How to Save Money on Kids Clothes!

Having a kid is the best gift you can receive. 👦🏻👩🏻❤️ I am a single mom that learned how to overcome the struggle when shopping for my son's clothes. I hope my tips can help you save some money.

Make a list.

Making a list of what your kid needs for that next season or year helps a lot. When you shop with a list on mind, you stay focus on what’s important and what clothes your kid is missing for that next size.

That first year, focus on the specific clothes he might wear depending on the seasons. I decided to buy a few newborn clothes like onesies, mittens, and hats.

I love onesies, specifically short sleeved. Why? Because baby’s sleep most of the time. When my son was cold I used a blanket, and if he was hot, the onesie was enough. This is, in my opinion, the best piece of clothes for the first year. They even sell onesies sets that come with pants and a hoodie for colder days. It’s nice buying cute and branded clothes for special occasion as well.

I was a stay-at-home mom when he turned two. I bought comfortable clothes for the house and a few brand clothes for doctors visits, special occasions, and holidays.

My son turned three in November 2018. He started daycare a few months ago and his clothes list changed. Now he needs stretching waist pants that can be long or short depending on the weather. I like buying dark color t-shirts for daycare because they won’t get stained easily. My priority is comfortable and not easy to stain clothes.

Your list should cover your kid's needs.

Have a budget.

I worked for a big clothing store and learned to wait for the clearance prices. I saw how people would pay $30 for a shirt and then two weeks later I paid $8. I don’t pay for fashion. If I love a piece, I will buy it, but first I ask myself: Do I really need it? Most of the time the answer is NO. 👎

My son's clothing budget is:

• T-Shirts: $3 or less
• Pants: $5 or less
• Sets: $6 or less

Also, branded clothes $10.00 or less, and depending on brand or what it is. I will always ask myself do I need it? This is the question that will help you every time.

Maybe you think that budget is tight! But I paid 60 cents for a pair of shirts (clearance and a coupon on top). If I can do it, you can too.

Buy ahead of time.

I buy at the end of each season for next year. I had my son's closet full of clothing sizes ranging from newborn to 4T—and he wasn’t born yet.

I check every clearance rack every time I go to a store. Stores change prices weekly or monthly. You can always ask a supervisor. Most of the time, I find in the clearance area one to three pieces of clothes. Sometimes I don’t find anything in my price range and that’s okay, I will wait until next time.

I check my son's closet around six months before he changes to the next size. I make sure he has all the clothes he needs for next seasons and the holidays. My checklist is as follows:

Summer ☀️

• Pants
• Shorts
• T-Shirts
• PJs
• Swimming Shirts
• Shorts

Winter ❄️

• Hats
• Cold Weather Pants
• Hoodies
• Coats
• Long Sleeve T-Shirts
• PJs

I buy more short sleeve t-shirts because they can be used all year. In winter, he will use a coat or hoodie on top.

Always check the closet before buying!

Keep it simple and buy the basics.

When I say keep it simple and buy the basics I mean colors. When buying clothes, think first what colors I want my kid to wear most of the time (if any preference). Having a palette of colors will help you combine your kid's clothes.

Solid colors are my first choice. I like solid colors because they can be matched easily with other clothes. Here is the trick: Stay on a color palette for most pieces. I buy blue, green, and gray shades. Don’t get me wrong, though, I do buy other colors, but those are my first choice for everything.

Second choice are graphic t-shirts. They can be used pretty much with any solid color pants. My last choices are patterns, colorful clothes, or lines because it’s harder to combine. When buying any piece, I will check for colors that can be combined with solid colors I already have or are easy to buy.

Shop at the end of the seasons.

I always check stores at the end of each season. Stores need to stay with fashion trends and season changes. They will start with a small discount, but stay tuned because prices will drop in a few weeks. If you go every week, try Fridays because they add discounts on top of other discounts if they want to sell out during the weekends. Check your email for discounts before heading to any store.

Shop at the clearance area.

Every time I visit a store, I go to the clearance area first. I check most of the pieces' price tags 🏷 for good prices. When searching I make sure to stay in my price range and that will help my budget. Another good tip is double checking for the price of random items you like. Why I do that? Well, sometimes stores are running late with their clearance change of price and you will see a price on the ticket, but it will ring a different price at the cash register. Look under tables with already marked clearance tags or the graphic shirt shelves and you can find hidden treasure. Most people don’t check in those spots, but the gold can be found there. I checked on the graphic toddler boy wall and they had a few shirts labeled as $0.97... what!!! If there are one or two, they will probably have more. Take your time and do price checks on all the pieces you like. Please keep the area organized and be nice!

Promotions are your best friend!

Always check before you head to the stores for promotions sent to your email or check their website.

Stores want you to go and visit them. They send at lease two to three emails per week. Take advantage of there deals, but be sure to check the little words. When they send email with no restrictions on a percent off that’s your lucky 🍀 day. That means you will be able to apply that percent off on top of any sale or clearance items.

Shop smart and save some money!

Thank you for reading my tips! I hope you save some money!