If you feel like you are spending a lot of money on kids’ clothing, you are not alone. Kids grow up so fast, and it can be daunting to accommodate their closets. While it’s ok to update your child’s closet every year, these costs can add up, and you could be wasting a lot of money in the long run.
As moms, you always want to dress your kids in the nicest clothes. However, you don’t need to break your personal budget. This guide will give you tips on saving money on kids’ clothes, and you won’t have to compromise on style.
Let’s get started!
Buy gender-neutral clothing
This is one of the best money management tips for kids’ clothing. This tip is extremely helpful if you have (or plan to have) multiple kids and want them to share clothing. Buying gender-specific clothes has become less of a societal norm, as boys and girls can wear any color. When you buy gender-neutral clothing for one of your kids, you can save that article of clothing and use it for your next kid.
If you want to buy unisex clothing, look for colors such as white, beige, cream, yellow and green. Look for gender-neutral motifs such as animals or jungle-themed clothing. If you want to buy clothing in pink or blue, that’s fine! You can always use this clothing as a gender-neutral option as well.
If you plan on only having one kid, you can always resell or give your clothes to expecting family members.
Check clearance racks
Shopping from clearance racks is a great way to save money while buying your favorite brands. You can buy brand new clothing up to 60% off with these sales. In some instances, clearance racks also offer items that are 90% off the original price. This means you can get high-quality clothes at an affordable price.
Most stores will put seasonal items on clearance to make room for the upcoming season’s clothes. Even if you don’t need that particular item of clothing right now, it’s always good to plan. If you’re in the summer season and find half-priced clothes for the winter season, you can still buy them for use when the particular season arrives.
Look for these clothing features
Some clothes are designed to be used for a long time. These types of clothing can accommodate your growing child. Whether your child is growing an inch or two wider or taller, some clothing features allow room for this growth. Specifically, with toddler clothing, you should look for features such as:
- Drawstring or elastic waistband: this feature will accommodate any growth.
- Pants with adjustable waistband: jeans are not a very flexible material. Look for pants that have built-in adjustable waistband buttons.
- Toe-less onesies: if your toddler wears onesies, try to look for ones without toes. This will make them last longer.
- Flowy dresses for girls: dresses with an A-line cut allow more room for growth.
- Stretchable fabrics: children don’t enjoy wearing restrictive fabrics. Buy clothes with stretchy materials for comfort and to allow growth.
Ignore sizes
Many parents fall into the trap of buying size-specific clothing. For example, some parents might think that if they have a 9-month-old toddler, they only need to purchase clothing for 9-month-olds. This is not true and could waste more money as you would have to keep buying new clothes when your child goes a size up. Children are bound to grow up; therefore, you must buy clothing one or two sizes up.
Most toddler/preschool-age girls’ clothing is similar in size; the only difference is the length of the dress. Even if the larger clothing size currently looks big on your child, they will eventually grow up and fit into the clothes better. You can easily buy a larger size for girls’ dresses that will last them longer.
You can easily dress your girl in long dresses and then add leggings if the dress gets too short as she grows up. For shirts, look for short-sleeved shirts as they are more forgiving than long-sleeved shirts.
Think about how much clothing your child needs
Just as many adults use their closets for savings purposes, you should also apply this method for kids’ clothing. If your children’s closets are overflowing with clothes, it’s time to rethink how many clothes they need.
A simple and basic wardrobe can be long-lasting, and you can also mix and match several basic clothing items to create new outfits. Here are some essentials you should keep:
- 2 or 3 nice pairs of pants
- A couple of comfortable t-shirts
- Jackets – one for winter and one for warmer weather – you can also include a raincoat
- 2 or 3 pairs of comfortable pants for home wear
- A few long-sleeved shirts
- 2 or 3 sweaters for winter weather
- 3 or 4 pajamas
- A couple of sets of underwear
- 1 or 2 pairs of shorts
- Footwear – one pair of running shoes, one wear of warm weather shoes, and one pair of boots
- One dressy outfit
Your child’s wardrobe basics might vary depending on the weather conditions of where you live. Use this as a general guideline.
Avoid trends
When you buy your child’s clothing, be sure to avoid trends. Always buy classic and basic clothes as they have a longer staying power. When you buy trendy clothes, you will have to purchase a new wardrobe with every trend cycle. This can add up costs in the long run and break your budget. Always stick to basic clothing that is versatile and can be used multiple times.
Key takeaway
You don’t need to break your bank to give your kids a stylish wardrobe. Just follow our six simple steps, and you can save money on kids’ clothes. You will have a versatile and long-lasting wardrobe by following these steps. Happy shopping!
