Recycling Children’s Clothing

I’ve got 4 kids and we have been so very blessed to have hand-me-downs for about 75% of their clothing. I really cannot even fathom how much money it has saved us. Even if you don’t have direct access to a free line of hand-me-downs (ours come mostly from cousins), there are so many ways to get inexpensive clothes for little ones.

I actually think this is one area where Goodwill isn’t the best option {with the exception of shoes.} In GW the other day, the baby outfits ran around $3-$4 (some of them stained), and I can almost always find a brand new outfit for that price, or cheaper.

Here is my younger daughter as a baby wearing one of the few outfits I paid for out of pocket.

The price tag? $7, which was a little steep for my taste, but, it was on 50% off rack! Yay! So a brand-new outfit for less than a used one is better in my book.

Here are some ways to get cheap baby/children’s clothing:

• Ask a friend if you could buy her baby’s too-small clothes. If the baby is her last, she may be more than happy to get a little cash for them, and help you out at the same time!
• Garage sales. When I went garage-saling a few months ago, my niece purchased some fancy rain boots for 25 cents. Yep, a quarter. They were brand-new looking, and the same ones in the store are at least $30! {And I also got Nikes for myself for $2!}
• Clearance racks for the ending season. Almost every summer, I go into Children’s Place and pick up a few pieces for my older daughter for the next summer. Their clothes are super-cute and durable. Last year, I got shirts for $1 and $2. I also bought she and my son bathing suits at the end of the summer last year at Carter’s for about $3 each. Just remember to think ahead on this one!

As I mentioned before, I don’t think Goodwill is the usually the best place for kids’ clothes. I did get my older daughter some tap shoes for around $5, while they are usually about $15 retail. Special occasion clothes may be cheaper there as well, but for me, buying t-shirts and jeans seems better at retail stores, on the clearance racks.

I also haven’t had much luck at consignment shops for kids. Their prices seem about the same, if not a little higher, than clearance racks- and they’re not new. I do love consignment shops for myself, though! 🙂

Hopefully you can use some of these tips to get some cute clothing for your little ones, while not breaking the bank!

Contributed by Kelli of Eat Pray Read Love