Family Saving Hacks: How to cut costs on children's clothing
By Nikolina Koevska Kharoufeh |
Join us every week on 9Honey Parenting for our Family Saving Hacks series where we help parents find ways to cut the cost of living with kids.
Kids are constantly growing. And while it's exciting seeing them reach new milestones จC it isn't fun having to constantly buy new clothes and shoes as they outgrow their wardrobe. ?
According to a 2021 Finder Survey, the average Australian parents have to fork out $1,794 on clothes for each child per year. That's just under $4,000 for two kids and over $5,300 for three kids.
So to help reduce this moneyจCdraining expense, and get your kids' clothes to last longer, we've gathered a few savings hacks to help you budget the kids' wardrobe.
From ?finding $2 bargains, to doing less washing จC it's all about making every dollar count.
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Be the first to know about sales
While it's all good and well to take advantage of major sale events such as Click Frenzy, Afterpay, Boxing Day and even mid-season sales in department stores, ?saving money on kid's clothes and shoes doesn't just have to be confined to these.
Be the first to know about sales by signing up to store newsletters and app alerts. Most boutique kids' stores use their email database to notify customers of up-and-coming sales and savings, allowing subscribers to be the first to jump on sizes and deals.
Major department stores such as Myer, David Jones, Big W, Target and more also send out sale notices through email or using alerts on their apps.
Another store worth flocking to for a great bargain on kids' goods is Aldi. Their newsletter sign-up will ensure you'll be amongst the first to know about Special Buys on kids clothes, shoes and even great swimming and sports gear. ?
In the past, Aldi has released kid's swimmers from just $9.99, and leather school shoes for $24.99.
However, if you really want to be the first to know of a good bargain, then you need to be part of the right Facebook groups. There are a number of active groups on Facebook where mums and dads across Australia alert others to sales or bargains they have found while shopping for kids clothes and shoes.
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Everything Kmart, Big W and Target Australia, which has over 20,000 members, is a group dedicated to deals found in those popular ?stores with some members posting on the group whilst in store and purchasing the item themselves.
Other popular groups include Markdown Addicts Australia, Big W Mums Australia and ?Kmart Mums Australia.
Just recently mums across Australia were sharing the incredible savings they made on kids clothes across the Big W $2 clearance, some revealing they saved over $1200. ?
Embrace the value of second-hand items
Not only is it more eco-friendly, but purchasing items second-hand is also a great way to cut costs when it comes to kids' clothes and shoes จC though op shops aren't the only place to do this.
?There are a number of brand-specific Facebook Groups parents use to buy and sell second-hand kids items that are still of great quality, though have been outgrown by their kids.
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Bonds Australia - Buy/Swap/Sell has over 34,000 members selling items while Designer Baby & Kids Clothes Buy/Swap/Sell Australia is a group dedicated to exchanging the fancier of kids clothes and shoes, perfect for a special occasion.
If you have school-aged children, you'll know that the school uniform purchase can cause a lot of financial stress for the family? and that cost is only on the rise.
YouGov's Annual Back to School Research Report 2021 revealed on average, uniforms cost parents $156 per child, school shoes $97 and school bags cost on average $59 each.
Though one way you can reduce this cost is by purchasing second-hand uniforms จC either through the school, through school-specific Facebook Groups or ?The Uniform Exchange.
?Parents on the Uniform Exchange can save over 50% of the cost of individual uniform items, with some only worn for 12 months.
Don't be afraid to ask for a price match
There is nothing worse than buying a wardrobe item, only to find it cheaper somewhere else. So before purchasing any clothes or shoes for your kids, ensure you are getting the best price by quickly Googling it!
If you put the item details into Google and click the shopping tab you get a quick ?overview of where it is being sold and at what price to see where you can get it for the best price.
If you're purchasing in the moment however, or looking to purchase from a specific store ensure you request a price match.
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Major retailers such as Myer and David Jones both have a price matching service available, each with their own conditions. And online stores such as The Iconic, ASOS and even baby stores such as Baby Bunting which sell baby clothes will do a price match จC or even better beat the price for you.
Other smaller boutiques are also on many occasions likely to match prices so they are able to get your business through the door.
Don't be afraid to ask, the worst that can happen is they say no.
Stick to buying gender-neutral clothes and shoes?
This is a tip that parents who wait to find out the gender of their child would already be all across, but buying gender-neutral clothes can lead to a load of savings when/if the next child comes around.
While it is fun purchasing girl's specific items and boy-ish clothes จC and completely justified จC if you are looking to save and invest in your future kids opting for more gender neutral clothes ?will make your clothes go a long way.
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Future kids can use them as hand-me-downs and you don't have to worry about purchasing a whole new wardrobe if you have another child of a different gender. ?
Accept all hand-me-downs, and organise a clothes swap
While we all have our own taste when it comes to styling our kids, no hand-me-down offer should ever be rejected.
Communicate with family and friends and make it clear that you welcome any hand-me-downs they may want to pass on to your kids. While some over worn clothes may not be useable, it's a good idea to accept all offers and then sort them yourself to see what you can and can not use.
Remember you can always use the more rugged items as daycare outfits (which will come back destroyed anyway) and you can allocate a draw in your kid's wardrobe to 'home clothes' which are items that they may not necessary wear out but can laze around in. ?
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Another fun way to gather a load of hand-me-downs is to organize a 'Kid's Clothes Swap' with your friends or with your local mother's group. Get everyone to bring in a bag of their kids' clothes and shoes they are keen to swap and make a sweet date of it.
?Your child gets a range of new clothes and you haven't spent a cent.
Protect those clothes and wash them right?
Kids seem to make it a mission to never wear an outfit without spilling half their lunch and a tub of paint all over it. The piles of dirty clothes leading to frequent washing and as a result, clothes withering away quickly.
So in order to make kids' clothes last longer, ensure you are trying to protect them as best as you can.
Purchase baby smocks that protect every inch of your baby and toddler during meal time,? change your kids' nice shirt to an old hand-me-down before they scoff down their sticky snacks and as mentioned above, have a tub allocated to 'daycare/house clothes' that you don't mind the kids getting dirty.
The longer clothes last, the less replacements you need to buy.
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Get creative and repurpose old clothes?
If you're feeling creative จC or even just own a pair of scissors จC try to repurpose old and a over worn clothes to make them last just that little bit longer at home.
?Cut the socks off baby onesies when your little one isn't able to fit his foot into them any longer, turn full-length jeans into shorts with just a snip and a fold or cut buttoned singlets in half to turn them into repurposed tops.
TikTok is full of videos of mums sharing the genius ways they managed to put kids' clothes to extra use.
You'd be surprised how much longer the kids can wear these till they truly outgrow them. ?
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