Finding Cheap Kids Clothes

I know.. I know... you don't want to use the word "cheap" when you're looking for your children's clothes. No one wants to appear cheap.

But, what is a parent to do? Of course all parents would love to drape their children in the most beautiful of designer kids clothes, but let's face it. The reality is that a LOT of people today are looking for bargains and, let's face it, cheap kids clothes.

Because the truth is this: A lot of folks are feeling a tad bit "cheap" these days. I know that there really are people out there who will happily spend hundreds of dollars for a pair of jeans, but I'm not one of them.

(Really - even if I DID have hundreds of dollars to buy a pair of jeans, my frugal nature simply howls against it. I just can't do it.)

But, that doesn't mean I want to be relegated to buying my clothes at that large well-known box store that I don't believe I need to name (you know the one I mean!).

So let's get creative. First let's review some of the initial (and obvious) ideas in the list below.

Newspaper Ads...The Ol' Stand By...
Most people are familiar with the yard sale category in the classified ads. While your local paper's ads are certainly the most well-known method of advertising, they're not the only way anymore. If you haven't frequented yard sales in the past, get you Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday copies of the paper since most people will run their ads on those days.

Also, many yard sales start on Fridays, and run through the weekend. If you find that a yard sale has begun on a Friday, and you don't show up until Sunday, you can expect that most of the "good stuff" will be gone by then. If at all possible, you want to be early to a yard sale for the best selection of goods (not limited to cheap kids clothes!).

If someone is advertising a yard sale in the paper, check to see what they're selling. If they list a phone number, call them to see if used kids clothes or toys will be part of the sale. There is no sense in going to a sale if they aren't offering what you want or need. Time is money, so spend yours wisely.

Enter... CraigsList!
One of the newest ways of finding yard sales is the wonderful world of CraigsList. Just go to www.CraigsList.com, and narrow it down to your state and region. In CraigsList, there is a "For Sale" category. THIS is where you'll start...

Well, actually it's not really a trick at all. We're simply going to narrow down your options so that you're targeting the correct yard sales for your situation.

Step #1 - Go to www.CraigsList.com
Now, first, when you click on your state, you may notice that you need to choose a region nearest to your location. For example, if I go to the Kentucky CraigsList, I need to choose between Bowling Green, Cincinnati, OH, eastern Kentucky, Huntington-Ashland, Lexington, Louisville, Owensboro, and western Kentucky. For a small state, such as Rhode Island or New Hampshire, there are no regions to choose from.

Step #2: Proceed to the "Garage Sale" Category
Once you are in your state and region, click on the "Garage Sale" tab under the For Sale category.

Depending on the day, you may see dozens if not hundreds of yard and garage sale listings. Trying to determine which ones to go to can be daunting. Even in the New Hampshire listing for April 10, 2010, there were more than 50 listings. There would be many more during the summer season (April is still cold in New Hampshire). For the NH listings, most of them were in the southern part of the state.

Now, let's show you how to save some time and find the "A-List" of yard sales!

Step #3: Put Your Specialized Search Term in the Upper Search Term Box at the Top of the Page
Now, all you need to do from here is to scroll up to the top of the page of the CraigsList ads, and type in the key phrases of what you are looking for. This is where it is much easier than culling through the print ads in your newspaper.

So, if you are looking for cheap kids clothes, start with "kids," or "clothes" in the search bar. Or "toys," if that's what you're looking for.

While taking the screen shot for the Rhode Island yard sales in CraigsList, I saw that for a small state, there were a LOT of listings. And, CraigsList doesn't break the state into regions (There are a few states where CraigsList does not break a state into sections.). So, let's say I live in the Providence area of Rhode Island. My first search term might be "Providence."

Much better! I was able to narrow down the yard sales to about 2 dozen for 3 days (a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).

So, I went one step further and typed in "Providence Kids" which showed me 5 sales. Changing the term to "Providence Toys" and saw 3 sales for the 3 day period.

Of course you can use this strategy for anything you are looking for, whether it's a piano, tires for your car, or used lawn equipment.

One thing to remember, however, is that people will sometimes list their yard sale daily for a few days to get more viewers. So, you'll see duplicate ads.

Other CraigsList Thoughts
To take this a final step, don't just stop at the "Garage Sales" category. Don't forget to check in the "Clothes & Accessories" section, or "Baby & Kids," "Household," and also "General." Let your fingers do the walking, and you'll find a LOT of great stuff!

And finally, don't forget to put your OWN ad out there for "Cheap Kids Clothes Wanted." In South Carolina, where I'm spending the winter, my husband saw an ad from a woman who was looking to trade some kids toys for baby formula.

Think creatively!

"Dickering" sounds so... so... well, petty (at least to me!). But "Negotiating?" That's different!

My Own Rant About "Dickering"... Don't Take It Personally if You Like Dickering.
Personally, I dislike dickering over prices. At my own yard sales, if I put $1.00 on an item, and someone says, "Will you take 50-cents?" Well, that just makes me nuts. I just want to give it to 'em at that point. C'mon already! It's only a dollar for crying out loud... That's the kind of thing I think of when I hear the word "Dickering."

When I Don't Mind Dickering (or "Negotiating")
Now, if someone is buying 10 items at my yard sale, and it comes out to about $12 and he says, "Would you take $10 for all of it?" That's more like it. That seems more like negotiating. He's willing to take a whole heap of stuff out of here, and at that point, taking $2 off the pile seems reasonable to me.

So, when you're out there shopping for cheap kids clothes, and something is $1, I say just buy the thing. BUT... If you find a WHOLE BUNCH of things at that yard sale, then I believe it's worth asking the host, "How much would you charge if I take ALL of it?" Or, "Is there a price break if I buy 10 items?"

But, please, if you see something for $1 or $2 dollars and it's clearly worth it, I say just buy it at the host's asking price.

What if an Item is Clearly Overpriced?
But, you also need to not buy something if you feel it's clearly OVERPRICED for a yard sale. Sometimes, I'll see a pair of jeans that the person has marked for $20. Now, there is NO WAY I'm buying a pair of used jeans for $20. The host may say, "Well, they cost me $75 when I bought them." Well, that's not my issue - if she bought a pair of jeans for $75 at some fancy store, that's her choice.

Just pass at that point. Don't argue. Just don't buy them. Move on to the next sale and pat yourself on the back for saving your money.

Ok, I've got a few other ideas about getting cheap kids clothes. Or at least saving money on them.

The REAL "Step #1" is "Avoid Mall Stores if You're Trying to Save Money..." But if you MUST go...
#1: If you find that you absolutely MUST go to the mall, and you know you won't be able to resist going into the high priced chains there, then at least plan ahead. Go with cash - and allot whatever you're planning to spend and put it separate from your other cash. Leave the credit cards at home if you can. If you plan on eating lunch while you're out, plan that for cash as well (and keep it separate from the clothing allowance).

Make a List and Check it Twice...
#2: Make a list. Yes, just like your food shopping list (You DO shop with a list, don't you?). If Bobby needs a pair of sneakers, some socks and underwear and school shirts, put them on the list. Don't deviate - stick to the list. You'll be less tempted to buy those extra insoles or shoelaces that will undoubtedly be near the sneakers.

Shopping for Winter? Shop in the Summer. Huh?
#3 Shop off-season (which also means you'll be planning ahead). You'll find some great bargains in the clearance section. So, that means you might find Suzie a nice winter coat for next fall during the spring sales.

Machine Wash Your Classic Styles
#4 Avoid buying clothing that needs to be dry cleaned (which can start to cost a lot), and do your best to avoid "the newest trend" which will undoubtedly be out of style by the time the kids have worn them say... 5 times. My mother always taught me that classics never went out of style, and she was right.

Good old fashioned jeans and khakis never seem to go out of style. But an entire wardrobe built around Hannah Montana or some other teen star?

How to Satisfy Your 'Tween When You Refuse to Give in to "Everyone Else" Regarding Clothes...
Buy a poster instead... It'll be much cheaper in the long run.