Tips for Restocking Your Child's Closet on a Budget

"Mom, I don't have anything to wear!" echoes through the house. "Not again", you think in despair grabbing your wallet to count your pennies.

Time for more clothes? If you are on a budget there is just NO WAY to keep the closet stocked with more than a few outfits. Here are some ideas that might help your child have a fuller closet or just help restock your child's closet and keep money in your pocket. These cost effective tips will give your child more clothes to wear and can restock your child's closet as he or she grows out of clothes.

Restocking your child's closet does not have to be as expensive as one may think. There are several ways to get new or gently used clothes at great prices. If you are truly in need of clothing, churches, salvation army, and thrift stores offer FREE clothing. You may not be getting the latest fashions, but the clothes are usually in decent shape. Your children will have something to wear especially if you are in a pinch.

Another free way of restocking your child's closet is with Freecycle. Freecycle is a yahoo group available in most cities that members will list items they no longer need or you can list items you want. Freecycle's main purpose is to keep items out of the trash. It's extremely helpful to people who are looking for particular items that do not have the money to spend on them or for those people who are trying to save a few bucks.

The best way to restock a child's closet with new clothes is to buy clothes the year before they need them at the end of the season sales. The main problem when buying clothes for your child a year in advance is that you cannot be 100% sure what size your child will be. Should you buy clothes one size or two sizes bigger? You will have to estimate how fast your child is growing.

If you do not need the clothes immediately and can purchase clothes at the end of the season, you can get really great deals. Besides size, the other problem with buying clothes a year in advance is that the clothes may be out of style the following year. If you choose to buy clothes a year in advance, try to purchase basic classic styles that never go out of style. Plain blue jeans that are not designer jeans are a great example of clothes that can be purchased in advance.

If you are trying to restock your child's closet cost effectively, another idea is to save money monthly to put towards the clothes. You can purchase a few items each month as your child needs them. Unfortunately, when your child grows out of a size nothing he or she owns will fit and then, you are scrambling to purchase clothing.

Purchasing items a little at a time or when sales are advertised is a great cost effective way to restock your child's closet. Sales help keep any budget in check.

If you have outlet stores in your area, be sure to shop at the outlet stores for lower prices. If you are on a budget saving money in an outlet store will help you restock your child's closet and keep your child in "designer" fashion. Free clothing is nice, but if you can buy new clothes for a couple of dollars it may be a better way to cost effectively restock your child's closet with clothes they will love.