Today’s question is from Amy:
We’ve never spent much on kid’s clothing before since we were blessed with lots of hand-me-downs. However, we are planning to purchase some clothing for our two-year-old daughter at local consignment stores and I’m wondering: what is a reasonable budget for a couple of seasons’ worth of children’s clothing?
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We’ve got a 4 year old son, and never been able to get any hand me downs, but I have had tremendous luck at yard sales, usually around 50 cents a piece, upwards to $1, for jeans, that’s worked great for us, up til now. Now he’s in the larger sizes where the only jeans/shirts I’ve been able to find are stained, or ripped. I check out the kids stores like Once Upon a Child, and will gladly pay $5 for jeans or shorts, instead of the $15-20 at Target/Walmart, though I DO get him some t shirts each summer with his favorite charachters on them at Target or Walmart, or Ross, since part of being a little boy is having some super hero shirts, right?
My mom sends us stuff she finds at the thrift stores in her areas, which is always nice. She has amazing luck, recently sent lego star wars long sleeved shirts, with the tags still on!!
We have baby #2 on the way, it’s going to be a few months earlier season wise that #1 was, but hoping I can reuse most of the clothes, and fill in the gaps at yard sales. Meantime, I’m getting more careful to buy quality pants (prefer adjustable waists, they seem to last longer) for #1, so that they will still be good for #2.
For baby clothes (size 3 and under), I always aimed for $2 used, $4 on clearance. For bigger sizes 4 & 5, I am for $5 used and $8-9 new, but I’m trying to get more premium brands now (Gymboree, Gap, etc.). And I always had a few church type clothes that I paid around $15-20 each for just because I wanted certain things :).
I live in Southern California and consignment shops are expensive. I can find some of the nicer brands that I do like for much cheaper but really here its hard to beat the main stores for their sale prices. Target, Kohls, Carters, Osh Kosh and Childrens Place. Plus I make some of my own from thrifted clothes!
last year I spent roughly $100 on my son’s size 5 wardrobe. I thought that was reasonable as i also got shoes and a winter jacket that will fit for the next year. even more reasonable as most of the clothing will fit his two younger brothers! per piece, I do not pay more than $4 for pants, $2 for a shirt and $15 for a jacket. We buy the shoes new and pay approximately $25 but good shoes are on of our family’s splurge items.
I’m impressed that many of you can do so well at consignment shops. Even our Goodwill charges $3 per kids’ item minimum-regardless of the condition, type, or size. What little I have attempted yard sales has proved an over-priced failure also. Once Upon a Child at $2.50-$4.50 per shirt and $3.50-$5.50 per pants is the cheapest I can find. I also tend to find just as good of deals at Gymboree, Target, Children’s Place brand new for the same price.
I’ve gotten so many hand-me-downs, I have no idea what I spend per season per kid. I do buy ahead at yard sales when the clothes are .25/item. I’ll do $1 for older boys’ jeans/coats, but I’m pretty cheap.
My score last summer was a yard sale in the neighborhood where the gal was selling all of her daughter’s clothes for .25/piece and shoes .10/pair! SCORE! Lots of cute dresses. They’re still too big, but I have 3 girls coming up, so for a quarter a piece, it’s worth stocking up- they’ll fit someone at some point!
ALSO… as an idea, if you see cheap long sleeved shirts, buy them over the tee shirts- you can always turn them into tee shirts if you need them as such, but if you end up needing long sleeves at that size, you’ll have them.
I love a good bargain—but my best deals for clothing items come from garage sales, church sales or freesales. A lot of people love when you buy multiple items and they will give you a great deal(most of the time). Many times I can pick up items for .50-1.00 per item. I will buy items even if they are too big for my daughter—I have bins that I keep them stock piled for later use. Can’t pass up those deals. They will be put to good use eventually. I will not buy items at garage sales if they cost more than 2.00 – Knowing I will find plenty more at a better price. I also love to find end of the season sales at many variety of stores—I just recently scored 2-piece outfits at Wal Mart for next Fall/Winter for less than 1.25 for the set. Bought 12 sets in different sizes. Some will be gifts too. Last Fall I hit a killer deal at Khols—-all items I bought for myself and daughter was marked 6.00 or less. Then, I also had an extra 30% off. I came home w/a huge bag full of items for nearly nothing. Shopping for bargains is a hit or miss—I have left many sales and stores empty handed- or w/1 or 2 items. That’s why when I see a deal- I will scoop up on it and buy as much as I can. Have fun and just be patient at times. The deals are out there to save lots of $$$$$$$$$.
I have been purchasing used children’s clothes for over 4 years now. I have a four year old daughter, 2 year old son and a 10 month old son. The majority of their clothes are bought from garage sales, large used children’s sales (check your town or larger towns around you for these sales), consignment shops, Goodwill, clearance clothes at Target and JcPenny’s.
I have already bought all of my children’s winter coats for next season for only 2.50 a piece, they are all very nice and name brands. I also bought my 2 year sold 10 winter shirts for next year at Penny’s for 2.00 per piece.
It is also a good idea to be on the mailing list for consignment shops to see when they have a good sale going on.
Here is my price guide I use for my children’s clothes:
Shirts: 2.00-3.00
Pants: 2,00-5.00
Shorts: 2.00-3.00
Dresses: 2.00-6.00
Shoes: 3.00-7.00
Coats: 3.00-10.00
This is just a rough guide, I do go lower than these prices many times.
my town has big consignment fairs that are great. you will often see barely used clothing for really good prices. sales are run by several (or a lot) of consignors in a large building over a day or a weekend.
clearance racks are always a great place to look. Like a few others said, try to buy a size ahead and when what you’re looking for is out of season. we love the clearance at old navy, target and kohls. my girls are 3 1/2 and 2 months.
Wow. I, too, am really encouraged at how ‘well’ I’m doing, I guess. 🙂 Praise the Lord for His provision!! I only have one son (a 1 yr old) but so far I have been consistently able to find him clothing for 50 cents – $1 piece. Our Goodwill has weekly $1 racks and the clothing rotates on & off those racks by tag color. Additionally, they have half price days where even those racks are clearanced down to 50 cents. I scour those racks for coming seasons and stock away clothes in the next size/season frequently. I also shop our local consignment sales on the %-off days and can find great deals and some ‘splurges’ on splurge-needed items like shoes, nicer outfits, etc. I consider myself to be quite the clothes snob…so I’m always on the lookout for great dependable brands at great prices.
I would also actually suggest to have ‘snobbier taste’. Expensive brands really hold their resale value. I have found that I will actually be able to MAKE money by buying used name-brand clothing and then selling them, even after my son has gone through them… AND even after absorbing some loss, because we all know not every piece of clothing can survive. 🙂 Brands that seem to hold their value are Children’s Place/Baby Place, Gap, Gymboree, Carters, Lands End, LL Bean, & Old Navy. I have actually even bought girl pieces & sizes not relevant to our family simply because I know I can make money reselling them…and then turn around and use that money on the clothing I DO need. Hope that helps! 🙂
I’m so glad I checked out this blog today. I am planning to do my first ever used clothing purchase for my boys. I just need a few t-shirts and shorts. I often shop Walmart clearance and buy a season ahead, but I need some summer items since my one year-old is big and has started borrowing his three year-old brother’s clothes. I must admit, I feel a little strange buying used clothes although I accept hand-me-downs. I don’t know what’s up with that. I use combine sales and coupons for almost everything I puchase, track down coupons for services, DIY projects, cut everyone’s hair (not my own though, lol), bake, freezer cook, menu plan, make my own laundry detergent, and do so many other frugal things, but buying my kids’ second hand clothing makes me a little uncomfortable. It was nice to read others’ comments.
I as the same way! Once you start buying used you never go back! there’s a weird thrill about finding a baby gap outfit for a buck!
We shop clearance sales, garage sales and consignment shops. I generally will pay less than $5 per clothing item. Once in a while I will splurge and pay between $5-15. When our daughter was a baby, we would limit clothing to $3/item. Baby items are abundant and cheap 2nd hand!
I always shop fir new clothes for my 4husband girls at old navy and gap at the end of the season, for the next season. I buy a size bigger than they are now. Leave the tags on, put them in a Tupperware tub and put them in the attic until that season rolls around. Many times at the end of the season both stores will have 40-50% off sales, which include clearance. This makes each item anywhere from a little less than full price at wal-mart to .75 each. I try to buy classic items and stay away from uber trendy ones that I wouldn’t use the next year. This way I am getting new quality items that can be passed down from my 7 y/o all the way down to my 2 y/ o and they will still have enough life left for me to sell them when the 2 y/o is done.
Gap outlet is the way to go, I’ve gotten tons of clothes for them from there. usually pay $0.97 apiece. twice a year they do huge clearence sales. the regular gap is great too. I get lots of stuff there for around $3.00 apiece, when pair a sale with the extra 30 or 40% off. Target clothes aren’t even worth the gas money to get there. Plus i resell all my girls clothes on ebay and usually make more than i spent 🙂
It all comes down to how picky you are about style and such, but since you said you accepted hand me downs, this will probably work for you. We have three kids age 4 and under, and I mostly shop the clearance racks at Target and Kohls. I am not picky about style- I let my oldest dress herself and as long as its modest and weather-appropriate, I don’t care if she mixes dots and stripes together. My price goal is less than $5 for shirts, pants, whatever article of clothing it is. Thankfully we can stretch the girls summer wardrobe through fall by adding leggings and a sweater to their dresses and skirts. I know some moms pay a little more for quality, and I used to do that too, but I just keep my eyes peeled and occasionally find dirt-cheap prices at places like Baby Gap and Gymboree. But the more I pay for a piece of clothing, the more I care if it gets stained or dirtied. I’ve found peace of mind in paying a couple bucks for a tee and if it gets ruined in a month, who cares.
Like many others, I shop the clearance racks, especially end of season. But, I have found the most success with Savers (also called Value Village, Unique and Valu Thrift) They sell used, donated clothing and partner with a local charity that receives a percentage of the profits. In my area (northeast US) I have found the store to be clean and well organized. I have found some really good deals on brand name clothing. (Gymboree, Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, etc.) I have much better luck there than in consignments and it’s more efficient than driving from tag sale to tag sale. I shop for my daughter, 3, and my two boys, 5 and 7, who are now wearing the same size so I have to double up their wardrobe with items in the same size.
At consignment stores I won’t pay more than $2 for a really cute shirt and $1 for a basic shirt. I can usually get jeans for $3-4, no more than $5. I have no problem finding ones with adjustable waist. For some reason the shorts are the same price (you’d think they would be less – less material). Shoes are usually around $6-9. Since I can get a pair of brand new shoes for my daughter at Wal-Mart for $8, they have to be some really cute shoes for me to even get a pair at Wal-Mart.
I have two boys, almost 3 and 1. I’m really only buying for one, since they were both born in May the seasons are the same for the same sizes. I go to a big consignment sale every 3 months to buy clothes for the upcoming season. I try to go early and hit the Goodwill first, but I don’t always have time. We live 1.5 hours from any store other than Walmart, so I don’t even try to do the coupon/sale/clearance rack stocking up at regular stores. I generally spend about $2-3 per shirt and $4-5 per pair of pants. We live in the south so they really only need a heavy jacket for winter, which I’ve gotten for around $8-10. Socks and underwear I buy new at Walmart, and shoes I get on ebay. I spend around $12-18 for a pair of used shoes. Jonathan has extra wide and tall feet and I can only squeeze his feet into the Stride Rite x-wide sizes. I don’t mind spending more on shoes since I know I can resell them for a decent price later. We pretty much never have any good yard sales out here, unfortunately.
Just my pricing thoughts. I rarely to never buy brand new, unless it’s clearanced and within my consignment sale price range. Which is:
My daughter(who is 4, turning 5 soon):
T-Shirts: $1-2
Shorts: $1-2
Jeans: $2-3
Cloth Pants/PJs: $1 or less
Jackets: IF they’re thick, $5, smaller lightweight ones, no more than $3
Dresses: $1-4(depending on wear)
My son(who is a really tall thin 6 year old):
everything is basically the same price as above EXCEPT PJs/Cloth pants…finding these items at $1 or less is almost impossible. I basically follow a $4 or less rule with him as I am looking in the bigger boys section and often having to buy slim.
Also, for anyone wondering, I buy nothing but adjustable waist, because both my children are tall and VERY slim. Adjustable waist is much more expensive than a regular pair of slacks with a normal waist, so a good deal on those is priceless! I will not buy shoes used, or unders, but beyond that, anything is fair game!
I aim for about $3 a piece used and about $5-$6 new. My best deals were last year I got 2 summer dresses at JCPenney for 14 cents! The total reg price was almost $50.
I have a 21 month old son, and I do most of my shopping for him at stores like Chidrens Place, Old Navy, Gymboree, Kohls, and Target. I usually find that I can buy him new clothes on sale for just as cheap as thrift stores. I only shop the clearance racks, and I won’t pay more than $3 for a shirt, or more than $6 for a pair of pants. I also like to buy him hooded sweatshirts (we live in OR and you never know when it’s going to rain) for no more than $5. At places like Childrens Place, make sure you get on their emai list, because then they will send you codes for extra % off. I just happened to be near an outlet mall last weekend, and went into the Osh Kosh store, and they were having an extra 30% off clearance. I was able to get my son long sleeved shirts for $2.09 each, and pants for $4.49! I normally dont even go into that store, but I am glad I checked. You just never know when you are going to find a good deal.
Also, check out stores in other areas. Meet up with a friend and hit her target or something. “sizes” often tend to trend in areas
We budget $40 per month ($480 per year) for our family of 6. I currently have over $700 built up in that budget category. I buy most of our clothing at thrift stores, rummage sales, and clearance racks.
I will say as my oldest gets bigger it is getting harder to find all of the great deals. I tend to shop Kohl’s when I have a 30% off coupon (and pay the balance off right away-and you only have to put PART of your purchase on your charge to use the coupon). My oldest is 6 (turning 7 this summer) and comfortably in a 5/6, but starting to move toward a size 7. Last year, in September I found great deals at Wal-mart for sleeveless shirt and short outfits for $3 each (both pieces). I am willing to splurge a bit for the older one as I have 2 boys and everything but sneakers, socks and underwear go the the next one. I have also noticed that bigger boys clothes are more expensive at the store, so I will go between $5 and$ 7 for him but under $5 for my 3 year old.
Thanks for posting this because I thought I was the only one who had a rule about how much to spend on an item of children’s clothing. I have two 5 year olds and a 4 year old. My limit is $3, mostly because the local Goodwill has $2.92 per item and they have lots of Gymboree and Gap and Old Navy clothing there. I stop by couple of weeks as I have spare moments and just browse for a few minutes in the kids section. I also try to go to a couple of consignment sales a year & browse the Target clearance section when possible.
I wish someone had told me about 4T and 4/5 sizes when my son (who has been tall for his age all along) was growing up. It would have saved me some money as I should have been buying him 4/5 and not 4T sizes. I think the difference is that 4T is bigger in the waist than a 4/5 and is shorter in length. My son turned 14 yesterday and is now 6’1” and I am looking at talls ( feel my pain?).
I have 2 boys. (almost 5 and 3) My 3 yr. old wears pretty much all of his older brother’s clothes. We don’t have any great second hand stores around here and I never have luck at yard sales. I do buy new for them but of course shop the sales and use coupons! I will typically spend no more than $5 a shirt, $7ish on pants or $10 on jeans. Generally, if it is a brand I know holds up well I am willing to spend a little more for it to hold up for both my kids (and their cousin that gets it after them)
I actually spend less money overall buying things on clearance at Target/Walmart/Kohls, etc. than most of my friends who do consignment sales. They are a great option if you need stuff immediately, but if you get into the habit of buying ahead, you can get great deals! I think because I pace myself a little more than having to buy a whole wardrobe at once, that’s why I end up spending less overall. The “panic” of making sure you got enough stuff to last will make you buy too much sometimes. I also set aside $20 per kid per season to buy something I want. Even if it is full price. It keeps me honest because I know I can get something if I really fall in love with it and I tend to be more careful because I know I only have $20 for splurging. Last year I got the kids very nice (originally $70 each!) matching Christmas pjs on sale. Kind of a waste since they didn’t wear them more than 5-6 times but I try to remember that as long as it doesn’t mean we aren’t going to be able to eat and pay our bills, it is okay to relax just a little and enjoy their childhood. I only get this one time with them and their little smocked pjs made me so happy 🙂
we usually buy long pants with flexible waistbands in the summer when they are on clearance, and then when the spring and summer season comes around we just cut off the legs and make shorts out of them. We also buy only Dickies shirts when the have the tax free school clothing sale, since it doesn’t get very cold here in GA we usually wear them year. The Dickies shirt usually last for about 2 years, before the really look not usable anymore, and with two boys that’t pretty good. The only thing we have to buy every 6 month are shoes. But usually we don’t spend more then 80 dollars a year on clothing for them.
I have a 5 year old and a 2 1/2 year old. I like to purchase name brand clothing and I only by new. My price points are $3-$5 for shirts, $3-$7 for pants (depending if they are sweats or jeans) and $10-$20 for shoes. I achieve this by shopping the clearance racks and using store coupons. I use to work a children’s clothing store and my number one tip is to shop seasons ahead of time! In March, we would clearance out our winter clothing and would have long sleeve shirts for $.99 and pants for $2.49. I was even able to purchase a 3 layer winter coat for $.99 (before my discount!) But keep track of what you buy, or else you will spend more than you need too.
You know with 6 kids, I don’t buy new too often. We budget out for the items we feel are necessary new…panties (5 girls), socks and shoes we almost always buy new. As for hand me downs, they work great, but for us I have a few bean poles kids and a few stocky kids, so they can always share or hand down clothes well. We have a great thrift store in our area that offers a 50% off coupon on your whole order. So we usually walk out with about 4 bags of clothes for about $30! Can’t beat that! I would say that we up to $3-5 for pants/shorts/skirts and $2-4 for shirts/long sleeve, short sleeve and even a few light sweaters. Hope this helps.
My 2 boys are REALLY hard on clothes. We live in the south and play outside a lot in the 7 months of summer. I have not found any good sales at consignment shops. I just can’t justify spending $7-10+ on a used toddler shirt when I can buy one brand new for $1-3 on sale at Kohls or Old Navy.
My MIL has a WONDERFUL community yard sale twice a year and 75% of the clothing is marked 10 CENTS!! She stocks up for me a year or two ahead of time with clothing that’s not stained or torn. If I don’t like something, we pass it on to another family member, or save it for the next sale, and I don’t feel bad because it was only 10 cents!
I go to the Rhea Lana consignment event in our town…there are events in like 17 states I do believe… http://www.rhealana.com
We have a Goodwill store that sells children’s clothes for $1.09 per item. I try to stop by once a week or so, whenever I am already nearby, to see what might have come in. I usually try to buy things my daughter will grow into and have a Rubbermaid tote stored in the basement for my finds. I have especially good luck at this particular store with buying special occasion dresses for my daughter. They are usually in brand-new condition and have only been worn once or twice. I can often find name brand clothing (Gymboree, Abercrombie, Children’s Place, Justice, Limited Too) in this location as well. I think the key is to find a place you like and check back frequently.
I generally find that end of season clearance is cheaper then consignment shopping in my area(and the clothes are brand new). I shop Kohl’s and Target near the end of each season for clothes for the following year for my girls. I also noticed the smaller the size the cheaper the clothes, so as your child gets bigger you may need to increase your budget.
It really depends on what you’re looking for and where you’re located. In general, my target price (for used clothing) is $2-$3 per item (this is for pre-K sizes, name brands) But, I will pay more for certain things — for example, Adidas pants fit my 5 year old son better than other brands and he prefers athletic style pants over others. With a coupon paired with a sale, I can find them for $14 a pair at the store. They are tough to find second hand, so I will pay up to $5-$6 for a used pair in great/excellent shape. When I had younger babies/toddlers, I would pay up to $10 a pair for pediped shoes (excellent condition only) because they fit tiny feet the best (and they are $32 new). I will pay up to $5 per piece for gymboree sets if they are excellent or like new. Don’t forget to check Craigslist and local swap sites on facebook! My experience is that the stuff that is the nicest/best quality will often be sold in lots (often a mom who doesn’t want to mess with consiging and wants a box full of stuff out of her house soon!) To figure price per item on these, make sure you count the number of pieces in the lot that you (and your child) actually like (and would’ve purchased individually) and divide the lot price by that number. For example if the seller lists it as a 30 piece lot for $40, but I only like or need 10 of the pieces, my actual cost is $4 per item. So, I’ll pass on it.
Check with Craigslist because some people sell clothes in “lots” so you don’t need to go hunting at several garage sales. Also ThreadUp is one that allows you to get several items for a good price as I’ve been told.
I always shop and consign at our local consignment sale. I try to pay no more than $5-6 for a full outfit, and $4-5 for shoes. That said, I try to also buy about 1/2 the wardrobe at garage sales.
Hello! I purchase all my son’s clothes at Walmart. The Garanimals line is all either $2.44 or $3.88 for tops and bottoms and is all very cute. The Faded Glory line is priced just a little more ($5.00-$7.00 mostly) and up until recently was 100% organic. At the end of the season is all goes on clearance for $1.00 or $2.00, and I live in Chicago where the prices are higher than the national average. My little guy always gets compliments and I barely spend anything! I feel like I must be missing something though as no one ever mentions Walmart.
The Garanimals stuff I’ve had does not last through 1 season of wear with my son. It fades to the point I don’t want to use it/shrinks in the wash/etc.
I’ll buy them here and there for a couple of dollars. But I don’t trust it for most of our wardrobe. Faded Glory I have better luck with but did not realize it was a Walmart brand.
I get a lot of stuff at Walmart too! Sometimes I do get something that doesn’t hold up, but my daughter has some Garanimals shorts she’s been wearing for 3 years now!
This is such a hard question. It just varies depending on your family and what is important to you. Also, climate and weather make a huge difference. For example: when we lived in Georgia, everyone had multiple swim suits, but a sweatshirt with a hood was good for winter. We moved to Idaho! In the 6 weeks that the pool was open, most people just wore shorts and a tshirt. But everyone had a Columbia or Carhartt coat, snow boots, gloves, hats, long underwear, etc. So keep that in mind. Lifestyle makes a difference too. We attend church regularly and the girls and I always wear a dress or skirt on Sunday AM, so we needed at least a couple of dresses/skirts and dress shoes or sandels.
Brand name matters to some people. I found that brand name (LandsEnd, Oshkosh, Levi, etc) lasted longer and could be passed down, while wal-mart/kmart brand items usually did not make it to be passed down. So for some items it is worth spending a little more if it is a basic item that will be passed down. If it is a seasonal or item that will have little use, then a cheaper brand is fine. I always bought name brand shoes for my kids. I found that the off brands just did not hold up and looked bad quickly, needing to be replaced more often.
Dressing little ones can be such fun, but also takes $. Set priorities and spend your money there, then just make due with the rest.
I think it all depends on where you live. I am having a yard sale this weekend (in Southern Indiana) and I am pricing my daughter clothes at .50 for shirt, 1.00 for onesies and pants and for outfits $2.00 or $3.00 depending. The most expensive outift is a Easter Dress that will be 5.00 because it was worn 2 times (easter and for pictures) and grandma paid 30 for it new. I put shoes for 2.00 each as well- These are also the prices I would pay for things at other yard sales or Mom Sales. I tend to buy winter and summer stuff at once because yard sales are much cheaper than consignment shops. Luckily, my daughter is still young, but I know as this gets older it will be harder.
Good luck- remember that it differs for each area and that consignment stores are more expensive than yard sales
We have a fantastic bi-annual consignment event where I live. The prices are great…priced by the consignor, but still very reasonable. Also, this consignment owner allows volunteer workers first dibs on everything and then everything is marked down to 50% the last couple of days. I have friends that stock up for their kids for the entire year just during these consignment sales. When I make a clothing budget, I always purchase with resale in mind. I know it has been mentioned by others, but boutique brands and Gymboree seem to be the best sellers. Good Luck!
I try to spend no more than $3 per shirt and $5 for bottoms, $6 for dresses. Our girls are 5 & 8 and we have be very lucky to still find lots of good deals at Goodwill and yard sales and sometimes on ebay. I like my kids to wear nice clothes, so usually I try for name brand items. I could never afford to buy Gymboree new but used my kids have nice wardrobes. People always say how cute my girls are dressed. I also find that name brand clothes DO hold up better and don’t shrink plus I get better resale out of them, however, I’m very diligent about removing stains.
When we do buy new items I try to buy at the end of the season to put things up, my girls wore their new land’s end sandals this week that I bought it October for $3. I also find that Crazy 8, a gymboree company has great prices when we need something and can’t find it used.
Part of your budget should be based on how many kids’ worth of wears you can get out of an item. I have 3 daughters ages 7, 5 and 2. I am way more likely to spend more on a well-constructed brand name item of clothing for my 7 year old than for my 2 year old. I know the 7 year old’s clothing will be worn by 3 children so the “splurge” is worth it.
Not all consignment stores are that great of a bargain. You may do better at yard sales or clearance racks. Ask or shop around first.
How much to budget really depends on how many clothes you need her to have. Potty-training? You will need lots. Church clothes? Do you live where there are 4 seasons? How often do you do laundry? Region – Kansas v. California? Are you going to have more kids? If so, you may want better quality items to pass down.
I have 3 girls and 1 boy. The oldest girl is 9, and I find that I am having to spend much more money now to buy clothing (often on-line) that does not have a certain look that I don’t care for. It was easier when she was little to get nice things at just about any store. I also try to get better quality stuff so that it will last through the 3 girls. But for my 2 year old boy, I don’t invest in high-quality stuff because it won’t be handed down.
I have not had much success with consignment stores in my area, but have had tons of success shopping clearance racks at department stores (with coupons, of course :)). I always buy a size or two up with the following year in mind. I don’t like to spend more than $4 for tops and $8 for bottoms. I will splurge on dresses, however, to purchase something modest! We also live close to an outlet mall and can score brand new, brand name clothes for under $3/piece regularly.
Finally, talk with other moms in your area and find out where they get the best deals. Happy Shopping!
I generally start with $2 an item, paying more for nice dresses and adjustable waist jeans. I shop mostly at a consignment sale we have twice a year and buying for the next season. If you think you are going to be reselling, I would try to stick with as much good condition brand name as possible since you can often make your money back (or more) on these items.
I pay no more than $3 new per item, unless it’s a special dress needed or something, and no more than $5 per new pair of shoes.
At yard sales my max (depending on brand) is $.50/piece. I will spend more for Gymboree, Carter’s, etc. but try to keep it around that price.
Same with goodwill and consignment. I can hit up a clearance rack and get a whole new outfit for $5-8 no chance I’m spending that for a used item.
The totswap that comes to our area has a dollar day the last day of the swap for an hour. I scour the racks to see if there is anything good left. Last fall I got my daughter a Juicy Couture top for $1!!!
In my opinion, it’s all about planning ahead and setting a budget that works for you and your family.
I do most of my shopping online through Old Navy and supplement with thrift store and yard sale finds. My daughter just turned 4, and I was able to purchase almost an entire summer wardrobe brand new from O.N. for less than $40. If you can combine a good sale with a good discount (confession- I do have their store credit card), it’s not too hard at all to find basic t-shirts and basic shorts for $3.50 each- in fact, I was just able to get shirts for $2 in store earlier this week! And that’s brand new! In my experience with consignment sales/stores, the prices tend to be higher than what I’ve been spending at Old Navy, so I’ve decided it’s a time and money saver for me to just shop online sales most of the time.
My rule of thumb is to try and only pay as much as I think I can resale them for. So if I can get a name brand dress for $2.50 then I am reasonably sure I can resale it for that same amount later on. Shoes, I’m willing to pay a little more for since I know we will wear them out.
This is a great question, and I’ve written a few posts of my own on this very topic! Obviously, FREE is best whenever possible. Hand-me downs, swaps, etc. is a great way to get children’s clothes. Second — garage sales. I’ve gotten many items for both my children for 25 cents a piece.
Next, I love going to half price days at the local big consignment sales. $1-$4 per item is a good deal.
You can also find items on clearance at stores like Kohls and Kmart for about the same price ($4 per item). You can get some good deals on Gap & Gymboree with using coupons, but I only do that for special occassions and know that I’m “splurging.” 🙂
My daughters are 3, 1.5, and newborn. I have been blessed to get many hand-me-downs and they girls have grandmothers who love to buy for them occasionally. However, there are always holes in their wardrobes, and for that I go to the 2 large consignment sales held in the spring and fall around here. I am sure to go on half-price day and there are still plenty of clothes left. I look for no more than $1.50 for footie pjs, $2.50 for an outfit ($3 if it is adorable and a must-have), and anything below that for shirts/pants as I find them. I also won’t pay more than $5 for shoes. This year I bought 4 pairs of shoes, 7 outfits, multiple shirts and a little backpack for my 1.5 year old (she kept stealing her sister’s) for under $30 and about an hour and a half of time.
I shop at a used clothing store for kids, and they often have a clearance sale where certain items are $1. I also shop the consignment sale, online yard sales, Freecycle, and generally pay no more than $3 an item. I find deals at Children’s Place end of season and combined with the coupons they always have I pay $2-3 per piece for shorts, t-shirts, and PJs. I also shop at Goodwill BUT I find that their prices per piece for baby and toddler clothes can sometimes be high, close to $3 a piece for a t-shirt for example, so I try to wait until I have a 20% off coupon they give me when I donate. The one place I DO NOT skimp is on shoes. My boys have chunky feet, they are hard on their shoes, and it is important to have quality footwear. I still shop with coupons but I don’t buy them used.
I guess I’m a little flabbergasted. I can’t imagine $2 being the limit I would spend on a shirt for my boys. Or $50 for an entire season’s worth of clothes.
Twice a year I shop at the local huge consignment sale (I also sell clothes at it) and pick up a lot of things for my youngest son who is 1. My older one is 6 and boys clothes don’t really keep that well to resale at that age, so I rarely find things for him.
I always do sales and coupons and end-of-the-year clearance and buy mainly Gymboree, Gap and Carters. I never pay full price unless it’s an Easter or Christmas item that I know won’t be there come sale time. Gymboree has a great resale value on Ebay, so I always resell the following year.
My kids’ wardrobes primarily come from thrift stores/consignment stores and the Target clearance racks. I only shop at thrift & consignment stores when they have 50% off or more. You just have to get to know the stores and when they usually have sales. Our’s do sales nearly every holiday. Be sure to buy ahead for the best savings. I aim for $3 or less for shirts and pants/shorts and $5 or less for dresses.
My son is 8 now so it’s getting a lot harder to find decent used items for him. I think it’s much harder to find deals on bigger kids clothes since they get worn long enough to get worn out and they’re more expensive in stores. I have to buy new jeans for him since I have a hard time finding used jeans that aren’t stained, ripped, and torn. He wears a slim so that doesn’t help. I aim to spend no more than $8/pair of jeans.
I aim for about $6 or less per bottom and about $5 or less per shirt. Sometimes I go over, sometimes I don’t. I only shop brand new because I find around here I can get the name brands much cheaper with coupons and sales vs. going to consignment sales. Plus I know that my older son’s clothes will be worn by my younger son, and after that I’ll re-sell at OUAC and I usually make my money back or make more 🙂
My goal price is $.50 per item on average. I have a 5yo and a 20 mo. I gratefully accept hand-me-downs, get things on freecycle and other giveaways and my kids get some clothes from relatives for Christmas. We live in Ohio where kids need clothes for 4 seasons of weather. My kids are also off the chart on the growth scale and my 20mo is already in 3t clothes. I budget $50 per year for each child for clothes and what I do not spend, goes into their savings accounts. I figure they will need more costly items as they get older and as teenagers so I will save all the money now while I can!
We spend very little on our daughters clothing (she’s 17 mos.). We’ve been blessed with hand-me-downs, as well as being able to purchase clothing from yard sales and friends for what seems like “pocket change”. I cringe at the price of clothing brand new in retail stores. Even on the sale racks, I won’t spend more than $4 for an article of clothing for my kiddo. Before you purchase from a consignment store, be sure to check with your friends who might possibly have children a little older than your own. They may have clothing sitting in storage, ready for a yard sale or donating, that they might sell to you on the cheap! I just bought my daughters entire summer season clothing from a friend for $20 (12-15 outfits, avg. $1.67 or less each!) and they came from a great family and a clean home!
I think it depends on the cost of living in your area too, as far as consignment shopping goes. We don’t always see super low prices at consignment, but I think it’s a cost of living thing. I’m willing to pay up to $5 for shirts and $8 for pants for my 19 mo son. Those are usually prices for items that till have the tag. They do have $.50 days, but most of the clothing is pretty bad at that point.
I find that consignment stores and sales are sometimes OK, but sometimes overpriced. I would cross check the prices with new clothing, because sometimes with a coupon and sale I can get new clothes for cheaper or the same as used. For 2T, I think between $3 and $5 a piece is good for new or used, if you can score at a garage sale or on Craigslist you can get them trot much less.
Don’t discount stores you might think are too much, like Gymboree. I regularly get clothes there for under $5 a piece.
I was going to say that as well, Jessica!
Consignment sales usually let people price their own stuff, so of course people tend to mark them higher. Go on the half off days. Things that I most always buy used though are jeans (they are softer- already broken in) and pjs (all the chemicals for flammability are usually washed off by then). However, I would never pay more than 50% of what I could buy the item new on sale for. Example… children’s place jeans are regularly on sale for $10, so used I would never pay more than $5. Carters PJs can normally be bought at Kohl’s on sale for $7, so I wouldn’t pay more than $3.50 for used. Shoes are easy to find used in smaller sizes, but as kids grow and become harder on shoes, it’s tough to find good used shoes. I have the best luck on ebay for those.
I agree with Gymboree, they will often email you 20 or 30% off coupons and then you can pair them with their already 20 or 30% off and end up with really nice clothes that are new for $3 to $5 that you in return can consign and get decent money for. They also always have coupons in a couple of the parents magazines. Before I had kids and really got into shopping, I didn’t like Gymboree because I thought they were overpriced. But they don’t have to be if you can find a good sale, put it with a coupon and consider the fact you will get more for it down the road. Plus, they wash up better and it seems stains wash out easier.
I agree about Gymboree too. I always assumed they were super expensive……then I discovered their wonderful sales combined with the 20% or 30% coupons (someone else mentioned that they either email you or can be found in parents magazines) combined with GymBucks. Plus, what I like the most about them is, their clothes hold up extremely well compared to all other brands of children’s clothing we’ve tried. I’ll buy something from Carter’s, wash it once, and it no longer fits. Not Gymboree clothes……they are very well made and don’t seem to shrink much.
My daughter is 6 1/2 and seems to be outgrowing clothes before she has a chance to wear them. I have checked a couple consignment stores and have not had much luck – seems that their prices are higher and usually done by item (name brands are more, etc). I did stumble upon a local Goodwill store though that I have had a TON of success at. It is located in the “nicer” part of town and is always stocked with nice, clean name brand items (many items still have tags on them!). And the nice thing, the children’s clothes are across the board one price – doesn’t matter if they are name brand/store brand, new with tags or whatever. Prices are $2.25 but if you find one of the color sales…the item is only $1.10 !!! I try to go once a month or so when I am in the area. It is well worth my time to go a little out of my way. That’s my limit now since I have had such good luck. Hopefully you will too!
I try very hard to not go over $3 for a shirt or shorts, $8 for jeans and $10 for dresses or shoes. My daughter is 2.5 if that makes any difference. I do most of my clothes shopping at Salvation Army and a local consignment store. I will hit up Kohl’s and Target clearance racks. I also shop the Gymboree clearance twice a year to pick up a few “nice” items. (mostly knit sweaters and dresses and items to give as gifts.) I make sure to always look for brand name when I’m thrift shopping. My consignment store will pay me far more for Carter, Gap, or Gymboree than it will for Circo. I just pulled out all our summer clothes, I payed around $80 for an entire summer wardrobe; including pj’s, sandals, and a swimsuit.
I have the blessing of having great thrift stores near me as well as a Once Upon A Child. The thrift stores generally price shirts around $1-2 each and Jeans around $2-4. In addition to 1/2 sales through out the year. Once Upon a Child has “bag” sales where you pay $15 for all you can stuff in the bag. I usually end up with at least 15 outfits this way. My goal is for a complete outfit for $5 total. Hope that helps.
Oh, the Target near me is the one that gets the clothes first, so their Clearance racks are phenominal. When we get coupons I make sure to hit there and also stock up that way. My goal for then is $5 or less for bottoms and $4 or less for tops.
I aim for $2-$3 a piece. That is an average, so somtimes it’s a little more sometimes a little less. We have a Goodwill that charges per pound, great way to stock up on clothes.
Also keep in mind if you buy name brand you will be able to resell it after they grow out of it. Given it’s in good condition.
My little one is 3. I aim for $2-$3 per shirt or pants as well, and I try to get as many brand-name items as I can, both because I tend to like some of the styles better and because they are easier to resell after the little one outgrows them. I also aim for $3 per set of pjs, although I don’t mind paying $6 for them at Wal-Mart if the need arises. I will only buy used shoes if they are VERY gently used on the inside.
I realize I may need to increase those amounts a bit as the little one grows.
My current philosophy (given my child’s age) is that 2 shirts and 2 pants/shorts per day is a good number that allows for huge messes, water spills, potty accidents, etc. If I do laundry every 4-5 days, that’s 8-10 of each, plus 1-2 “nice” outfits. For us, that’s the maximum-number scenario — each season we end up having favorite shirts or pants that get worn over and over and one or two that get rejected time and time again, so I think we could get by with fewer clothes. Nice to have some wiggle room, though.
I always like to have a few extra outfits for the diaper bags (yes I have 2–my big one I carry around in lieu of a purse and a smaller one I leave at the church and gym nursery with just diapers, wipes, change of clothes, cup–they don’t need my wallet, make-up, check book, etc.). And also extra outfits for the cubby at daycare. When my 5 year old was younger, we had a local consignment shop that would have a fill-a-bag sale a few times a year. Fill up a grocery size bag for $12 or a smaller one for $6. For baby/toddler clothes, you could fit a lot. And you could get more than one bag. I used to average 50 cents – 1 dollar an item–a steal even if he didn’t wear every single thing in the bag. If there was something in there that I didn’t LOVE, it ended up being the daycare cubby or diaper bag outfit. Now #2 is reusing all the same stuff. I also scored a lot of Gymboree and GAP items this way and a lot of cute things, some even with tags! This shop has closed. I was fortunate enough to get a bunch of hand me downs in 4T, but we no longer have contact with that source. So, now we need clothes for the 5 year old. We also get winter clothes from family for Christmas and summer clothes for his March birthday. Last summer, I bought 5 t-shirts and 2 bathing suits on clearance at Old Navy for $20 total so now I just need shorts for him and summer PJs. I also got a 3rd bathing suit at Target and yes, we do use 3 bathing suits–I am a teacher and off “all” summer–we live near the beach and a waterpark and have a pool in our neighborhood. Plus I do send him to daycare a little in the summer for trainings, setting up my classroom, summer testing of incoming students, to do things like paint a room in my house, and they have you leave a bathing suit there for water day and weekly field trips to the sprinkler park.
And I totally agree with a 2 outfit a day rule. My 5 year old gets away with one outfit more and more often lately, but sometimes needs 2. My 16 month old almost always needs 2! They play on the playground at daycare almost every day, so he needs to be changed when we get home if we are going anywhere else, plus the diaper accidents, food, etc!
I usually spend $1 per item at garage sales, but sometimes find things as low as .25. At consignment stores, the prices are a bit higher so I would say around $5 per item. At consignment SALES the prices are even higher (at least the sales that I’ve been to) and I’ve seen things as high as $20 or so. These are nicer, more expensive brands though.
Last week was our church consignment sale and I was buying for a 2 1/2 year old girl – spring/summer. I was buying 2 piece outfits mostly by Gymboree and a few by Carters. Generally spent $3-6 per outfit by either brand. Also spent $7-8 for a few absolutely adorable couldn’t-leave-behind Gymboree 2-piece outfits. Those were for birthday parties and such.
I never spend more than $5 on any article of clothing, child or adult. My buy price for kids is $2 per article, unless there is something super special about it or I procrastinated and need to buy that day to meet some sort of deadline.
We our blessed with boy hand-me downs and I generally shop for an entire year at a large children’s consignment sale in our area for my daughter. I always bring $140 and that is more than enough for a year of clothing if I arrive early and look for deals- this is including shoes, an Easter dress, and Christmas dress. We on occasion run short or realize we need new socks, dress shoes, etc. but those are little things that are easier to work into the budget.
I’d say less than $50 would be a good budget. For our kids we buy one season ahead, and buy during the Spring/Summer (ECFE and garage sales). I spend around $60-$80 for both, for an entire season’s worth of clothes. My son is wearing 2T and I will be buying 3T. I usually plan to spend around $1-2 on pants, $1-$2 on shirts/sweaters, and a bit more on special things like costumes, coats, swim trunks, etc.
Just wanted to add that my two are 2 years old and 6 months old.
Those are my price points as well. You can shop clearance at Kohls and Target off season to get items between $1 and $2 and then shoes I spend under $5. My son is two and I always have a box of clothes 1 size up that are ready to go. I did really well at Old Navy when they did an additional 40% off of clearance. I bought things in a couple of sizes. Also for jackets and snow boots I tend to skip a size so he can wear the item two seasons. So he is a 2t now and then I bought him a 4t for the next two years.
I would agree with this one. My daughter is 2 and I usually try not to spend more than $2/article of clothing. For dresses and special occasions, I will spend a little more. Typically, I try to keep within a $50/season budget. I shop consignment sales mostly and have been blessed with lots of hand-me-downs.
I agree but would add that there are some ages/stages for kids that it is really hard to find clearance or second hand clothes. I’ve found this for my boy who wears size 5-6 clothes. Many second hand clothes are worn out or close to it. And there really aren’t many clearance pants/short available at Kohls etc. I just use my 30% off at Kohls with the best sale I can find. I guess my point it sometimes the price points have to rise when we can’t find anything in our price range. Funny thing…I haven’t had as much trouble with this with my girls 🙂
True – but that’s why I start early. Last year I got stuck buying a couple things at full price (with a couple/sale) and it killed me to spend 3-5 times what I would if I would have gone to a few more garage sales. That’s why I now make it a priority to go to big garage/community sales early in the year and buy most (if not all) that we need and fill in with garage sales over the spring/summer.
Could not agree more. However, I spent around $60 gearing up for the 3T stage, but my child completely skipped over to a 4T. Growth spurt put a damper on my planning 🙁
In your situation, I would sit down and write out what you need for each season and how many of each item. For example, for my girls, we would probably need a minimum of 8-10 summer shirts, 4 or 5 shorts, capris or skirts, 2 or 3 dresses and 2 pairs of sandals per girl. When I’m shopping new brand names (Carter’s, GAP, Gymboree, etc.) my price cap is $5/separate item and $10/dress and $12 for a pair of shoes. I would take my max price and multiply it by the number of items I figured that I needed. I would take that dollar amount in cash and hope to come in well under budget!
I hope that helps!
I know Gap typically has mutiple of a season, like holiday 1, holiday 2, summer 1, summer 2. This is especially true when there’s a holiday and back to school, because they want to get out the dresses and holiday stuff, but still need to support the rest. So, summer 1 gets marked down when summer 2 comes out. Gap does mark downs on Sunday (not every Sunday though), and add in their % off mark downs, sometimes really good deals. Plus, sign up for their “Joy alerts” and you get things like $5 off any purchase.
our gap does markdowns on thursday. might be differant for each store
Hit up the clearance racks (and website) at Kohls. They always have stuff for dirt cheap. Especially when you combine it with a 30% off code. Can get shirts for $2-$3 at times.
http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/clearance/kids.jsp
I agree! The best prices are definitely off season. It helps to do your shopping a year ahead of time.
Kohls with coupons and sales, too! We recently spent $80 on clothes that would’ve retailed for $300 at Kohls. Both my kids are set for next Winter. Be careful with consignment shops — sometimes their prices aren’t as good as a sale with coupons, but you can get a good deal if you are patient.
I used to have this experience at Kohl’s when my daughter was in toddler sizes (their Jumping Beans brand was well-priced and held up well), but now that she’s outgrown those sizes, I’m finding the size 7-14 girls’ clothes prices aren’t that great.
My daughters in the 7 up size I recently went to jcp and bought a few shirts some were the thin 3/4 sleeve button shirts thay can be rolled up with shorts for $2! And a cute 1 shoulder strap tank with a flower for $6 everyday price. They do best prices 1st and 3rd Friday’s. I only went once since they’ve changed their pricing but I was happy plus look online at best prices section. Shop in season for cheap then after she’s outgrown consign it and get your money back….possibly make money since you bought the items at a bargain. I need to remember to do this instead of giving it to a friends kid ;( lol
And they aren’t that cute either, in my opinion. I too used to buy all my daughter’s clothes at Kohl’s, but since she moved up to a size 7, I find many of the options there to be inappropriate and ugly. I have started shopping for her at Gymboree and Land’s End. Their stuff is really cute and traditional for the most part……things a 7 year old girl should be wearing.
We have bought very few brand new items for our three boys, ages 11,9 and 5. when we expecting our first we ran out and purchased new things just because it was fun to shop for a little one! 🙂 We were also blessed with a two year wardrobe from friends – hand me downs from their son. I have always bought at neighborhood yard sales. Lots to choose from and great prices. I have also purchased from a local consignment sale that happens twice a year. I’m willing to pay a little more than I would at a garage sale since there is an even greater selection at one location, which saves on time and money. I usually will pay up to $3 for a pair of pants and around $2 for a shirt. If it’s new or something I know the boys will love I might splurge a tiny bit more. With tree boys, I factor that at least two and maybe three of them will wear a particular item over time. This makes it extremely economical. It’s also kind of fun to see the jammies that your first wore also on your third – memories:) I would rather buy name brand clothes at garage sales or at a consignment sale and be able to put the money that would have been spent on wholesome food or save for a fun vacation for the family.