Kids and babies are growing every day, and sometimes it feels like they need a new wardrobe every couple of months—or weeks! Instead of trying to keep up with their growth spurts by buying brand-new everything, give your wallet a break and go to your local thrift store for some more cost-effective options. Here are a few tips for how to successfully thrift clothes for your babies and kids:

1. Know how much storage space you have.

If you have the room, go ahead and buy clothes that might be too big or are currently out of season. This means you don’t have to worry about missing out on a great deal if you find something that could work for your child in the future. Buying clothes a few sizes up is especially helpful for babies transitioning between sizes.

 

2. Buy seasonal items secondhand.

Whoever first owned those snowsuits, boots, or gloves only wore them for a few months out of the year and probably didn’t wear them every day. There's often still a lot of wear in seasonal items like these. And when it comes to Halloween, those costumes were probably just worn a handful of times before getting donated. You will likely find great, like-new options for a secondhand price.

3. Buy pajamas.

PJs are another clothing item that you can usually find in good condition at the thrift store. You’ll find a variety of comfy options from onesies for your newborn to basketball shorts for your 10-year-old.

4. Know your kids’ sizes.

You may not always have your kids with you on your trips to the store, and if you do, you may not want to take the time to have them try on everything you pick out for them. When you’re confident you know their sizes, it’s easier to find good deals for them.

5. Buy dressy items.

Collared shirts, dress pants, holiday dresses, ties, and so on are all clothing items that were most likely only worn a few times before kids grew out of them and they were donated. Sometimes they don’t get worn at all and are donated with the tags still on, which means you can get a brand-new outfit for less.

 

6. Find quality baby shoes.

Even if they’ve been walked in, the tread is usually minimal, which means you can find some less expensive options for great shoes.

Have you found any gems while thrift-shopping for your kids? Email us your hauls at blog@deseretindustries.org, or share using #DeseretIndustries.