Kids Growing Too Fast? Save Cash on Clothes with These Thrifty Tips

Trying to stop your child from picking their nose or taking off their clothes and running around in the nude may seem impossible. However, stopping kids from growing is actually impossible. No matter how hard we try as parents, we can’t stop our little tykes from growing up.

That heartbreaking sentiment is also expensive. During a growth spurt, you may feel like you have to buy new, bigger clothes for your child every week.

The average American spends about $1,800 on clothing a year, but if you’re a parent of fast-growing kids or teens, any budget can seem tighter than that T-shirt.

Save money and help your kid look less like ruffians with these money-saving tips for wardrobe shopping:

1. Buy Used

Chances are, your little kids won’t care if others have worn their clothes. It’s especially smart to buy used clothes for playing or eating, since you won’t have to worry about a spill or stain ruining that pricey name-brand onesie. Check thrift stores, garage sales, and online swap groups for the cheapest kids’ clothes money can buy.

2. Buy Out of Season

It can be a tough gamble to buy kids’ clothes in advance. What if they grow a lot in the fall, and don’t fit in the clearance winter jacket you want to buy now? When in doubt, go a size larger than you think you need. They’ll be able to wear it a little longer, and you’ll still save money by buying the clothes in the off-season.

3. Seek Unexpected Hand-Me-Downs

Sure, if you have more than one child, hand-me-downs seem like the obvious solution when kids keep outgrowing their clothes. But what if you’ve only got one child? If your little one lacks older siblings, try reaching out to cousins, neighbors, or even friends. When you consider that almost 75%of consumers tell their friends about a business just because of a sign, it's easy to see that helping your neighbors out with hand-me-downs is an easy task. Your child’s classmate may have an older brother with clothes to spare. You could even start your own clothing swap group with a few friends to help everyone save some cash!

Kids are great, but clothing them can be expensive. Save a few bucks this year by finding cheaper ways to keep your rugrats warm and covered up. With these tips, your budget will be able to handle even the most dramatic growth spurts.