Dressing Your Kids in Style on a Budget

As a stay at home mom I know how expensive shopping for your kids' clothes can be. In a one income family I have had to become creative when buying clothes for my daughters. Kids clothes can be very expensive, and they grow out of them so quickly. Just like any other mom, I want to make sure my kids wear the cutest clothes out there, but I don't always have the extra money for the designer clothes. Here are tips that will keep your kids in the cutest clothes available all at budget prices.

Shop at thrift stores:
This is my biggest tip of all. So many people won't look at thrift stores because they assume the clothes there will be old, and ugly. Many thrift stores you will find excellent kids clothes in excellent or brand new shape. This is best for younger kids, because they tend to wear the clothes less and they stay in better shape. This is also great for special occasion clothes, many times these holiday outfits were worn once. I have found many great finds at thrift stores. You can find many name brand clothes at thrift stores if you take the time to look around. The only thing you need to be careful about when shopping at thrift stores is the size, don't trust the label. The clothes at thrift stores have been washed and sometimes shrunk, so make sure you look to make sure they look like they will fit rather then just going by the tag. I have bought many whole outfits with designer labels at thrift stores for under $2.

Consignment Shops:
These do not have as good prices as thrift stores, but they have a larger selection. Make sure the consignment shop that you go to has good deals, different shops vary in how good of deals they offer. This is a great place to look if you are looking for a certain type of outfit. You can find good deals at consignment stores if you look around.

Buy Big:
I don't mean buy things that your kids can't wear, but things that you can alter a little to make them fit. You can buy pants a little long and easily hem them, then once you child grows you take the hem down allowing them to wear the pants longer. You can buy cute dresses a little large, and they just get shorter as your daughter grows. Certain shirts you can buy large and wear them with a cute ribbon belt as a dress until they grow into it.

Another great option is places such as The Children's Place and Old Navy that have buttons inside the waist of the pants allowing you to adjust the waist size. This is a great option because even if you pay a little more for the pants, this will allow your child to wear them a lot longer.

Re-Use outgrown clothes:
Obviously you can do this if you have more the one child. You can keep the clothes and pass them down, but many people don't think about doing this with their friends. A fun and inexpensive way to get new to you clothes for your children is to have a clothing swap with friends. You have a party where all the parents bring clothes that their kids have outgrown and trade them for things from another child.

Another way to re-use outgrown clothes is to rethink them and use them in a new way. This works great for little girls. Cute dresses as they get shorter can be worn with leggings or tights. Then as a cute shirt. You can also layer dresses, if you have a dress that is getting to short layer it over a longer skirt to give you a whole new look.

Think ahead and shop sales:
Sales are always at the end of the season, so often they are clothes that you don't want to buy right then. For example coats usually go on sale right before summer, and swim suits right before fall. If you plan ahead you can buy most of your kids clothes when they are on sale from 50-80%. I love watching for sales, I usually only buy clothes for my daughters is it is on sale at least 50%. All you have to do is watch for the sales, then think about when your child will be wearing this. If it is a coat figure out what size your child will be wearing next winter, then buy that size. This is a great way to save money, because next year when you pull the clothes out they will be just like new.

Another thing to look for is different ways you can use the sale items. Often after summer skirts will go on sale, you can look for skirts that your daughter can wear think tights or leggings under, then they can wear the skirt through winter. Tank tops are another great find at sales, you can always layer then under other shirts or jackets and wear them year round.

If you follow these tips you are sure to find great deals on your children's clothes. Of course you want your kids to look stylish, buy you don't have to spend a fortune doing it. Have fun budget shopping for your kids.