Do you ever find that no sooner have you bought your kids an entirely new wardrobe you are already replacing items in it because they have worn out or are now too small? Kids grow so fast, and often this means that you are continually playing catch up when it comes to finding clothes for them to wear. Then there are the clothes that still fit, but that gets ruined when playing out because they get torn. This can really impact your finances, leaving you constantly out of pocket.
There are ways that you can save money on your kid’s clothing, though, through using a few simple changes to the way that you buy and think about the things that your kid wears, you can start to save yourself quite a bit of money. Here are a few simple tips to help you get the best out of the money that you spend on dressing your children.
Look For Quality Over Price
Getting the cheapest items may not always be the best way to buy. There is a bit of a false economy when it comes to buying disposable fashion. With so many places selling kids clothes at rock-bottom prices, it can be extremely tempting just to buy these. However, where the quality is poor, you will find that you are continually replacing these items.
Instead, look at buying your kids t shirts, trousers, and jackets from a company that makes quality products that are designed to last.
Got Older Siblings?
If you have more than one child, then you should certainly be keeping items back to give to the next one. There are plenty of gender-neutral items too that can be handed down too, so passing between brother and sister should not be a problem. There is nothing wrong with kids passing on items of their clothing to their siblings, or even to other family or friends. It saves money, and importantly it is far better for the environment to pass on clothing that still has plenty of wear in them instead of disposing of them.
Buy From Charity Stores
Often, when a child grows out of a perfectly good item of clothing, the parents will donate the clothes so that another kid can get some more use from it. This is not only better for the environment, but it will also save you some cash.
A good charity store will put out the best items that they get donated. This may never have been worn even. Sometimes it happens that kids grow out of things before they get a chance to wear them, or unwanted clothes get donated because they just didn’t suit the child that they were intended for.
Repair It
Got a torn pair of trousers? Instead of buying a new pair, why not mend them? It doesn’t take a great deal of skill to be able to sew up a hole, and you can learn how to do this pretty easy by finding some how-to guides online. You could even sew some funky patches onto the damaged items, which will bring it a whole new style.
Make Clothes
If you are handy with a sewing machine, you could even make your own clothes for the kids. There are lots of great fabrics available, and you could create something amazing. Find patterns online, or in sewing books and magazines. Once you have found a cut that you can make, you can make lots of different items from that one template.
Buy In The Sales
There are a couple of occasions during the year when stores will start to empty their shelves to try and make way for the next season launch. Take advantage of this by buying up items for your child. You will find that if you shop wisely, you can get the items for considerably cheaper than usual.
Make sure that if you are buying from a sale that it is a genuine reduction. Often, stores buy-in for sales and the items that you are getting won’t really any cheaper than usual, they just want you to think that they are!
Buy The Next Size Up
If your child is still growing, then you should buy the next size up so that you get the maximum use out of it. You may find that your child only gets a few months of use out of an item. By buying a larger size, they are more likely to get the maximum wear for the money spent.