Kids grow really fast. Sometimes it feels like a piece of clothing becomes outgrown before it has time to travel home from the store. This can be really rough on families with many kids or whose budgets are tight. After all, at a certain point, allowing your kids to run around naked is going to get you into trouble. So what do you do? How do you keep them clothed without having to take out a second mortgage on your house?
1. Shop Online
The web is filled with promo codes that you can use to make your shopping more affordable. Even if your taste (and your children’s taste) trends toward the higher end designers , there are coupon codes that will allow you to buy that designer gear affordably. For example, you can take advantage of a Hanna Andersson promo to get both you and your baby ready for summer with organic clothing.
2. Shop the Sales
Every season has at least one major sale. Summer has “back to school” sales that you can use to stock up on clothing at affordable prices. In the fall and winter you can scour 2013 Black Friday ads to find the best deals on clothes that you know you’re going to need: socks, underwear, coats, etc—buy them a few sizes too big so that your kids will actually get some real use out of them.
3. Hand Me Downs
Do you know of anybody whose kids have outgrown their (still in good condition) clothes—and don’t have any younger siblings who are waiting to use them? Why not take these people up on their offers to hand down those clothes to your kids. Offer to pay them at least a little bit for the clothes or work out some sort of trade deal. For example, maybe you can help them with their yard work and gardening in exchange for the hand me downs.
4. Secondhand
Thrift shops, charity shops, rummage sales—these are all fantastic places to find great clothes for your kids at a fraction of what they would cost new. Look for things like rips and tears and wear around the seat and knees and elbows. Yes you’re buying used clothing but you still want it to last for as long as possible. Don’t forget to pay this charity forward. When your own kids outgrow their clothing, if there is no one in your social or familial circle who would benefit from the hand me down, donate those clothes to those who need them.
5. Make Your Own
Making your kids’ clothes doesn’t have to be difficult. Basic shirts, sweaters and pants can be made fairly easily and quickly. Even if you don’t want to make clothing from scratch, you can learn how to hem and let out clothing so that you can buy things that are cheaper and slightly off fit-wise and make them fit properly.
Kids are expensive. You thought this would stop when they stopped needing diapers. Unfortunately they never truly stop being expensive until they are financially solvent themselves…and sometimes not even then. It’s a good thing they’re cute, right?
