We’ve been on a big money-saving drive in our house lately. Not because we’re saving up for anything in particular (the chance would be a fine thing) but what with Little B now at nursery life is, well, expensive!
I did a fairly good job of sticking to a budget for Little B’s birthday in October, and I’m planning to follow the same rules for Christmas. So when I was contacted to see if I’d be interested in running a post on how to save money on kids’ clothes this winter, I thought it would be a good idea.
Since BB started school in September and wears a uniform during the week the number of clothes she wears at home has gone down dramatically, which has definitely saved us money as she hasn’t needed a fraction of the winter clothes she usually would.
Here are some other money-saving tips:
1. Before you gear up to shop for winter clothes go through their wardrobe first. Look for things that can be used again this year so you can avoid buying the same things again. Then see what can be sold or passed on.
2. Have a look at their summer clothes and see what can be worn in winter. Clothes like short sleeved shirts can be used in winter over thermals or long sleeved tops.
3. Once you know what you already have and what can be used again, make a list of the clothes that you need to shop for and stick to it.
There are some simple and easy tricks that will help you to save on your winter shopping and stay within the budget at the same time too.
Go online
Online shops sell both new and used clothes, and online shops often offer discount codes. One such store is Go Outdoors, where you’ll find Go Outdoor deals to save on your winter shopping. In addition, many online shops offer free postage.
Swap clothes
If you’ve got lots of outgrown clothes that are still in good condition talk to other mums and arrange to swap them. This way everyone gets the clothes they need and there’s no need to spend money.
Go to charity shops
Winter clothes don’t tend to get worn out and charity shops often have a wealth of second-hand coats, jackets and other thermals at a cheap price.
Consignment stores
This is where a shop sells clothes for you and gets a percentage. If you have outgrown clothes that are still in good condition you can sell them on in a consignment shop and use the money to buy new clothes.
Outlet shops
Outlets sell clothes from a particular brand at a discounted price. So if you’re after something from a certain brand opt for its outlet store – you can find out their latest offers by signing up for their newsletters.
Online clearance sales
This requires a bit of planning but can pay off. Most online shops have a clearance sale at the end of the season, so you could buy next year’s winter clothes this year by guessing the size of the clothes you’ll need. You can find lots of deals here.
If you have one of each – boys and girls – you could also try to buy clothes in neutral colours that can be handed down and worn by both.
Or just not bother, like me, and put the boy in a cosy pink gro-bag at bedtime – after all, who’s going to see?
Oh yeah, that certainly makes the hand-me-downs a bit more difficult when you have one of each! We’ve been so lucky that a couple of my friends have slightly older boys and are done having babies so between their hand-me-downs and what we were given by friends and family on baby’s arrival we’ve bought hardly any clothes in the first year. Good tips here for when we do need to start buying!
Little B doesn’t have half the number of clothes BB did – we really do make do and mend this time round!
[…] Swap outgrown clothes & use online discount codes: how to save money on kids' clothes […]
Preowned clothing all the way I have saved soo much money over the years and my girls are always well dressed. This love of used clothing prompted me to set up an online store for preowned clothes
Please do pop over, we are still in early days but we are growing from strength to strength
http://www.clothes-shack.co.uk
Kelly
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It’s such a good way to save a bit of money!x