Baby Blog

The economy is, well, we all know what it is these days: an absolute mess. I don’t really care who is to blame all I know is it effects every aspect of my household buying and that raising a baby on a budget is often a challenge, but sometimes a great excuse to get creative.

Baby clothes are, after the first few months of frantically purchasing enough onesies to get thru the week, a chance for playing dress up with your child and the opportunity to mix and match to your heart’s content. I love buying clothes for my son. My husband refuses to let me dress him and I finally have a male who can’t really argue about his outfits with me; at least for a couple of years. And clothes are one place where moms can really save the bucks.

You have to start by getting over the idea that every item should be brand new. Babies go through clothes so fast, that the $30 outfit you bought last week will most probably be on the give away pile by the end of the next week. It’s really not worth it.  Most of us inherit a few items when we first give birth. Siblings and friends have piles of clothes they couldn’t bear to give away to strangers and have saved especially for your new bundle of joy. Baby shower gifts are a wonderful mix of essentials and cute one wear outfits. This starter kit doesn’t last very long and is very expensive to replace.

Begin with a shout out to fellow moms for seconds, “don’t fit mines” and “not really his/her color” clothes. These will supplement any gaps in your kid’s wardrobe and save you a ton of cash. Don’t forget to return the favor. The mom recycling network can carry you through many years.

Next it’s onto the slightly used baby stores. They offer a solid range of almost new baby clothes that have been inspected thoroughly for stains, tears, rips and wear. The price is lower than a regular store and the clothes are usually from the previous or current season of baby clothes designs.

Move on to yard sales in your neighborhood. Moms are always hesitant to throw away what a neighbor can put to good use and the prices are always reasonable. You can usually tell the difference between clothes bought new and those received second hand (often reflected in the prices and layout) and the cost is truly minimal. It’s also a great chance to hang out and vent with local moms who you may have seen in the grocery store but were a little too shy to engage in conversation. Now you are in her front yard buying her kid’s clothes: the perfect bonding opportunity.

Finally, it’s on to the thrift stores. These, I must confess, are my absolute favorite places to find baby clothes. In my small town we have only one thrift store so everyone takes their items there, young, old, wealthy and not so wealthy. Emphasis on the wealthy. My store offers clothes at the rate of $1.00 a bag, regardless of the label or age of the item.  That’s a lot of baby clothes.

My son has worn every designer label, every popular store brand and every well stitched baby fashion out there. I carefully sort through the racks, check the age ranges, take everything home, wash it, try it on the baby and decide what’s staying and what’s going. If I end up with just one item? Well, it cost a dollar. Most times, I spend an average of five cents an item. And the best part? Baby Nik always gets compliments on his outfits. His 20 cent outfits that is.

That’s what I call raising a baby on a budget.