You hear pretty often these days that kids are expensive. And in some ways, that’s true. They are people who need to eat, need clothes, and (especially) need our time. But fortunately, kids are not as expensive as they sometimes sound! Thrift shopping and buying secondhand items is one way that we save hundreds of dollars each year. (And not just on our kids – we buy more items used than new!) And these tips for thrifting for kids have saved us so much time and money.
Over the years, we’ve found tons of high-quality items for our kids at a fraction of the cost of buying them new. We’ve found everything from cribs, baby carriers, and toys to clothes and shoes (both baby/kid and maternity clothes) – sometimes in like-new condition – at super low prices by shopping local thrift stores, garage sales, consignment stores, and Facebook Marketplace.
Not everything can be thrifted, but a LOT can. Knowing how to look, how to prepare beforehand, and what to look for (and what items to just go ahead and buy new) makes thrifting a lot more fun and less overwhelming. Even (and especially) if you have kids in tow!
I hope these 10 tips for thrifting for kids can make your thrift trips more fun, budget-friendly, and successful!
Happy thrifting!
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Why We Thrift for Kids Clothes, Toys, and Furniture
Like most thrift shoppers, saving money is one of the main reasons that we love to go secondhand shopping. Kids grow so fast and the amount of money it would take to buy everything new is a bit crazy. Especially when you have a lot of kids – and boys who go through clothes mindblowingly fast! Shopping thrift stores, consignment stores, and even online thrift store options can be an great way to save a ton of money.
Some of our favorite thrift finds for our kids have been:
- Clothes (coats, snow pants, shirts, pants, shorts, dresses, pjs…)
- Shoes
- Strollers
- Pack n plays and cribs
- Dressers
- Baby carriers
- Clothes hamper
- Changing table
- Toys (especially outdoor toys)
- Books
- Bikes
But, saving money isn’t the only reason that we thrift! Here are a few others.
1. Sustainability
In a world of fast fashion, thrift store shopping offers the opportunity to keep using items that are still in good condition and have a lot of life left in them. Sadly, a lot of the newer pieces (from Ikea furniture to H&M clothing) don’t last long anyway. Why buy new items when we could make use of something that’s still good (and probably better quality anyway)?
Buying thrifted items instead of new things is a great way to teach kids the value of reuse, get better quality, and maybe even rebel a bit against cheaply made items in a small yet meaningful way.
Plus, kids items usually get used for such a short amount of time that quite often they’re still in great condition even on their second time around.
2. Budget
Whether you’re on a tight budget or would just rather use your money on other things (like experiences, nourishing foods, anything!), saving money is a top reason to thrift! We’ve found so many like-new, affordable pieces at a fraction of the price by thrifting. We’ve also found tons of brand name clothing that we probably would never have spent the money on if we were buying four kids all new clothes.
Besides allowing us to stretch our budget, thrifting also instills in our kids from a young age that it’s totally okay to buy used! We’d rather give them more of our time, energy, and attention (and more siblings!) than the newest of everything. And we want them to know too that possessions are not at all the most important thing.
3. Unique pieces
Personal opinion – but I think that thrifted homes are usually way more interesting, anyway! Instead of shopping big box stores and finding items that everyone else is buying, thrift store shopping offers so much variety! Whether you love antique pieces (or just well-built, sturdy furniture), unique clothing, or one-of-a-kind art, it’s way easier to show off your personal style with the unique finds and hidden treasure that you can score used!
10 Tips for Thrifting for Kids
Kids need a lot of things – it can be overwhelming! It’s easy to either buy too much and collect clutter (and spend more than you need to) or find yourself in a bind missing important items. Here are some of my favorite tips to make thrifting a little simpler and find more great deals on kids’ clothing and other items.
1. Keep a List of What You Need
This is number one! Don’t get sidetracked buying anything and everything just because it’s a good price. I find it helpful to keep a list on my phone of what each kid needs. That way, even if I’m not planning to stop in to a thrift store (or garage sale), I can always double check and look for items on our list. It’s so easy to get caught up in great deals and end up with a whole bunch of extra stuff that actually adds more overwhelm when you get home.
On my list, I also like to note how many of each item I want. (For example, if fall/winter is coming up and I’ve already checked to find out that a kid only has 1 pair of jeans, I might mark that I want 2 more pairs of jeans.) With multiple kids and all of the different categories of clothing (for each season!), it’s way too easy to forget what you already have when you’re out.
Tip: If you’re going to take your kids thrifting with you, make sure they understand the list ahead of time so that they know you’re not going to buy every cute shirt you find. Our older kids know that whenever they need something, they can tell me and it will go on the list (within reason, of course!). When we’re at the store, it’s easy for them to understand that we have what we need written down, and we can avoid too many impulse purchases.
2. Store Measurements on Your Phone
Part of thrifting is patience! Thrifting often means waiting months to get a piece of furniture because you want to find just the right item at a great price. It’s all part of the thrill of the hunt!
If you’re looking for a specific item like a piece of furniture, the perfect basket to fit in that one corner of the house, or an eye-catching bolt of fabric for the kitchen window, measure while you’re at home and keep the measurements on your phone. When you see the perfect piece at a yard sale or Goodwill, you’ll know right away if it will work for your space (maybe keep a tape measure in your car, too)! It saves all the stress of deliberating on the spot and wondering if the piece will fit right or be a waste of money.
3. Check Comparables Before You Head Out
The more you thrift, the better gauge you’ll have of what type of prices to expect and what’s a good deal. But especially if you’re looking for larger items (or one-time items), you may want to try to get a gauge on what’s a good price before you head out on your next thrift adventure.
Thrift store finds can pull you in, and – especially if you have young kids with you – it can be tough to make quick decisions in the moment. If you’re looking for something like a piece of furniture, baby carrier, stroller, specific toy, or even a more expensive clothing item (like a winter coat or boots), take a minute to check Facebook Marketplace or even Ebay to try to get some sort of gauge on what the item is selling for. You may even do a little online shopping to see what new prices are like.
4. Choose the Right Store
Thrift stores – like Goodwill, Salvation Army, Volunteers of America, and other local options – tend to be great options when you’re looking for multiple items or just enjoy shopping around for the best deals. I like to always keep my eyes open for good deals on larger sizes that the kids will grow into, and thrift stores are great for this!
However, I’ve found that when we need something more specific, like a dress, pair of nice jeans, or pair of white sandals or Crocs in a certain size, I usually have better luck going to local consignment shops (Once Upon a Child is our favorite) or sometimes just going to straight to Facebook Marketplace (depending on the item).
5. Pick Up Larger Sizes When You Find a Good Deal
Speaking of larger sizes – this is one of my favorite things about thrifting! If you have room for storage in a basement or garage, it can be super cost-effective to keep totes for each size and start filling the larger sizes before you need them.
Now, you can do this however you want, but personally I don’t go crazy here. We have some shelving in our basement, but not a crazy amount of extra space, so I keep 1 girl tub and 1 boy tub for sizes that we haven’t reached yet. Anything that’s too big goes either in the “Girls Size 6 and Up” tub or the “Boys Size 3 and Up” tub. When the kids get to these tubs, I’ll sort them out (and re-label them). I only buy larger items if I find something that’s a really great deal or a favorite brand that I can’t pass up. I also usually only buy larger clothes that are 2-3 sizes ahead of where the kids are now.
(And I’m a big advocate of keeping clothing simple – they wear jeans and tops that pretty much all go together color- and style-wise, so everything matches!)
So far, this has been a great method for creating a base closet for each size. When we get to the next size, I usually only have to buy 5 or so specific pieces to finish out their wardrobe.
6. Check It Over Carefully Before Buying
When you’re throwing all sorts of great deals in your cart, it can be easy to get into a thrifting frenzy and fail to check your items carefully. There’s nothing more frustrating than getting home to find a big stain on the front of a shirt you loved as you tossed it into your cart.
While some thrift and secondhand stores are very particular about items they accept, others seem to hardly glance at things before hanging them on the rack. Take a few seconds to look at all sides of your items and check for stains, rips, holes, or other significant signs of wear before you spend the money!
7. Consider Going on Sale Days
Many thrift stores have specific days where everything is half off, or you can fill a bag for $5, or other similar deals. If you’re getting serious about spending less money and finding the best deals, make sure to check with different thrift and consignment stores in your local community to see which days can save you the most.
(But also, be prepared for possible chaos if you do go on these days!)
8. Check the Brand
When you’re scouring prices, keep in mind that brand name items and clothes are usually going to cost more than, say, Walmart brand. You’ll probably need to be willing to pay a bit more for brands like Crocs, Levi, Carhartt, Gap, or designer and name brands. But, these often last longer. Weigh out what it’s worth to you! (And don’t pay more than a couple of bucks for Walmart clothing. While there’s nothing wrong with buying them, they’re not worth much more new!)
9. Stay Away from Hard-to-Clean Items
Thrift stores, flea markets, and consignment shops are great place to find most childrens’ items – but there are a few that just aren’t worth it. When you buy from a thrift store, you never know where the item’s been. The good news is that it’s not hard to clean MOST categories of kids’ clothes, toys, and accessories.
However, items like pillows and mattresses are usually just not worth it. It’s nearly impossible to thoroughly clean this type of item, and it’s not worth saving a few dollars for your kid to end up with bed bugs or lice.
Sometimes, the best option is to shop traditional retail stores and just buy new.
10. Clean Your Items When You Get Home
For everything else – clothing, toys, books, furniture, etc. – just clean it when you get home from your shopping trip. Clothing and other fabrics are so easy to just throw in the wash. And the rest isn’t hard either with a few cleaning supplies and a few minutes of your time!
Tip: Check out our blog post on How to Clean Thrifted Shoes for the best ways to clean different types of shoes!
Happy Thrifting!
Whether you prefer stopping at summer garage sales, are a regular at the children’s consignment shop, or love hitting up your local Goodwill, buying secondhand is a great option for finding nearly everything kids need for affordable prices. From picture books to clothing to furniture, we’ve found thrifting to be one of the very best ways to save money and find some of our absolute favorite items.
What would you add to these tips for thrifting for kids? Let us know in the comments!
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