I am definitely a frugal person by nature and I am having sticker shock at the price of baby clothes! What is the average price you pay per piece for let's say 12 months and under? Special occasion outfits or nicer outfits that you might only buy one or two per size of can be excluded. Do you buy much used?
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@Cole: I try to keep my per-outfit cost at under $8. I buy most of L's PJ's secondhand, or by using the $10 off $10 JCP coupons. Consignment sales and stores are awesome.
L is 18 months and I've gotten away with buying one big pack of carter's onesies at each size. He can still fit into his 6 month short sleeve onesies since I use them for layering.
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I am a huge used shopper. Most of our baby clothes we were all set on because we got a ton of shower gifts, but anything we've bought we buy used. The maximum I would pay for an outfit is probably $10, but on average $1-$5 for individual pieces (shorts, pants) and maximum $6 for things like dresses and sleepers. Onesies I can get for $.50-$1.00, even cheaper at yard sales. Yard sales are an AWESOME place to get baby clothes for like, 10 cents a piece!
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I buy a lot of stuff from Baby Gap but never pay full price...they've always got in-store and online sales going on. I can usually get an outfit for under $15 (unless it's a nicer dress). I recently got a good amount of cotton long-sleeve onesies and pants on sale + 40% off, so I think I ended up paying around $7/piece. I find that I can resell my BG stuff for at least half of what I paid so it ends up being not much more than other brands. And I think the quality is better, too.
I have bought some used things from the HB classifieds, but most of her clothes I buy new.
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I think that it depends on the item (how much I love it) and where it is from. I will pay more for BG quality. If it is a day care outfit, cheaper the better. Those outfits come home DIRTY!
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As my son has gotten older, I am willing to pay less and less because the clothes are basically rags when the season is over. I buy everything new, I have no time to scour for the size that he needs. I do all my clothing shopping online where I can filter by size.
For his first year, I overspent, like ridiculous amounts. $35 for a sweater he wore once? Add another $40 for the pants and $15 for the turtleneck and yup, I was there.
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Honestly - I spent SO little on his clothes before he turned a year. Like less than $5 for most items. And spending $10/item was a lot to me. But now that he's old and in the same size for much longer, I'll spend up to $20 on one item he'll get a lot of use out of, and don't spend more than $10 for basic items like shirts.
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I am pretty thrifty, and I max out at $5/item. Garage sales, CL and thrift stores are pretty awesome for younger kid clothes. It looks like once I start getting to 3T is when the selection starts slimming out. I know I'm not going to be too happy to have to start spending real money on clothes!
But, there are great sales to be found, if you have the patience.
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Do you have any neighborhood listservs near you? There are always people looking to pass on full boxes of baby clothes for very little money near me.
Do you have any friends who would be willing to hand stuff down?
We get most of DD's clothes from friends who have a daughter about 18 months older than DD. Some of it was handed down to them, so I always go through the bins and toss some of the stuff before washing it. But especially for baby clothes (less than 9 months), clothes hold up pretty well because the baby isn't crawling/walking/picking up every mud clump she sees...).
For new stuff, I LOVE Gap, but it can be pricey even with coupons and sales. Old Navy stuff holds up well and is also often on sale. I tend to buy basics (onesies, jeans, solid pants, play clothes) from ON and shop at Gap for nicer, more unusual pieces and dresses.
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O buy most of P's clothes used or on clearance. I don't think I've ever spent more then 5 dollars on an individual piece. I do yard sales thrift stores, consignment shops, Facebook hard sale sites and hellobee classifieds to find good deals! I(like him to look stylish with what he wears but I'm cheap and refuse to spend a lot of money on clothes (same with my clothes too!) I have a lot of success with target and old navy for clearance items too for around 3-4 bucks for pants and shirts. Its def possible to dress a baby cute on a tiny budget!
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We were given a lot of basics/Carter's type stuff, so if we're just hanging at home she'll wear that. When we go out, I tend to dress her up. I spend around twenty dollars per item. I like to shop ahead in size at end of season sales at a few fancy kids boutiques. I'll get nicer brands at Marshall's. I like really nice clothes at mid range prices lol. I've never bought anything used. I wouldn't mind used gear but used clothes just aren't for me. People get some great things at children's consignment shops, though!
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For basics, like solid color leggings / shirts, etc, 7.00 max per piece.
For outfit pieces, like a nice dress or hoodie I will pay up to 15.00 or so.Eta I but mostly used. If not, then on clearance/ major sale.
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I'm very cheap. I don't like to pay more than 5$/piece for basic/everyday clothing. The Children's Place runs great sales all the flippin time, H&M has cheap stuff to begin with, and I found that Macy's had surprisingly good prices on Carter's. Old Navy runs some good sales as well, but I hate how long they take to ship!
I've been pleasantly surprised at the amount of good, inexpensive clothing I've been able to buy new.
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I buy 80% used so I pay $1.50-$4.00 per item on average that includes brands like Carter's, TCP, Gap, Old Navy etc
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I try not to spend more than $8 for basics. I will go up to $20-25 for a special outfit. I buy everything new though and we don't buy a ton--basically enough for 1.5 weeks.
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With a toddler, I try to keep it under $8/piece for separates and $15 for dresses or sets. Under 12 months, I tried to stay under $5/piece and $10/dress. I buy almost everything new and on sale or with a coupon. DD's wardrobe is baby gap, old navy, gymboree, crazy 8, target, H&M, and carters. For special occasion pieces, I usually buy used since they've been worn so little by the original owner and cost so much less.
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I get most of M's clothes at goodwill. $2 a piece!
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$0. I aim to get hand-me-downs anywhere I can. If I do buy clothes I try not to go over $4-5... Maybe more if it is a set or a nicer outfit. I just get so frustrated when I do spend the money on a decent outfit and see it worn only a couple times before she outgrows them.
We have been lucky enough to have friends or acquaintances who have had girls and are willing to give us old clothes. We have tried to do the same with another little girl we know. We do save most of them that we know we like and that she wore incase we have another DD but those we are iffy on or she just never wore, we pass those along. No reason to hold onto them if somebody else can make use!
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I only buy used or on sale, but I buy quality. I prefer buying from ethical companies, so that raises the price.
I really prefer buying used and then reselling because not only does it save me money, but it's also better for the environment and it allows me to support companies that have ethical practices instead of buying sweatshop clothing for cheap. In the end I pay about the same as I would buying her clothes from Walmart new.I buy her mostly used Tea Collection clothing, and I spend between $8 and $20 per outfit. She wears them until she outgrows them and then I sell them for almost as much as I paid, so that means I end up spending around $2-$3 per outfit in the long run.
Tea holds up VERY well so usually there is little to no difference in wear from the few months that we wear it. I've seen pieces go through five or six kids. I love that.
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I generally don't pay more than $5 per piece. i.e., if an outfit comes with three pieces, I won't pay more than $15 for it. I shop the clearance rack at the end of season, and sales. Truthfully, I haven't NEEDED to buy much for LO yet because my family keeps buying her clothes (that hasn't stopped me on occasion though).
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LO is usually lounging in a Carter's onesie plus pants when we're at home. I typically buy those for about $8 at Costco (usually is 3 bodysuits and 1 pair of pants, I think). I don't buy used clothing because I can find pretty good deal at Baby Gap when they have sales.
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Hurray! You guys are confirming I am not crazy for balking at $30 for a onesie! I was getting worried. We are super lucky to have received a ton of hand me downs but there is one size that is just totally missing and there will be a few gaps in basics. I am going to wait unless I see something I can't resist but it's good to know there are some good deals to be had!
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@Cole: oh , no way would I pay $30 for a onesie! I would t even pay that for an actual outfit for her... I usually don't buy anything more than $15
I think if you scour the clearance racks, you can find some awesome deals at BG and ON.
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@Arden: how do you avoid stains?
I don't think I'll be able to resell any of our stuff because eventually it all gets some kind of a stain on it from playing outdoors or food. I don't want to have to change her outfit every time we go outside, or tell her she can't do something because she's in nice clothes....plus, then she'd end up wearing the "nice" clothes like once or twice or only inside. -
@Silva: I strip her naked every time she eats!
If we're going to the park or something I make sure to dress her in something dark colored. And I pretreat everything right away. It's all 100% cotton and they wash pretty well. So far we've only stained 2 or 3 things.
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Under a year, it was pretty easy to find basics pretty cheap. Even at my favorite place - Baby Gap (on sale). I would say onesies, leggings, all under $8. About the same for pjs. I'd spend more on rompers, dresses, sweaters, etc.
I also am big on hoarding stuff that's cute and a good deal. So we had a lot of really great bargains stashed throughout the first year - some BG onesies and leggings under $3/ea.
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@Arden: Hmm...thats been my strategy too but I haven't been as lucky! Oh well
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@Silva: that's why I stopped buying nicer clothes with the mentality that I'll sell them later. I realized I was stressing out each time she was in a nicer outfit and I spent more time trying to keep the clothes clean than actively playing with her
so now, I keep her in play clothes unless we are going somewhere special. -
I buy mostly used at large baby clothing sales. $10 would be for a brand new with tags piece. Like pajamas. I usually pay $2-5, though. Then if I want something full priced, I don't feel too bad
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@pinkcupcake: yeah, i'm just not that careful
neither is she, I guess.
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Wow, after reading through all these responses, I feel like I'm way over-paying for my kids clothes! I will typically spend $10-12 for a onsie or pants and up to $25 for a dress or outfit or whatever. I will admit, I'm a total sucker for fancy baby clothing brands (Hanna Andersson whaaaaat? And Baby Boden, Polarn o. Pyret, Zutanos etc) so I guess that's probably why. I SO wish garage sales, consignment shops or goodwill were an option but they just don't really exist here in NYC!
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@Trailmix: those are my favorite brands too!.....but I usually buy used or on sale, and just a few items.....I get cheaper basics, like carters onesies, etc.
have you tried ThredUp? I've gotten really nice stuff from them in almost all the brands listed (except PoP, but they have great sales!) -
@trailmix, I *love* baby boden. But it's not everyday stuff for us. It gets worn for a special occasion (hello, $40 bunny dress?) then she wears it a ton to daycare so I feel like I got my money's worth
@Arden, have you seen Carter's social responsibility promise? http://www.carters.com/california-supply/california-supply-chain.html it's very similar to Tea's and makes me feel good about buying their stuff, too! Neither company is certified, unfortunately, but hey, it's a start!
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I shop sale racks all the time and keep future sizes in mind, especially with end of season sales. With my first I rarely paid more than $5 per piece. Now with two boys and a nephew that we are handing down to I try to keep it under $7-8.
I don't even bother looking at Boden or Janie & Jack because they aren't worth the money to me. I do LOVE the quality of Baby Gap clothes, but usually get those second hand or during Outlet sales.
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I refuse to pay more than $5 for anything unless it's a very specific need that is immediate, like when I bought dress clothes for family pictures, or something I absolutely fall in love with, like a zutano print (used, off ebay). I'm happy to scour Ebay and Goodwill and buy ahead - we have a $3 columbia down winter jacket, snow boots that were $1 in two sizes, etc. all stored away.
I realize lots of folks don't like, or have the time, to do that but there are lots of ways, mentioned above me, to shop cheaper! You can set up alerts on ebay for certain sizes or brands and find them immediately when something is listed.
I make every effort to buy used before new, it's better for my wallet & the environment
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$4 or less for new tops, $7 or less for new jeans, less for leggings.
If buying used I try to aim for $2/item.
She's almost 2 and I still keep within that price frame.
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Oh and church sales are the best. If I don't have time to leisurely garage sale on a Friday when it's not crowded, I go sans baby on Sundays when they're having $5 a bag sales
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@Silva: the Oxy + blue Dawn + hot water + 1 hr (or more) soak combo has changed my life!
I've been able to get out just about any stain.I mostly buy her clothes 2nd hand on FB BST sites, ebay, and consignment sales. I will pay more for my favorite brands, like Tea Collection and Boden, with the plan to resell.
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Waaaaay more than the average here. It is embarrassing, but I love shopping for my kids!
Boden, Matilda Jane, Peekaboo Beans, Hanna Andersson and stuff like that are our usual rotation. On average they wear *so* much nicer in my opinion, and I do love getting a lot of wear out of kids clothes.
One place that I haven't been able to buy kids stuff at is J.Crew! It is just a little too pricey for my wallet! -
I should add that when my kids were very young I wasn't like this! It was more when they hit 18+ months and they were wearing through things before growing out of them...I hated having to buy things at the same size twice!
If we're going to the park or something I make sure to dress her in something dark colored. And I pretreat everything right away. It's all 100% cotton and they wash pretty well. So far we've only stained 2 or 3 things.
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