How to Get Children's Clothes for Free

When you are a parent trying to get clothing for your children, it can be quite expensive if you do not know how to keep this bill down. However, if you take the time to use these resources, you should be able to get all the clothing your children need and never pay anything out of pocket. If this sounds too good to be true, read on to find out how many parents are able to do it.

Accept Gifts

It is more than likely that you have free sources for children's clothing all around you. Start with any friends or family who may have children just a little bit older than your own. You do not have to outright ask for clothing, but just simply let them know that you are willing to accept hand-me-downs if they ever have any. I simply told anyone I knew that I did not mind letting my child wear used clothing and before I knew it I had bags upon bags of clothing for my daughter. It wasn't all nice, but most of it looked brand new and some still had tags on! So many parents are more than happy to give old children's clothing to a friend that they know can use them, rather than donate them.

If you don't have friends or family that would be able to pass down old clothing, sign up for you local Freecycle. Freecycle is a Yahoo group that connects people who need items with those you want to give away items for free. Simply put out a want add for the items you need and then continue to keep an eye out for other people posting items they want to get rid of. This is yet another way to get free clothing for your children.

Sell Back
Once your children are done with the clothing they have, be sure to sell back any items that are still in great shape. Stores like Once Upon a Child will pay you cash for your child's gently used items. Find a children's consignment store near you and determine which one will pay you the most money for your items. Then, you can take that money to fill the gaps in your children's wardrobe using these next tips.

Note: Give any items that the consignment store will not take to someone in need. If you have been helped, it is only right to pay that help forward to another parent.

Buy Used and Shop Clearance

With the money you received from selling your children's used clothing, shop the clearance section at your local thrift shop and keep an eye out for yard sales to score good deals. Doing so will help you get as much as possible from the money you made on the old clothing which will keep you from having to pay money out of pocket for new clothes.

Use Rewards for Extras

From time to time, you children will need clothing items that you will simply not be able to pay for with money from selling their clothes. To prepare for these times, save up your credit and debit card rewards to redeem whenever this happens. You can also sign up at sites like Mypoints.com and build up points there to redeem for gift cards. These two forms of rewards can add up to several hundred dollars a year!This will keep you from having to spend any money out of pocket for clothing, while still being able to provide those unexpected items for your kids.

By using these steps, you should be able to consistently get new clothes for your children without having to pay any money out of pocket for them. This means you can put more money toward their college fund or activities that they wish to participate in. Taking the time to find ways to get the things you need for free is key to raising your quality of life on even the smallest of incomes.