Cheap Baby Clothes
Posted on May 5, 2009 with
These days there are hundreds of ways to find cheap baby clothes. You just need to know exactly where to look. If you are like me, you want to find baby clothes that are inexpensive but, at the same time, made of good quality material that will last and be soft on your baby’s skin.
The best way to source cheap baby clothes is through hand-me downs. If it’s your second child, third or fourth child, you can give them the clothes worn by your first baby. Babies grow up fast and clothes don’t fit them for very long, so hand-me downs are usually in pretty good nick apart from the odd small food stain here or there.
If this is your first baby, consider hand-me-downs from friends and relatives. When we had our first baby we were inundated with offers of baby clothes hand-me-downs, some quite old but others very new. Accept them all gratefully, sort through them to pick out the best quality clothes in the best condition, and either return the unwanted clothes or take them to a charity shop. You could even stick them on eBay or Freecycle to get rid of the clothes you don’t want to keep.
Other good sources of second hand baby clothes are eBay, Gumtree and Freecycle. As baby clothes are not worn for very long until the baby grows out of them (a few months), then sourcing second hand baby clothes is a good way of saving money on your baby’s clothes.
Your baby requires quite a lot of clothes, and the costs can mount up quickly. Baby vests in particular can become stained quickly and need regular washing. You will also need to think about baby socks, sleepsuits, bodysuits, sleepbags, gowns and daytime outfits, and little things like baby sun hats which can often be overlooked but which are essential for your baby in summer. You’ll also need warm baby hats for the winter months!
If you are really on a shoestring budget you could consider making your own baby clothes, though you have to weigh up the time involved in such an endeavour. Making clothes for your baby can produce the cheapest baby clothes available, but you need to have the required knitting/sewing skills and the time to do this properly. Time is at a premium when your baby comes along, so be prepared!
If, like many parents, especially with their first baby, you want to dress your baby in brand new baby clothes, it is still possible to do this cheaply - you just need to know where to find the bargains. Read our guide on buying cheap new baby clothes for some good money saving ideas.
If it’s your first baby and you’re buying clothes before your baby is born, try not to buy too much stuff. You will find that friends and relatives will buy lots of clothes for your baby, meaning that you don’t need to buy as many baby clothes as you might think. Another common scenario is this - friends and relatives will often buy older age group clothes for your newborn, thinking that you will be inundated with newborn clothes as gifts. As a result you may end up with a shortage of clothes that fit your baby at the newborn stage, and lots of clothes that will fit him/her when they are a bit older and bigger.
Finally a good idea to ensure you get the cheapest baby clothes is to buy out of season. Buy summer clothes in November, and winter clothes in May - there should be plenty of bargains around as baby clothes shops try to sell off their excess stock in end of season sales.
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