Saving on Clothing for Adults and Children

I wanted to share some things I have done in the past and still do today for saving money on clothing for both children and adults. Clothing, along with everything else, is so expensive. It's important to use good sense when buying clothing, especially when you have small children that are still growing. I think it's silly to spend a whopping load of money on kid's clothing when they hardly get to wear it before they have grown out of it.

Garage Sales

First of all, I am an avid garage sale person! It is usually more than worth my time to purchase the Thursday evening paper for our small town just to get a list of the Friday/Saturday garage sales. Pretty much, those are the only two days of the week when you will find garage sales in our area. I know in other areas, they can be found more often. I have found clothes, both child and adult, for as low as .25 before. Garage sales are a life saver and usually available in our area up until the winter months.

Consignment Stores

Another place I check for clothing is consignment stores. We have some very nice, upscale consignment stores in our area and I almost always find something when I go to these places. Another great thing about consignment stores is that, not only can you find great deals in these type stores, but you can also sell some of your items there to make a little extra money.

Clearance Racks

I always check clearance racks for items and have found many great deals even in the more upscale stores. I refuse to pay full price for anything anymore. It pays to take the time to look through the clearance items.

Thrift Stores

My favorite place of all to shop is second hand stores like Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. I could spend hours looking through the racks for clothing there and have found most of our family's clothing in second hand type stores. You can find wonderful items in these stores. Many times I have found brand new items that still had the original store tags on them and had never even been worn for very little money.

Clothes Swap

Have clothes swaps with friends. As our girls grew, we did a LOT of this! This costs no money whatsoever and can give a great afternoon of conversation for parents and play time for kids! You can swap adult clothing as well as kid's clothes.

Reuse Clothing

Pass your kid's clothing down from one kid to the other. When you are finished with the clothing and it is still in good condition, pass it on to someone else who could use it. I'm also big on mending items that can be fixed instead of just throwing them out, giving them away, or donating them. Use the items you have until you are sure you are done with them. If they are not worn out, they can be donated or given away.

If they are worn out, cut them up for craft projects, cleaning rags, etc. instead of just throwing the item away. Save buttons, zippers, etc. in case you need them to repair another article of clothing. In some cases, it may be economical to sew and make some clothing.

Times are extremely tight for many people these days, and our home is no exception. These are just a few ideas that I have used over the years, and am still using, to try to save our family money on clothing.

By Robin from Washington, IA