A lot of people use New Year’s as an opportunity to start new money habits – saving more and earning more! Other common goals include decluttering the house and losing weight. In the next few months, I’m going to do posts about the following:
Happy New Year and Happy new money habits!
Kids are expensive! Did you know that the average cost of raising a child these days is estimated to be over$230,000! That means it’s very important to save money where you can. When kids are little, they are constantly growing, meaning you often have to get them a whole new wardrobe every six months. And babies need new clothes every few months!
The good news is there are lots of great ways to save money on clothes for your kids. Here are three of them:
Hand-me-downs are the best! In case you’re not familiar with the term, it just means clothing that has come from another person.
Most people with children are eager to clear out space once their kids have outgrown their current set of clothes (assuming they aren’t saving them or another child in the family). Before my son was born, I got not one, but two sets of hand-me-downs. That meant I had to buy very little in the way of clothing for him. It was a win-win situation! The donors cleared up some space, and I got a ton of clothes for free. Everyone was happy.
If you don’t have any family or friends looking to get rid of hand-me-downs, you can always try places like Kijiji, Craigslist, or Facebook groups to see if there’s anyone looking to rid of stuff. I’ve been lucky enough to get some bags of hand-me-downs from a friend who is part of a Mom’s group on Facebook – and she doesn’t even have kids!
Pros: Free stuff!
Cons: Some sorting and washing required.
A Mom to Mom sale is exactly what it sounds like – parents selling to other parents. It’s a similar set up to a church bazaar or a craft show – people get a table, then put all the clothes they have out for sale. The sellers make their own prices, and when the doors open, the bargain-hunting begins!
A friend of mine got shorts for her son for 50 cents are one of these – that’s pretty cheap. It can definitely be a good place to stock up on clothes, but it can be the equivalent of a Boxing Day or Black Friday sale in terms of crowds – it can be pretty crazy! You need to go in with a firm idea of what you need and not get overwhelmed or distracted.
Pros: Cheap stuff.
Cons: The shopping experience can be a little stressful!
When children are older, it may be harder to convince them to wear second-hand clothes – so just call them vintage! :). In all seriousness though – as the world becomes more eco-conscious, second-hand clothes are becoming more and more popular. Plus you’re doing good by helping support charities when you buy from places like Value Village, the Salvation Army, or Goodwill. You can even drop off your own unwanted stuff, then do a little shopping. I got my son’s Halloween costume at Value Village this year – he loved it, and I saved at least 20 bucks!
Another option for second-hand clothes for kids is somewhere like Once Upon a Child. They specialize in just kids’ clothing. The quality is usually better than places that take donations as Once Upon a Child pays for clothing. They often have great sales on – before my son was born, I got him 10 sleepers for 10 dollars. And believe me, we went through a LOT of sleepers. Kids go through clothing quickly (they are always getting messy one way or the other) so having extra backups is always handy!
Pros: Can be better quality than hand-me-downs.
Cons: You have to spend your hard earned money!
You’ve now learned 3 awesome ways to save money on clothes for your kids. The least expensive route is definitely hand-me-downs, but if you’re looking for something specific or for a special occasion, then you can try Mom to Mom sales or second-hand stores as well. Happy shopping AND saving!
There’s nothing as satisfying as curling up with a good book. Here in Canada, the winter has already settled in (we had over 15 centimeters of snow last week!) so I’m feeling the urge to stay inside, make a cup of hot chocolate, and read a good book!
I love to read. I’ve been an avid reader since I was a kid, and I still prefer reading printed books over ebooks. That being said – ebooks definitely have their benefits!
But I’m also cheap. So I’ve got three great ways to save money on books, which I’ve listed in order of cost and convenience:
Downloading books is awesome. You don’t have to set foot outside your door to do it- heck, you don’t even have to get off your couch to access them! And there are plenty of sites that offer them for free. Here are some of the most popular ones:
Buying books second-hand doesn’t isn’t as cheap as getting them for free, but the plus side is the book is yours FOREVER, and you don’t have to worry about returning it, or what to do if it gets damaged. Some people really like reading in the bath, and I’d only recommend this if you own the book (I’d definitely NOT recommend it with an e-reader!) :). Here are three great ways to find second-hand books:
You’ve now learned three great ways to save money on books:
No matter how you get your books, you can rest secure that reading has so many benefits!
Happy reading!
