I often get asked where I find the money to buy such cute clothes for my kids and myself. - my answer? Anyone can find a quarter!! Seriously, most of my pieces are between free to $1.00 each. I rarely pay more. Not because I'm too cheap or it's not worth it, but because I know I can get cute clothes for cheaper.
Tip #1 Accept Hand-Me-Downs.
I have a fantastic friend that hands down clothes from her two daughters to Julia, my 4 year old. Great clothes and most are hardly worn. She buys name brand clothes that I normally wouldn't be able to afford. She doesn't have anyone to hand them down to and had been taking them to goodwill to get the "golden ticket" so I made her a deal. Hand them down to me and I'll in turn hand down our old clothes to her to bring to Goodwill. She still gets her ticket and her clothes are being put to good use, I clean out our clothes from last season and get great new clothes. I can't stress enough how great hand-me-downs have been to us. Never turn them down!!
Tip#2 Thrift Stores
Goodwill and Salvation Army are well-known thrift stores but they're not the cheapest or even the best. My personal favorite is God's Corner on Unaka Ave. in Johnson City. It is a thrift store run by East Baptist Church that tithes back to the church. Their profit though goes to several non-profit groups like Interfaith Hospitality Network, Safe passage, and Jeremiah's Hope House. Most items there are between .25 to .50 and I've gotten some really cute stuff. Just today I got an electronic Star Wars toy for one of my boys, a pajama set for my daughter, and two really cute tops from Aeropostle for me! :) Total spent? $1.00! You can't beat that, especially when it goes to a good cause. Their hours are Mon.-Sat. from 9-3. There are tons of thrift stores around, don't be afraid to go in and check them out. I haven't had much luck with the Save-N-Shop on Main and Broadway. Their prices are about that of a Goodwill store but their customer service is lacking, selection is scarce, store is messy and all the profit goes straight into the owner's pocket. Not a real bad place if you're looking for something specific, but I would much rather give my money to God's Corner or a thrift store that goes to charity.
Tip #3 Save
I love simplicity but when it comes to my kids clothes I like to hand down from one to the other. So I have a box for each of them in the garage with their names on it. When one outgrows something that another one can wear, it goes immediately down to the garage into the appropriate box. Once a season I let them go through their boxes ( Or I have to do it for them depending on their age) and see what will fit them for this season. I also will buy something for .25 or so even if it doesn't fit right now. I don't buy for years out but next year definitely! It's like getting to go shopping for a whole new wardrobe - FOR FREE!
What are your tips for saving money on clothes? Comment here and share with others!! We all could use help in this category!
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