Infant Clothes: Buying New Vs Used

If you're a parent-to-be or a new parent, then you have probably frowned at the sticker prices of infant clothing more than a time or two. Why should those clothes and shoes be so expensive (often more expensive than many adult clothes) when they require less fabric and sewing to make? I'm sure companies will justify it with some type of excuse, and there is the aspect of "name brands." While some people will kill in order to get their tikes the latest and greatest in famous label clothing, the rest of us would rather our child look good while our wallets still remain intact. There are pros and cons to both routes in buying a wardrobe for our children. There are also many more options than some might think when buying infant attire. You'll always want to consider different sources and what you are willing to pay for certain things. Since most new parents are on a budget, thrift stores may be perfect for them. For those that have the funds to buy their children an entire closet full of branded clothing or shoes, they may see no use in shopping second-hand. Most of anything having to do with saving requires that you may be willing to take the time in order to find deals and the work you don't mind doing to clothing which may need it.

Now tackling the name brand argument first, let's look at what is good about buying brand new. You go to a local mall or other boutique and find exactly what you want in one or two trips in one place without much driving or searching. The clothing is new and there's no worry of stains or other people having worn them. They will carry everything to match for completion of an entire outfit head to toe. Stores that carry children's clothing usually also sell baby supplies and other items for mothers-to-be. If the retail store in the mall doesn't sell baby supplies, there is a store a few doors down that does. Now this method does provide one stop shopping, convenience, and less headache, along with a wardrobe of matching branded clothing for baby. However let us look at the downside of buying from these places, let's take a look at Baby Gap for just an example. You can go to their website at www.gap.com/browse/category.do and you will find items which are supposed to be on "sale." Now the prices that I found were anywhere from $7.99 for a onesie to $19.99 for a dress. I don't know about you, but that is ridiculous to me. A whole infant or toddler outfit should cost $7.99 or less. This is just one place that I checked and you can still look around, search for sales, and you will find some better deals at other places. Wal-mart is one place to consider, but they don't often have very good sales at all and many times you can go to your local K-mart and find buy one get one free deals or the same items, just much cheaper than the ones carried at Wal-mart. Don't be afraid to look for manufacturer coupons, store coupons, and keep an eye on sales flyers for retail stores since they often will have either a gift certificate or an instant savings at the register when you buy a certain amount in the store. Personally, I don't pay lots of money for our daughter's outfits because she grows out of them so fast.

As far as thrift stores, I see more pros than cons when shopping at them. Many people shy away from shopping for used clothing for themselves as well as their children. You might not like the idea of someone else having worn the clothing before your baby did. Some people don't want to have to wash or clean clothing before putting them on the little one. You will have to search around for your local thrift stores to see which ones are nearby. Once you find the places, you will have to look through clothing or baby supplies to find the sizes, colors, types of clothing you want. Buying stain remover and laundry detergent while you're out is a must to get spots out and clean them. Finally, you'll have to spot treat, wash, dry, then put away the clothes. I believe that there are far more pros to buying used however when you look at the big picture. The biggest thing is that you can find tons of gently used attire for pennies on the dollar when compared to retail. Many of the items that are either donated or sold to the thrift stores are barely if at all used, some even still have tags or are in the packaging. Also, they also often have "sticker sales" where you get a percentage off of the regular price that day.

Getting formula out of baby clothes can be a chore, but I have found a trick for that so that they will come out of the wash very clean. Find a local Deals dollar store and purchase their stain remover, pine cleaner, and orange cleaner to use on stains of any kind in clothing and whatever laundry detergent you usually use. My daughter isn't allergic to anything that I've found, so I use cheap detergent either Trend or the large container of Xtra that's scented. Spray all of the clothes with stains with those items and wash them in warm water, on some stubborn stains you may have to wash twice, then follow up with washing in clear water, then dry. This will get them clean and remove any of the chemicals so that it doesn't hurt baby's sensitive skin. We buy items from the thrift stores all of the time for our daughter and come out with usually two or three bags for $20.00 to $25.00. When you shop there often, the people will get to know you and many times will throw in free items. As fast as children grow it really is a lot easier on your wallet than paying strictly retail for everything. We usually only shop retail when sales are going on and when buying "picture or dress outfits." That extra money we save is being put away, and hopefully she will thank us for the nest egg when she gets older.