shopping for children's clothingWhen I found out I was having a girl, I could not wait to spend my entire paycheck go clothes shopping for her. She would have her own style, for sure. A laid back, bohemian vibe. She would wear matching accessories like scarves and hats and headbands and little booties. And she would only dress in Tea, Hanna, and Hatley.

Then I actually had my daughter.

And started buying dozens of burp cloths.

And millions of white onesies.

And billions of diapers.

And started reeeaaaally paying attention to price tags.

Let’s just say reality started to set in. Babies were expensive. How could one itty bitty little lady cost so much? I knew I had to cut back, and I hated to admit that the super duper cute clothes I was buying were contributing to the problem. Honestly, my 3-week-old baby didn’t care what she were wearing — and some of the frilly, uber-girly stuff looked a little silly anyway.

Here are a few things I did to start saving on kids clothes:

1. I joined Facebook groups.

Arlington Closet Sharers, Boston-Area High End Baby & Kids Clothes, and Boston Tea Party are a few groups I immediately joined. There are so many local, friendly ladies looking to unload their gently used kids clothes. I browse through pics weekly, comment on what I’m interested in, and, more often than not, I can pick up the items that week — usually from someone’s porch while paying from my phone or leaving the money owed in their mailbox. Easy stuff.

2. I checked out consignment shops.

Used clothing stores can get a bad rap. But the children’s consignment stores are another story. Everything’s in great condition, and they have strict policies to ensure you’re only getting the highest quality items. Some of my favorite shops in the Boston area are Growing Up in Belmont and The Fox & Robbin Shop in Arlington.

3. I accepted hand me downs.

It’s like a baby explosion in my circle. Friends are having babies left and right. And when my girlfriends were having their second, third, or last kids, they were looking to unload tons of stuff quickly and easily. Not just clothes, but bouncers, jumperoos, swings — all the things that cost a million dollars and that babies use for like two weeks. If your girlfriends are offering you stuff, just take it. Trust me, they want it out of their house. And they want it out fast.

4. I started shopping sales.

I know this one sounds intuitive, but when a season was ending, I would stock up on larger sizes for the next year. I bought 2T bathing suits (for $5!) in September, even though my daughter was 1. And vice versa for winter. I usually ended up doing this for big ticket items, like snow suits, jackets, or boots. The only downside? Storing really cute things away for months at a time. But hey, when I took each item out of storage, it was like Christmas morning all over again.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Once Upon A Child. They’re a chain and the closest one is about an hour away in Rhode Island. You won’t shop anywhere else ever again for clothes for your baby/child.

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