‘Tis the season for consignment sales. Some don’t like the idea of second-hand clothing but I’m certainly not one of those people. While it’s safe to say that my overly-frugal tendencies have been well-documented in previous posts, used clothing isn’t just about saving money. For our family, it’s also one of the best ways to recycle and reduce waste.
More recently, I’ve been lucky enough to make some great friends who have kids slightly bigger than mine, unleashing a wave of incredible hand-me-downs and mitigating a lot of our shopping. This is obviously an ideal situation as it allows us to benefit greatly and our friends get to hollow out their storage a bit. However, this option wasn’t always available to us and because of new activities on the horizon (e.g. ballet and soccer), I’m reminded of our shopping fundamentals and our strategy to fill in any blanks that might still remain. Much like the grocery shopping strategy, time and money can be saved (and waste reduced) by simply assessing your needs ahead of time and planning accordingly.
Consider how your kids wear clothes and out-grow them. Then think about some of the clothes in your closet. Most of my clothes are older than my kids. Admittedly, I have no style but it demonstrates the point that my clothes are still perfectly wearable after six months, just as my kids’ out-grown clothes are. I also think how my kids tend (inexplicably) towards certain shirts while other sit untouched in their drawers day after day. Consignment sales are full of such relatively unworn clothes, often available for cents on the dollar. Until my kids are old enough to clamor for some awful, peer-pressure-induced, must-have styles or brands that will inevitably happen in the future (e.g. I think of designer jeans or Air Jordans from my youth), I’ll save every penny I can on their clothing now.
Depending on your preference or location, you’ll likely have several options to find all the stuff your kids need. Keep an eye on your favorite parenting or local news sources and you’re bound to see some upcoming mega-consignment events or check a site like this to find one near you. There also may be dedicated consignment shops in your area, where occasional trips can yield a lot of great deals. There are even online consignment shops now. If you do have a local consignment store, it’s also worth noting the value of periodic trips there, as parents just like you clean out their kids’ closets at different times, providing fresher inventory and the ongoing potential for newer and greater deals.
Before you buy anything or check out any stores/sales though, start by taking an inventory of your kids’ upcoming needs. Consider how quickly they have been out-growing clothes and think about the upcoming seasons and sizes. Make a comprehensive list of everything they’ll need over the upcoming months, going beyond just clothes (if applicable). For example, consider those activities in which they will enroll so you can preemptively get their gear (e.g. shin guards for soccer, ballet shoes, or a backpack for school). By considering all the additional pieces as well as the clothes, you can ideally get everything in one shot rather than dragging this process out over weeks and months.
If you don’t have anyone to whom you can pass along your kids out-grown clothes and toys, you might want to consign some/all of them as well. Aside from making a few bucks back that you had previously spent, you can recycle these items and dollars to offset your latest purchases. Additionally, at many of the consignment events, selling your own items often gives you first “dibs” or a preview shopping day ahead of the event being open to the public, providing even greater value and selection. Similarly, in the case of dedicated consignment stores, bringing in these out-grown items may provide a rolling credit to be used in future visits. For example, I just picked up those shin guards and two pairs of snow pants (yeah, I know it’s August) yesterday at our local consignment shop. While I would have spent only a whopping $18 for all three, I had a credit from some stuff that had sold over the previous months, so my out-of-pocket cost was exactly $0. By considering well in advance what my kids’ needs would be, I’m now set for the next several months and miraculously, I spent nothing to do it. Interestingly, if I had bought these things new, I’d likely have bought cheaper/flimsier brands than I ended up getting at the consignment store, so my kids instead get more durable clothing and I save $50+.
Kids will inevitably bring expenses that you never considered in your earlier, kid-free days but planning ahead and saving where you can will leave you with more money for those things later that can’t be bargain shopped. In the process, you can also teach valuable lessons to them about conservation and reducing waste that will ideally stay with them, providing them with environmental consciousness and a foundation for future savings. Everyone wins.
Stuck with Dad 