Second Hand Kids Clothes are Great
My wife and I are pretty frugal people. We try to find ways to get good stuff as inexpensively as possible. One of the things we have used extensively over the past several years is to buy second hand kids clothes. Here in our town there are several stores that sell second hand children’s clothes on consignment. It seems that kids are constantly growing out of clothes, often well before the clothes have seen any significant wear.
By buying clothes that other people have gently used you can get a whole bag of clothing for what a single outfit would cost at Baby Gap or some other retail store. Even as our kids have gotten old enough to care about what they wear (currently 10 and 12) they are often happier to have 3 or 4 outfits from a consignment store than the single outfit we’d be able to afford at a retail store.
As a nice side effect, this is also teaching them the value of a dollar, and that there is often a significant extra cost in buying something new. A used item may be just as good and you can get much more value for the same dollar.
If you have young children, be sure to check out the local children’s consignment shops. It’s a great way to save a buck or two. If you are into sports try a second hand sporting goods store, another great way to save a buck.