How to Save Money on Kids Clothes (Without Skimping on Fashion): Part 2

Have you gone shopping yet? Did you sign up for the newsletters and get excited about all the money you can save?! I hope so and now I'm going to tell you how to get the most for your buck without over doing it.

How Much Should You Buy?

Being the fashionista and clothing lover that I am, when I found out I was having a girl I went a little crazy. I could have outfitted 3 girls for a year with the amount of clothes my daughter had in her closet. I was finding such good deals and everything was so cute. Plus, I figured I needed to buy everything in every size because that first year can be tricky. So, how do you know how much to buy?

I broke it down like this: (and to preface, I do have a girl so it is tailored toward the feminine gender)

0-3- Winter

3-6- Spring

6-9- Summer

9-12- Fall

12-18- Winter/Spring

18-24- Summer/Fall

2T- All Year

3T-All Year

4T-All Year

and so on...

Think about what age they will be at what season. The first year is broken down into 3 month increments so about 90 days for each size. Let's say I have 5 dresses, 5 pairs of pants, 5 skirts, 5 rompers, and 10 onesies. Essentially I have about 30 outfits. This is if I can interchange the onesies with each pair of pants and skirts. So probably around 25. In this case, my daughter could wear each outfit about 3 times before she outgrows it. However, at the 0-3 age they will go through 5 outfits a day sometimes, so that needs to be taken into consideration. What makes this scenario work is having different pieces that are interchangeable. Make sure you have some solid pants and some solid tops, but feel free go crazy with some patterns too. This way you can create different outfits with the same pieces. If you think about your child's wardrobe like this before you start shopping it will help you save money in the long run. I had a lot of clothes that my Elliott never wore because she had so many!

How NOT to mix and match! (Dr. Suess Day at her school)

I know what you're thinking. "My kid was in a 6 month when she was 3 months". Some kids stay true to the store brand size, but many just don't. I use cloth diapers, and so my Elliott was always needing a size bigger in pants due to the fluffy butt syndrome. Stay flexible.  When you find a good deal, buy in multiple sizes. My daughter is 17 months right now and still very much in her 12 month clothes, for the most part. I had to grab a couple short sleeve 12 month shirts because all I had were 18 month. Who knew? A couple months ago I was stocking up on 24 month and 2T clothes for next winter. I have no idea if my daughter is going to be any where close to a 2T (and I'm kind of doubting it now) but I'm not worried. Wanna know why? If I don't have the right size clothes I can sell and trade for what I need. 

Staples to Make a Little Girls Wardrobe

• White Onesies and/or T-shirts- these are great to have around for under dresses if it's a little chilly, especially when dad is holding her because we know the dress will inevitably be up under her chin. Also pair with some jeans or a skirt and a cute sweater or hoodie. I also like to applique the onesies if I want a special look or shirt to go with another clothing item. (I will be doing a tutorial soon) You can also dye them on your stove top. Ever looked for that solid pink onesie that is no where to be found? Go to Wal-Mart grab a box of Rit Dye in the Laundry department and call yourself a fashion designer!

• Leg Warmers- Baby Legs are a great brand and so are Zooties, however I like to make my own (Tutorial coming soon!). Put her in a cute onesie and a pair of leg warmers. I personally think they are the cutest thing you can do and super functional! Easy diaper change with only 3 snaps and no taking pants on and off. I still put my daughter in leg warmers all the time with dresses. If it's chilly in the morning or at night they are a perfect accessory to be able to take off and on.

• Pants, Skirts and Shorts- When I'm shopping for these items, the softer and stretchier the fabric the better. I never buy a skirt that doesn't have the panties attached. The skirt will no longer be a skirt but a necklace the rest of the day. My secret to these items is Wal-Mart and Target. They have the best skinny jeans at Wal-Mart in multiple colors and the best part is the pockets on the butt. They are easy to get on and off and they are comfortable. Elliott has a pair of red denim skinny jeans from old navy that we got as a gift. They are adorable but when she wears them I feel bad because she looks like a stiff robot. I got her shorts from Target this year and I wish they made them in my size. The key is cotton, not denim. I also like that the shorts at Target are longer and cover her. I don't approve of short shorts on my 17 month old that don't cover her diaper. Disgusting. The best thing about these pants and shorts is that I got each of them for less than $5 each!

Skinny Jeans from Walmart

• T-shirts- These are everywhere and perfect for the park, a play date, or working in the garden. Get a few with cute designs that will mix and match with pants and shorts.

• Good Shoes- Before Elliott was walking I loved dressing her up in the cutest most impractical shoes, and boy did they finish an outfit. Once she started walking I realized I couldn't pay $1 or $2 for a pair of shoes. Every once in a while I'll find a good deal. I got a pair of Wee Squeak sandals at Once Upon a Child for $4 and a pair of MooShus at another thrift store for $3. These shoes retail for $30-$40, so this was an awesome find! Shoes are not something that I skimp on, but I also won't pay full price. Find a few good pairs that have good soles, stay on your child's feet, and are comfortable for them. 

These were some of my faves when she wasn't walking

• Jackets- I love layering and accessorizing. Every season I will have a couple versatile jackets that can be thrown on for that random cold front or breezy evening. 

Saving on Accessories

Bows can get expensive. Trust me, I know. Not only does my daughter have a bow for every outfit but I also used to design and order the bows for a local children's store in Texas. They can range from $5-$30 depending on the size and detail. Whew! $30 bow? How much is the outfit?! Here are a few tricks to get the accessories you want at a cost that makes sense.

• Make them yourself- Ever heard of Hobby Lobby? Every other week their roles of ribbon go 50% off. Please don't ever pay full price. GirlyThingsBows is my favorite Bow Tutorial site. You can do it, I believe in you.

I made this bow

• Get 'em Cheap- Dollar stores are great places to find cheap bows. Sometimes they are kind of pitiful and sad looking. There's an easy fix. Layer them with each other. Take a smaller bow and either clip it into the bigger bow or hot glue it on. You could even layer 3 bows for an extra special look. Take the cheap $1 bow and spruce it up with some curly ribbons, tulle or jewels. Use the above website for ideas. 

Yep, this bow was $1

• Make them Versatile- It's all about mixing and matching. Buy a medium red bow and a large blue bow and clip them together to go with that red and blue dress. Then take them apart and put the red bow with a green bow for the Christmas romper. Buy a bulk package of nylon headbands off a site like Etsy so you can mix and match bows with headbands. I also like the crochet hats too. 

You can find these hats at Hobby Lobby and online

• Find a Friend to Make them for You- Remember all the trading we talked about? Bring that back into play if you aren't crafty enough to make them yourself. 

Making Clothes Last Through Multiple Seasons

Today I put size 6 month dress on my 17 month old daughter and am calling it a top. That's right, take last seasons dresses and turn them into tops for the next season. Most of the time this isn't a problem. This particular dress happens to be sleeveless so that's nice but even if it was supposed to be long sleeved as a dress it was probably supposed to be 3/4 length as a top;) 

Then there's the age old trick of turning pants into capri's or shorts. A lot of times kids will outgrow the length but not the waist. You can permanently shorten the pants or only temporarily. Lightly tack up the hem and create a cute cuff, use iron on hemming tape for a no sew trick, or cut 'em off, wash 'em and throw them in the dryer for a nice thready cut off look. 

So what are you waiting for? Go find some bargains and let me know how you did! And while you're out, don't pass up the clothes with a little bit of food stain because next I'm going to tell you how to get out those stubborn stains from kids clothes without bleach!

-Ashley

How to Save Money on Kids Clothes (Without Skimping on Fashion): Part 1

I would dare to say that some people might describe me as a fashionista. I adore a great outfit, a new style, and little edge, so it's no surprise that my daughter's wardrobe would be the same. Some people are all about the "baby" attire (smocked dresses, Janie and Jack, and Angel Dear type stuff). While beautiful and appreciated, it's not me.

Just to give you a couple examples of my daughter's style:

 

  

 

  

 

What SHE thinks she should wear!

What her Dad thinks she should wear

What she came home in!

Occasionally I will splurge on an outfit or definitely let Grandma splurge.

(Thanks, Rara!)

Though I'd love to dress my daughter in Giggle Moon, Mustard Pie or even Gap on a full time basis, our budget just does not allow it. So, how is the majority of my daughter's closet name brand clothes? Here's how I do it!

Know Where and How To Shop

1. Garage Sales and Thrift Stores 

Especially garage sales because you can buy in bulk and make them an offer. Don't be scared, negotiate, you'll love the feeling of accomplishment. Know when the local church's have their garage sales because they sell cheap! Watch your local thrift stores for bag days or big sales. That's right, I don't even pay full price at Goodwill. Back home in Abilene, Texas I knew when the shipments would come in from the metroplex area and when they would have the best selections, as well as sales. There was also one store in particular that had the best selection because they were the truck's first stop. Ask questions like this, call to see when the sales happen.

Complete outfit bought second hand

2. Big Baby/Children's Sales 

In Abilene they had a sale called Dittos, in Oklahoma we have Among Friends. This is a massive baby/children's consignment sale that usually happens semi annually. This kind of sale is a wonderful opportunity to make money and find good buys. You can consign your old items and usually volunteer so that you can get in early to shop before the crowds. At the end of the sale there will be a discount day or two where almost everything goes 25%, 50%, or 75% off. I like to come back for this to grab play clothes and shoes.

Mud Pie, $12

3. Retail Stores 

I happen to live about 10 minutes from an outlet mall with a Gymboree, Osh Kosh B Gosh, Carter's, Children's Place, Gap, and Polo. It's an outlet mall, so there are great deals to be had, but do I ever walk into the store without a 20% off coupon? NEVER! Sign up for the store's newsletters. If you don't want to fill up your inbox with random mail create a separate email just for signing up for store mailings. They are always having a promotion or sale of some sort and most of the time I just show them the coupon in my email on my iPhone. No printing. Now what do I use my 20% off coupon on? End of season sales. I wait until the racks are at least 50% off if not 70% and then I get to use my coupon on top of that. Stock up for the next season on basic items like shorts, t-shirts, play dresses, tights, and hats. I average around $2-$3 an item when I do this at the Children's Place. Target is one of my favorite places. It's as close to Disney Land as I'm going to get. Did you know that they have online coupons and they will text you coupons weekly? I know, music to your ears. Sign up for the texts and emails. Right now there is a coupon for $5 off any $20 Children's Shoe purchase. Not bad if you've had your eye on something. A lot of times there will be a coupon like this for the clothing. Go to the sale rack and buy $20 worth of $3 shirts then get $5 off. Remember to shop for the future, that's what makes this work. Most likely you don't need anything for the current season that's on sale. That's the reason the clothes are on sale, the new stuff is coming in. I promise that the blue t-shirt with the dinosaur will still be in fashion next spring!

Some of my favorite stores to frequent for current sales: all the stores listed above, along with Old Navy, Ross, Marshall's, TJMax, Kohls, Sears, JCPenny, Macy's... among others.

Target outfit, 7$

4. Online 

Have you heard of Zulily? I'm addicted. It's a discount website where the deals change daily. SO many brand name clothes and toys for fractions of the price. This is where you're going to spend a little more money but it's for the special occasion outfits or nicer attire. Don't make multiple purchases at once. Purchase everything separately because after your first purchase you get free shipping for the next 24 hours. If you see something cute, post it to your Facebook. If someone purchases an item from Zulily's website after clicking on your link you get a $20 credit! They have great customer service and I've never been underwhelmed. A lot of times I've seen something really cute that I want but I'm not about to pay $80 for an outfit so I Google it. Maybe there's a boutique in Indiana that's having a sale. Amazon is a girl's best friend and how about Ebay? Ebay is a great way to get really nice clothes for half off and to sell your stuff to make money to pay for the new. At least it's a good way to justify it to your hubby;)

Mud Pie Skirt, Zulily $5

5. Shop Local 

I know I just finished a whole spiel on shopping online, but support your local businesses too! Find some of those cute boutiques and like them on Facebook, and sign up for their newsletters. Most will have sales, specials, and giveaways that you will only find out about through social media or print advertising. I've always found a sale rack that's calling my name at my local stores.

Isabella and Chloe, $15

6. Let's get Creative 

Friends have kids with closets and lots of outgrown clothes. These places are a great place to shop! Maybe you could make some trades. Even if you don't have any clothes they might need, maybe you have a garden overflowing with squash and black beans. Or you have a skill they could use like alterations, or even better: your husband or significant other has a skill like changing the oil in a car! How about stocking up their freezer with a couple frozen casseroles? The ideas are endless. This works for toys as well. You could also host a Swap Party. Invite a bunch of friends with kids over for appetizers, finger foods, wine and swapping. Everyone bring a bag (or 5) of kids clothes, shoes, toys that they no longer need/want and swap for stuff you do! All the while enjoying your friends in the process.

Whew! That's a lot of information. Stay tuned for Part 2 to learn how to make clothes last through multiple seasons, what to buy, and how to save on accessories!