With the recent beautiful, Spring weather (flurries in the forecast notwithstanding) I decided it was high time to go through my kids’ seasonal clothes and assess the current situation.
You see, when I’m out and about at the second-hand stores I like to frequent, when I see something cute, I want to get it. However! Just because it’s oh so cute, and for my kids, that doesn’t mean I should buy it! Ahem.
The two main stores I frequent are the local Goodwill and the Thrift Store on base.
Actually, those are the two main stores, period: I rarely shop regular retail.
Ideally, I love to get hand-me-downs for my kids. I did score some cute, cute things from a friend for my 7yo daughter recently (thanks, Tina!), but that was totally lucky because her own daughter is actually quite a bit older and it was just a few things that she’d been holding onto but long outgrown.
Short of getting clothes for free, shopping second-hand options is simply the way I try to go for my kids’ clothes. It just makes budget sense.
And yes, I am including my 14yo son in that as well. No, it’s not easy shopping for discount clothes for a teenager… But I don’t think it’s easy shopping for a teenager, period.
When we first moved to Ohio over two years ago, I had a much different idea of what a bargain was. We had been living in Italy where clothes are quite expensive, even before factoring in the weakness of the dollar. There, anything under $10 was a steal, even on base. You know how you throw a yard sale in the States and you’re lucky if you can even get people to look at the adult clothes, let alone buy any of them? Yea. Not in Italy. Even adult clothes at a yard sale will fly off the racks.
After moving to Ohio, it took me awhile to find the second-hand stores that I now shop frequently. It’s taken even longer to get my discerning mo-jo down and really know a deal when I see one. I’ve gotten really, really picky.
One thing I’ve learned is that, even at second-hand stores, it can pay to shop off-season. Some places (like the thrift store on base here) have no storage or space to display off-season clothing. So right now, for instance, when most people are just looking for summer wear, you can find some severely discounted winter clothing on clearance that hasn’t been completely picked through.
Unless something’s really cute. Then, you know.
But take this coat I found last week on clearance at the Thrift Store…
$1.80
I mean, come on!
(Olivia willingly modeled it for me, although she complained, “It’s so hot!” ) (And it really was that day; she had just come in from playing outside in the sun.) (Yes, Ohio, it does exist!) (And come on, isn’t she cute?)
This won’t be her only winter coat; she’ll still need one for snow and wet weather. I have complete confidence I will score one for a good deal either at the thrift store or goodwill. I just got Peter’s winter coat for next year at Goodwill today, as a matter of fact. For $3.50. At the thrift store, I also found several winter tops for Peter for under a dollar: 25 to 80 cents a piece.
Sorry, no pictures yet. He’s not quite as willing a model as his big sister.
I don’t always stick to off-season purchases, not at all. When something is really needed, or really, really cute…
Oh. my. word. This dress is to die for. Have I ever mentioned that Olivia is a dressy-dress kind of gal? Give her a sundress over shorts any day.
And the cost? $3.50.
Technically, Olivia didn’t need this dress. By going through her clothes, I was reminded of the cute dresses that I found at the end of the season last year, when summer clothes were heavily discounted and on their way out and winter clothes were coming in. She’s pretty good to go on dresses until she grows some more. But come on.
Oh, and the flip-flops she’s wearing are new, too. As in brand-new, from Goodwill.
$2.00
Yes, Goodwill has never-been-worn stuff donated to them. Overstock and stuff like that. You might be surprised.
All of my kids are kind of hurting in the shoe department, these flip-flops notwithstanding. I will make an exception for retail shopping when it comes to getting decent shoes, especially tennis shoes. That’ll be a future post, depending on how I ultimately end up finding what they each need for this summer. Especially for Conner — decent bargain-priced shoes for teens are few and far between. His feet have also grown by leaps and bounds this winter. I’m surprised his toes aren’t poking out the ends.
I do recognize that you can find real bargains shopping clearance racks at regular retail stores. I, too, occasionally buy clothes that way. I would only argue that going into a regular store to look for those bargains requires more will-power as it opens you up to temptations on the non-bargain racks as well.
How about the rest of you? Do you take advantage of second-hand stores to stretch the clothing budget? Will anyone out there fess up to being a *gasp* second-hand clothing snob?
Come on, I know you’re out there! I’ve even converted a few of you. I love nothing more than when someone compliments me on something I wear and I get to inform them that I got it from the Thrift Store for $2.50. I’ve been told I’m just “lucky” — but I think it’s just that, what little time I spend shopping, I spend it at Goodwill. How about you?
And if you don’t have access to second-hand stores where you live? Well then, God bless you. I’ve been in your shoes (no pun intended) and I do feel for you. You can just live vicariously through me right now, okay?
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Ok, this could get long lol. I love thrift stores, I started shopping in them in high school when it was cool to get t shirts from there (dont know why but yay!) and me and my friends would make a trip there for half off mondays!
BUT, I have not been able to find a single good thing for my daughter at any thrift store except one osh kosh blue jean dress. I have been shopping for new clothes on clearance for years and years, my mother sent ME to do all the school shopping for my two younger sisters because I always got the best deals and never bought anything that wasn’t on clearance (i was a WEIRD kid apparently lol).
Everytime I go to secondhand stores I see the prices, and this may be only in my area, but I’m always like I can get something NEW that cheap if not cheaper! I don’t think I have paid full price for any clothing my daughter has had…ever. I buy mostly old navy, target, and gymboree clothing, Old navy being the best deals. Like a previous reader I used my additional 30% off coupon on top of sales and clearance prices this week and I love when they have their additional %50 of clearance price sales or their “deals of the week”. My goal is usually not to pay more than $3 per item except if I know its a good deal still paying more.
I love going to the local church preschool’s consignment sales (we have a lot of them in my town) but everything seems so overpriced!! I went to the “biggest” sale this past week and walked out with 1 outfit! I’m just not going to pay $8 for an outfit that is worn out. I was shopping for playclothes anyways so I didnt want to pay more than $3 per outfit, but i ended up paying $4 for my one little outfit.
Like I said, maybe this is a regional thing but I won’t give up hope on my thrift shopping maybe one day I will find some steals. Love your daughter’s dress btw!!
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I absolutely love shopping at Goodwill. At least here locally, Target donates tons of stuff to Goodwill (returns, clearance that doesn’t sell) so I’ve bought tons of new stuff for super cheap. I get lots of clothes for my girls but have also found some furniture pieces. I desperately wanted a $250 armoire that I spotted at Target but couldn’t swing the price and then I found it for $75 at Goodwill still in the box. Now the box was slightly torn up and once I got it home I discovered that it was missing a part but I just called the customer service number on the instruction sheet and they sent me a new part right away. I’ve also picked up adorable book cases for my girls’ rooms that were still new in their boxes for a fraction of what they sell for at Target.
Now that I’ve got 3 little ones I find that I don’t have as much time for “treasure hunting” at thrift stores so I’ve shifted to making 2 big shopping trips a year to the outlet mall where I hit up The Children’s Place to buy off-season. I score most of my kids’ spring/summer wardrobe in August when all of the summer stuff is on major clearance and I have a coupon and then get most of their fall/winter stuff in February.
Oh, and as far as flip-flops go, you can’t beat Old Navy’s 2/$5.00 deal that I scored for just $1.75 each this past weekend with a 30% off coupons. My kids live in these all summer and they hold up really well.
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I’ve gotten some good deals at thrift shops in the past (like a $7 wool coat for myself) but don’t stop in on a regular basis or anything. I don’t do much clothes shopping period, so it just works out that way.
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We have a children’s consignment store in town that is divine! I never buy staples like blue jeans for my little guy new. I always find several pairs to get him through the few months he needs to wear them. He has to wear a uniform to school, so by the time he has outgrown the jeans he hasn’t worn them much at all and I can take them back to the same store and get a little money for them if they sell again. It’s a no-brainer!
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I always shop Goodwill first. We have 3 of them close by, and I never leave empty-handed. And when I travel, I always check out the Thrift shops (what a fun gal I am!) On a recent trip to VA, I bought a bag full of nice work clothes for myself, and 4 or 5 prs. of pants for my 7yo. son. One of those was Chaps. Why should I pay full price when someone else already has? Every so often I check out Old Navy’s great clearance sales. I scored a fabulous sweat jacket for son for $3. Funny, I was in Boscov’s today wanting desperately to buy a new work outfit, and couldn’t make myself spend the money, even though it was on “sale.”
Always enjoy your posts-I was a military wife a million years ago.
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Howdy! Love your site. Would really love to do some writing for you. Are you looking for someone to post articles for this blog? With or without pay, I think it would be great experience for me. Feel free to check out my blog. In addition to writing romance novels, I love to hit yard sales and find amazing deals. Trash to treasure fanatic, you could say. Let me know.
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Cherilyn Reply:
March 21st, 2010 at 3:19 pm
What is the address of your blog, Jayna?
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I have changed my ways in the past 2 years. I love thrift stores. My dd groans “oh no” as we pull into yet another one. I honestly don’t even like going into the retail stores anymore. There is no mystery or adventure. Boring. I love the hunt and get a thrill scoring awesome deals. I honestly cannot spend the money on things I used to not bat an eye at. Fun, fun, fun! Can’t wait for yard sale season too! Even more hunting!
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I love, love second hand clothing stores!!! 99% of the clothes my children wear are bought at thrift stores. I find most of my pants, shorts, capris there but shirts are harder to come by.
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Thanks for reminding me to take advantage of thrift stores. I didn’t know where any were since we moved from the coast to inland. You inspired me to research and I found a whole list of thrift stores within 8 miles.
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Do Ohio Goodwill stores have 99cent days? In TN, every Sunday and Wednesday is 99 cents on a certain color tag. It really is the only way my girls (15yo,14yo) want to buy clothes! They buy their own clothes so they have learned to take something a little bigger and “fix” it so they can wear it longer. We go into Walmart now and they can not bear to pay those prices! Personally, I am an “80′s” jean person, and since the retail stores are not selling a lot of straight leg jeans I have found that Goodwill is the best place for finding great deals on jeans I want to wear—-especially when they are 99 cents!
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I think part of second hand clothes shopping is where you live. In my area, I don’t even go inside the stores because they are so dirty and smelly. But that has to do with the clientele there, and the quality of what they get. I need to make a more concerted effort to go to Goodwill in the NICER towns….I am waging a guess that their stuff is going to be better.
I have bought things on line through ebay, and overall got good deals. Got 2 sweaters, a dress, a top, and jeans for $10!
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I love love love second hand clothes shopping get all my babies clothes there, maes s much sense seeing that kids out grow things so quickly
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