Frugal Clothing and Laundry Strategies
For our large family, battling laundry and clothing issues really takes a toll on our budget. When the kids were smaller I could primarily rely on yard sales, thrift stores, super clearances, and hand-me-downs. Now that Christin is 11, wearing school uniforms, and growing like a weed, keeping her in "affordable" clothing has become more difficult but we are managing. I want to be ahead of the game like we used to be so. . . .
Over the past three days, I've been re-reading the Tightwad Gazette 3. I just love this "Bible" of frugality. I had forgotten how much Amy's writings inspire me to try new and different strategies for saving money. Things that I once did, and quit doing (why??), are fun again.
Here are some things I find worth doing to save me some money. Perhaps they might help you, too or you may already be doing some of them.
1. In my laundry closet (I don't have a laundry room, just a closet with the washer/dryer and shelves above) I added 4 stackable pull-out plastic drawers. I labeled them: treat, put in attic, consignment store, and yardsale. As I pull laundry out of the dryer, I can throw it in the appropriate drawer, if need be. When the drawer is full, I can then deal with them and their specific need.
2. I am in the process of making clothing inventories for each of my kids. I started with Camryn's clothes today, since she is growing out of her 6/9 months and into 12 months. I made a chart for all the clothing items and just made tally marks as I pulled out the clothes we have in storage for her. I realized after doing this today that we clearly will not need to buy any 12 months clothes for her. She is covered from head to toe for any season of weather. Now I won't be tempted to buy cute clothes for her in this size. Next, I will pull out the 18 and 24 months clothes that have been given to us to inventory. As I see gaps in the inventory I can shop yard sales and consignments for those needed items. I will hopefully get through all of the kids' clothes by mid-October.
3. I accept hand-me-downs from anyone. If I can't use the items I just donate them to someone else or to our local A.R.C. center for their thrift store.
4. I have a deal with another mom who has a son slightly older than mine. She has a yard sale twice a year. She always lets me know when the sale will be and I get to shop ahead of time. She buys name-brand clothes for her kids because she works in the clothing industry. I get the pick of the best ones at a fraction of the original price.
5. I recently began using a consignment store again. I don't live too close by but my sister does. She takes my clothes in and gets the cash back to me. I like buying clothes there too, if and when I ever get to go.
Hopefully, using these frugal tips I will save some money and my sanity when it comes to keeping clothes on my growing kids.
Do you have a kid's clothing tip for the frugal-minded? I would love for you to share your frugal ways!
6 frugal-minded friends say:
I just went through my 13 month olds clothes. He has hand-me-downs from now until he is at least 5. I love free clothes!
These are great ideas, Angie. I need to put some bins in my laundry room, too. Project for this weekend!
The great thing about the age around 11 is that you can predict their growth more and buy a size ahead at the end of each season on the clearance racks. Pants are harder but dresses, skirts, tops and sweaters and shorts are pretty easy to guess sizes and they don't need to be as fitted so if you are a little big it is okay. My 12 year old is so picky, though. And, around this age girls feel finally stop growing. It is great now with all the ballet flats to find shoes for them. When my 18 year old was this age all the shoes had a heel. It was so hard to find a size 7 in a girl style, now it is so easy.
I have always kept the baskets for giveaway, one for things I buy at garage sales that are out of season or too big, stained items that I need to bleach, things to mend, and the lonely sock corral until we can match him with a date. I also have one for the items you find around the house that are part of a set and you need to find the other pieces or broken and need to be glued.
I do not have children but I love the bins in the laundry room idea (having just come from the closest and dressers gathering clothes to donate). Too bad our laundry room is even smaller than a closet. I might have to institute the bin system somewhere else. Thanks for a great post!
I really like the bin idea...my husband just built me platforms for my w/d. I might have to use one of the drawers for that. I still need to do the inventory on my youngest. Thanks for the new ideas on an old problem.
I have an idea on how you can keep your daughter who wears uniforms clothed for cheap. I am not sure if you participate in any of the PTA or parent things at your daughters school, but maybe at the end of the school year you could get together with other mothers, some from the same grade as your daughter as well as higher and lower grades, and organize some kind of end of the year uniform swap. All the mothers would bring their daughters old uniform pieces that are in good condition, newly laundered and ironed, and swap them out with the other mothers who have daughters in a size or two bigger.
I hope my suggestion helps.
Take care.
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