Why You Should Buy Used Clothes for Your Kids

As a parent, I never understood why some people buy expensive name brand clothes for their kids. Children grow extremely fast, and It’s always only a matter of time before they outgrow their current wardrobe and need bigger clothes to wear.

I purchase mostly used clothes for my son and even get a few outfits for free each year as hand-me-downs from family and friends. As long as the clothes are clean, in good condition and look nice, it’s a win for me and my child.

By saving money on clothes, I have more money to use in other areas of my budget. The savings possibilities should be enough to convince you to buy used clothes for your kids but here are 3 more reasons why you should shop used and how to find the best used clothes.

You Can Get the Same Brands, But for Less Money

I understand that some people don’t buy name brand clothes just for the name or to show off. Name brand clothes are usually better quality and more durable so while you may spend more money for a big name, you will probably get some good wear out of the clothes.

When sopping for use clothes for kids, it doesn’t mean you have to give up that quality or even that brand name. Tons of name brand clothes can be found at used clothing stores or just given to you. Why pay full price for these clothes when you can just get the gently used from other people. I’ve found Calvin Kelin, Nike, and Adidas clothing at thrift stores for my son for a steal.

There is a Lot of Variety

When you get used clothes for your child, there’s often a lot to choose from and you won’t really have to worry about your child having the same outfits as other kids his age. You can create an entire wardrobe with used clothes or throw in a few new items here and there.

Either way, you will be able to create a diverse wardrobe for your child with plenty of options to choose from and get more for your money.

Kids Don’t Appreciate Clothes

I had to say it because it’s true. Kids (especially when they’re young) often don’t understand the value of what you spend on their clothes and how parents always strive to make ends meet. Some kids play rough outside and at school and can stain, rip, or ruin their clothing easily on a regular basis.

When you shop for used clothes, you can also pick up cheap play clothes for less than $5 that your kids can mess up freely.

Now let’s talk about where you can find nice and affordable used clothes.

Goodwill

Goodwill is one of the most popular resale shops or thrift stores nationwide. They sell everything under the sun used and there’s always something for everyone. Tons of people in your neighborhood probably donate to Goodwill to help declutter their homes so it’s a great place to start looking for clothes.

Check out your local Goodwill’s children’s section and skim through the inventory to see if you find anything you like. Some Goodwill stores even offer special discount days so you can save on the already discounted material. Finding out when these days are and taking advantage of them is a great way to save even more money.

Once Upon a Child

This store is a nationwide chain of gently used children’s items for sale. When I say ‘gently used’, I mean it literally because this store is very picky about the donations they accept and they only take the best-of-the-best.
They actually pay customers for their used children’s clothes, shoes, items or toys so if you have old items that you need to get rid of, you would actually be able to sell them to the store.

What’s nice about Once Upon a Child is that they have several different well-recognized brands in the store and their quality control actually saves you time. As a shopper, you don’t have to worry about shifting through clothes with stains or rips in them. The entire inventory in the store includes some of the best used clothing items in almost mint condition.

Garage Sales

While the summer season is a popular time to scope out your area for garage sales, people often sell items form their home all year-round. If you are driving down the street and see a garage sale, you might want to stop and see if you can score any affordable clothes for your child.

Some towns have community-wide garage sales allowing you to stop by several sales at once.

Do you shop for used clothes for your kids to save money? If so, what are your favorite places to look?