I am formulaic about everything, even with something like clothes. But its given me a solid base to calculate how much my kids need (also how much I need, or rather don’t need) and given me the confidence that they have enough. I am frequently uncertain and doubt that they are fulfilled and have a high quality of life. One of the areas I find myself doubting is with their wardrobe. I see other kids in nicer clothes or see other kids closets bursting with outfits when mine have no logo on their sweatpants and space in their dresser. I can go back and remind myself they have X number of pants or shirts and that is plenty. They love to wear what they have, they are warm, they are happy and that is enough. I have to remind myself of this. Having my formula helps to reassure me and helps me keep track of what they might be in need of. It helps me keep a handle on what is inside my home.
I buy most everything used. It saves money, so that my children can wear name brand clothing but I don’t have to pay out the nose for it. For seasonal things, like Christmas shirts, or on occasion, like a great sale, or for something very specific, such as my child wanting a certain character shirt, I’ll buy new clothes. But on the whole I get used, or they have been the recipients of hand me downs as well.
There are a handful of things I never buy used simply because they don’t hold up well, or they aren’t good used. Things like underwear and socks, knit pajamas, and shoes. This would go the same for me as well. When a person wears a shoe, they imprint their foot shape and indents where they walk the heaviest into the shoe. You don’t have the posture or gait as that person and you don’t want to be walking in their foot grooves. Buy new shoes, make your own indentations, your feet will thank you. Even if you’re buying the clearance shoe at Walmart, buy new shoes. Knit pajamas just don’t hold up after so many wearings and washings, and aren’t worth buying used. They’re not expensive new anyway. Plus most of the time, two piece sets like that never stay together in second hand shops and I don’t want to buy only the bottom half of some Star Wars knit pajamas. Socks and underwear should be self explanatory.
Another reason I buy used is because it is more environmentally friendly. We don’t really need to be working all these factories to be on top of the trends and always have brand new clothes in our closets. We can look just as fabulous with what we have, or what we can find already made. Kids, I know, grow out of, or wear out their clothing. Adults can be hard on their clothes as well and will eventually need new ones. But we can help slow down the machine if we are buying used clothing. A few celebrities have drawn attention to this by pledging to never buy another piece of clothing. Who knows if they will keep this vow, but I appreciate their effort. And if you say one family not buying new clothing to help the environment isn’t going to make a difference, it’s silly to do so. Well, I can’t control what anyone else is doing, but I can control what I do, and I am going to do what I can no matter how small an impact it makes because it is good. In addition to the fact it is not the only reason I buy used, it’s just one part.
Every year, I take an inventory of my kids clothes in the next size up, to get a feel of how much they have and how much they need. They really could probably get by with less, but I always over plan just to be safe. And I do this probably 6 months before they are going to need it, so by the time they grow into it, they will have plenty and I can buy little bits at a time when I find something and not have one bulk cost all at once.
Each kid gets X amount of different clothing types and when they are deficient in one item, I add it to the list of needs. So, for an example, I would make an inventory list of how much they have in their next size and compare it to my set numbers and then add the difference to my clothing list and keep an eye out for a sale. Such as:
Child’s sz 6 Inventory
- SS shirts 6
- LS shirts 4
- PJs 5
- Pants 3
- Jackets 2
Needs: 4 SS shirts, 6 LS shirts, 5 PJs, 7 Pants
In this example I have chosen to make each quantity needed 10, to make it simple, whereas in reality the numbers wouldn’t all be the same. For instance, I usually get them more short sleeve shirts than long sleeve.
How rough the kid is with their clothes and how often they need a change is going to inform the quantities. Small kids may need more outfits because they dirty their clothes more often than bigger kids. Some schools require a spare set of clothes to be kept at school in case of an accident, you’d need to add that to your list of needs. One of my kids is still potty training and sometimes doesn’t make it all the way to the toilet, or misses the toilet, or tries to wipe himself and doesn’t quite get clean. Right now, he has many pairs of pants and I am constantly washing pants and underwear because his dirty pant ratio is high at the moment. Where you live will affect this. If you live in a cold climate where it is often snowing, a good winter coat or snowsuit may be in your inventory whereas someone living in a swampy area wouldn’t need one. Your family dynamic will inform this as well. Does your kid sleep in their underwear and refuse to wear pajamas? They won’t need as many sets of PJs then. Are you a minimalist family that only has a small number of outfits for everyone? Your numbers would more than likely much smaller than mine. Every family unit is different, and so your inventory and needs will look different than someone else’s. I for instance make my children put on clean pajamas every night, so I’ve made sure they have at least enough pajamas to last a week without washing.
I let my children choose their clothes, both from the store and on a daily basis. I’ll take my child with me if I’m going with the intent of getting them some new clothes. I tell them what we are looking for, sometimes this takes a little guidance to keep them on track, and I let them pick out which they want. So we will go to the shirt section and they can choose which one they like best. Other times this looks like me finding 3 or 4 pairs of pants and they can choose one of them. And then their clothes go into the dresser and on most mornings, I tell them to pick out their clothes and get dressed and let them find the outfit they want to wear that day. It usually makes no difference if it matches or not, but it does make a difference in how they feel, and that is more important.
As I said, my kids have been the recipients of some wonderful hand me downs. Gifting clothes to a friend is probably the pinnacle of mom friendship. It is amazing. I cannot stress how important it is to make friends and put in the effort to build bonds with people. And to give of yourself. Give your kid’s old clothes to someone who needs them. Pass that goodness along.
I also shop consignment shops and thrift stores. Many people have caught on to this kids-grow-so-fast-and-I-can’t-keep-up thing and most cities have a kid exclusive consignment shop. These are wonderful. Find the one near you and follow their Facebook page and watch for sales and coupons. Thrift shops are also a big winner. They will have a kid section, but you most likely will have to sift through more chaos to find what you want, but the prices can’t be beat. Most thrift stores also have big sales. Some weekly, seasonally, some have sticker colors that are always clearance. Find those deals! But be cautious, since they have other sections too don’t get sucked into the sweater section and end up leaving with 4 kid outfits and 6 sweaters. I also go to the Just Between Friends sales. They have Facebook pages as well, so find the one nearest you, and follow that page. They are twice a year, and you have to respond and get a ticket to get in. Take the time to reserve the ticket. If you do, you get in free, otherwise you have to pay at the door. I have never left a JBF sale empty handed or disappointed. I’ve never spent over $50 and I always get a bag full of stuff. Garage sales are another place you might find clothes. I’m not a garage saler, so I don’t do this. Some people do and find excellent deals. If you are, go for it! I’m just not. You can also potentially find great clothes somewhere like Facebook marketplace. The trouble I’ve had with some of these is that people want too much for a used item. They are trying to get their money back on it and end up pricing it too high. There is also a risk meeting up with a stranger to buy something. Always, always, always meet in a busy public place not super near to your home. And if you can, don’t go alone. My suggestion for these is to look for the bulk sales. Someone selling a bag of clothes for $30 for example. I’ve gotten some good clothing that way. I got a Spiderman sweatsuit and Mickey Mouse fleece pajamas in one of those bags I paid $20 for. For my Disney obsessed kid, it was worth it.
There are all kinds of ways to fill your child’s closet and save money. Be wise with your spending. You do not need to buy that 4 piece outfit with a bowtie because its half off and it’s super cute. Put down the bowtie. Your child already has a dress outfit and does not need the one that’s 50% off. Look for those deals. Accept the generosity of friends. And give back to others. When you reach the numbers needed for your inventory, don’t buy any more clothes. Don’t fall into the, “it was only $2!” Trap. And rest easy in the knowledge that your kids have plenty of clothes, they love the clothes they have, and you aren’t living in excess. That’s something to take pride in.
Dose of Sunshine 