Thrift Store Shopping

Most of the clothing that I purchase for my 15 month old comes from a thrift store. I also purchase clothes from garage sales and consignment stores and I shop clearance deals at stores like Target. The bulk of what he wears, however, comes from a thrift store. Children's clothing are, in my mind, one of the easiest ways to save money. Children do not stay in one size for very long, so if you're paying $10 for a shirt, you aren't going to get the same value out of that 2T size shirt as you would a shirt for yourself simply because your child won't be wearing it more than a few months to a year. I've been surprised at how quickly my son grows into the next size clothing. If I were buying his clothing at full price, I'm sure I'd be paying hundreds of dollars for something he'll only wear for a short time.

Though thrift stores are a great way to buy inexpensive children's clothing, not everything is a sparkling deal at a second-hand store. It's important to locate the thrift stores in your area and make several visits to each one, taking time to get a feel for how their items are priced, what kind of items they sell, and when or if they ever have discounts and specials. After doing this, you'll probably find one or two that seem to have better deals and carry more items. You'll also begin to learn what really constitutes a good deal for a piece of child's clothing. I've seen thrift stores charge upwards of 2 and 3 dollars for a simple shirt, but I won't pay more than $1, and typically I can find them for 50 or 75 cents. I will, however, pay $2 for a good pair of pants or shoes. It's worth it to me because I know those are harder to find.

It took me some time to learn where to find these deals. Also, I've learned that I can't wait until I need an item and expect to find it immediately at a thrift store. So I'm typically looking for clothing in the next size up for my child. I visit the thrift stores I like at least once a month and when I find items that are a good deal, even if they're too big for my kiddo, I'll purchase them and put them away for later. This method has worked really well for us. And it doesn't feel like a huge investment because I'm typically paying 75 cents or $1 for each item.