaper. Target also has some very nice toddler clothes and shoes. There weren’t many garage sales in my area…. I also want to note that my kids didn’t have many clothes when they were young as I was home with them and did a load of laundry every day.
I prefer stores like Gap, Crazy 8 and Gymboree when they are 40% off. The quality is much better than walmart and resale value is high. I just bought my son jeans for less than 8 dollars, after 40 % off plus a coupon at Crazy 8. I also buy a season ahead, so I have a closet full of weather appropriate clothes when the seasons change.
Totally agree! We love our Gymboree outlet. I find that if you buy off the clearance rack, stack with a 20% off coupon and get Gymbucks to boot, items normally come out to be less than Walmart/Target prices. (I usually get a 20-30% off coupon in the mail at least 4-5 x per year.) Just got my daughter’s entire spring/summer wardrobe for next year for less than $35.00. Shorts were less than $3.00 a pair and shirts were about $2.50-$3.00 each. I will then be able to sell the used items at a local consignment when she outgrows them. I do only buy off the clearance racks, though, as their prices are a bit on the high side if you buy the items that just came out.
I don’t have children, but I often buy clothes for my nieces and nephews. I have done very well with Old Navy-paired with a sale and sometimes online coupons. I am a Banana Republic card holder (BR, Gap, and Old Navy are all the same parent company), so sometimes they have an extra 10% for cardholders on Tues. or Wed. The clothes are stylish, cute, and very affordable.
I have 3 toddlers (ages 4, 2 1/2, and 1). I get their clothes mostly online since it is easiest for me. I like to buy from the following:
Thredup.com
kindermint.com
Kohls.com (clearance items, also look on retailmenot.com for various coupon codes, they do accept more than 1 coupon code)
Old Navy (pants for boys. Brand that has adjustable waist)
Well, I guess the first question is, do you really mean ‘new’ or ‘new to you’? Assuming you are ok with preowned clothing since you mentioned hand me downs from a friend, the best option is yard sales. Look them up online (many people will list when they’re having the sale, and specifically if they have kids’ stuff).
Then, you could check Goodwill or local thrift stores.
There are online children’s consignment shops you can buy from, like Flipsize and thredup.
And, like others have mentioned for new clothing, Kohls, Target, Walmart all have affordable choices.
I would also mention that depending on location, think about how cold it really gets. Where I live, we can get by with not as many long sleeve shirts, just do a jacket on top of short sleeves some of the time.
And yes, just ask! Sometimes I think people don’t want to give away things or offer things to others just because it has a little stain, or a button is missing, etc. But if you are specifically asking, you may get some people that say, hey I’ve got several things that are not in perfect condition but you’re welcome to them!
I love Target and Kohls for clothes as the ones from Walmart don’t last my girls long. Kohls always seems to have a coupon available or you can also sign up for their emails which usually has a coupon in it. I also just signed up for their “Yes2You” rewards card in which you earn points for each purchase which then you can cash out. My online shopping consists of ThredUp and Ebay. ThredUp has so many nice things and I’m always guaranteed to find what I want there!
It sounds like you already realize this, but buying off-season clearance clothes from stores like Target and Children’s Place will be your best bet in the future. I don’t have a local thrift store, but as a full-time working mom, too, I’d rather fill my cart online and be done than scour secondhand stores.
All of the above comments are awesome, but I would add shopping on Instagram. There is a whole community of moms selling their children’s gently used clothes. Most of the prices are very reasonable and almost all of the women will offer discounts for buying multiple items. Start with shops like @3littlehowes and @kingslothz and then go from their lists of followers. My favorite thing about IG shopping is that I can check a couple times throughout the day and snag a few things at a time.
I have always had good luck shopping at Savers. Yes, it is a secondhand store, but they always have a wide selection. Especially with toddler clothing! They grow so fast they grow out before they wear out clothes! It is getting harder to find clothes for my 8 year old since boys tend to wear through their clothes before they outgrow them! You can search for a store at http://www.savers.com. Good luck!
The Childrens Place always has great sales online and I always use a code and wait for days when there is free shipping on everything. Just the other day, I placed an order for my 3 year old son. I ordered him 2 pairs of sweatpants, 1 pair of jeans, 1 long sleeve tee, and 3 pairs of socks for less than $20 shipped.
Old Navy also has a great special today. Free 2 day shipping on any order when you click on the little badge on their website and 30% off most of their website (a few exclusions) with code THIRTY
I also have really enjoyed The Children’s Place in the past ( you have to shop on sales/clearance). However, I can usually find good clothes for my daughter at Target/Walmart. My son is one of those skin and bone type children so I have a very hard time ever finding him good clothes at a cheap price. Almost all of his clothes comes from The Children’s Place or Khols because he HAS to have draw strings on his pants. Good luck 🙂
A lot of local churches and MOPS groups have consignment sales twice per year. Those can be a great place to get everything you need for the upcoming season at a great price! At my local ones, they usually only have clothes for the season coming up (so if you can find one right now, they have fall/winter clothes – they won’t have spring/summer clothes.)
As for brand new – it depends on the quality you are willing to pay for.
The Children’s Place is always running sales and often has free shipping (Today is free shipping and all tops are 50% off)
Gap & Old Navy have free 2 day shipping today and Old Navy has 30% off (with some exclusions).
Target is offering free shipping right now too.
Good luck – hope you can find what you need!
I second Target and Walmart just to get you through. Don’t overlook Goodwill, either. I’ve found lots of name brand stuff still in great condition and occasionally stuff with tags still on.
I would suggest checking out some local consignmnentt shops. I got all of my son’s preemie and newborn sizes up to about 6 months at consignment stores. Since my son was early and tiny these sizes lasted up well into his first year. from there I get my nephew’s hand me downs and this works out so well bc my son is still petite so the clothes typically last us 2 seasons. But consignment stores are great places. They are a great way to get items in good condition for a fraction of the cost. Also, if you have clothes you are willing to get rid of, consignment shops will offer cash or a store credit. Typically the store credit is a greater percentage than cash.
Also, look at craig’s list. My hubby and I got a HUGE rubbermaid of boy clothes for $50 bucks. This ranged from newborn all the way to 18 months, plus burp clothes, shoes, toys, bibs, socks, hats, and blankets. I counted each individual item in the rubbermaid and I got 83 things. That’s less than a dollar a piece, plus we were able to take the rubber maid (great for storage).
Garage sales! I know this can be hit or miss, but my hubby and I LOVE to do this on Saturdays and again we got some of our son’s clothes from garage sales when I was pregnant and he still wears them today at 2.5 yo.
Also, online mommy boards – if you are a member maybe you can post on there what you need and see if any other moms are trying to purge some of their kiddos clothes. I’m not a member to any of these but I hear this works well for other moms.
play groups, churches, community centers, schools – these are other places I can think of that might post for clothes being sold or having a swap.
Good Luck!
I agree with the garage sales. I was able to buy all my daughters long sleeves for this winter at .25¢ a piece. Keep it simple. Also try asking people from your local church. Maybe the admin can send out an email about your needs.
You can buy decent stuff at Wal-Mart, Target, etc to get through the winter. Sometimes those clothes can’t hold up through multiple kids, but if you really just need some warm clothes for this winter I’d say go for it. Target is probably a little better in quality but Wal-Mart is a little cheaper. We have a lot of the Target’s Circo brand stuff (for my 8 year old) and it holds up really well. You can get warm pants, even fleece pants for a pretty good price. And I’ve seen the Hanes brand sweats in the kids section at Wal-Mart for about $5-6 a piece. Good luck!
1.Craigslist- many times people have bags of clothes for free or very cheap
2. Church sales- look into the local area
3. Facebook- ask friends.
4. Children’s Place outlet. They always have coupons and if you shop there $2.99 and under sales you get brand new clothes for under $2.
5. Once upon a child if your area has one or the Just between Friends sales
Do you have any other friends who might have outgrown clothes? How old and what size is your child?
Join some facebook pages that sell children’s clothing- you can usually find some moms selling bags of clothing for cheap just to get them out of their house.
I absolutely agree! I buy and sell on our local Facebook pages all the time. We have 5 kids, so it’s essential that I don’t spend much!
Just this Sunday, I met a woman and went through all of the 24 months clothing she was selling for 25c and 50c apiece. I bought $10 worth, and our daughter’s fall/winter wardrobe is pretty much complete!
I also check Craigslist as well.
I completely agree with this. I know in our town of only 60k we have around 20 facebook ages ranging for barter/trade, garage sale, kids items, free items (like freecycle), etc. I scroll through it when I’m here @ work because I can easily pull it up on my phone in between waiting for meetings, print jobs, or whatever it is I’m currently buried with. You can find a lot of good items out there gently used or sometimes even new with tags on it.
My favorite discount stores for toddler clothes is Target . The Jumping Bean line at Kohls is relatively affordable, especially if you can pair it with another coupon. My MIL swears by JC Penney–I think she finds good deals on Carter’s there and they also occasionally run a $10.00/$25.00 coupon.
In the past, I really liked Children’s Place, but I find that the quality has gone downhill a bit.
My other suggestion is to really just stick to the basics for now. Maybe you could request clothes as a desired gift for Christmas? You’ll be in better shape to shop the clearance racks at the end of this season for the coming year. Good luck!
First and foremost I would post a facebook post asking if any friends have clothes lying around in the sizes you need that they might need to get rid of. If in a rush and toddlers grow out of things quick I’d just buy some cheap walmart clothes. Have 5 or 6 shirts and a few pair of paints and just do laundry and you will be good to go. Or buy one good sweatshirt to wear over t-shirts for a while to get you by.