I began a clothing-focused mini-series over the summer time season whereby I managed to dedicate two ENTIRE posts to the subject of merely me and my clothes alone:
Riveting as that was, numerous you requested I write concerning the clothes of the fully completely different folks in my home. In response, in the intervening time I carry you a deep dive into the closets of my children, Kidwoods, age 7 and Littlewoods, age 4.
The Hand-Me-Down Apply Continues
We’ve been on the used/hand-me-down observe since ahead of the women have been born and haven’t disembarked nevertheless. I get practically all of their clothes (and footwear, toys, books, puzzles, and so forth) from three sources:
1) Storage product gross sales.
The overwhelming majority of their clothes (and all the gadgets else) comes from yard product gross sales on account of it’s usually one-stop shopping for AND they’ve the appropriate costs. If I occur upon the yard sale of a household with ladies barely older than mine, I sometimes purchase 90% of what they’re promoting. The garments, toys, books, footwear–if the ages and varieties/tastes line up, I excessive off!
The benefits of doing this are many-fold:
- I get a giant low cost. The extra you purchase, the extra inclined sellers are to supply you a bulk low value. $20 for a pile of garments, toys, books, boots and coats has occurred to me many conditions.
- I don’t ought to go to each single storage sale on earth. Whereas I take pleasure in yard sale-ing, I don’t do it each weekend. Diploma truly, storage product gross sales solely occur inside the summertime/fall correct proper right here and I don’t ought to go all season extended.
- I get a nearly full wardrobe in no matter dimension(s) they’re promoting. I get the snowpants and the coat, the boots and the sweaters, and so forth. Often it even matches! Worthwhile.
2) Hand-me-downs.
I gladly and gratefully settle for all hand-me-downs provided to me. I’ve numerous native buddies with older daughters who graciously go alongside their outdated garments to me. Yay!
3) Thrift retailers.
That is final on account of it represents the smallest share of their clothes. I like thrift retailers, nonetheless too usually, the children’ garments are overpriced. Every express explicit particular person merchandise has its non-public value and, whereas $10 for a elaborate gown for me looks like a terrific low cost, $10 for a elaborate gown for my four-year-old that’ll solely match her for one season doesn’t really actually really feel like a deal. Subsequently, these purchases are few and much between.
The “System”
As you might now be questioning: optimistic, my system of garments acquisition for the children is haphazard at finest. At a storage sale I would purchase snow pants for Kidwoods to positioned on subsequent winter similtaneously a swimsuit for Littlewoods to positioned on that week. Since I’m on the mercy of no matter I uncover/is handed correct all the way in which right down to me, I observed early on that I’d want an ironclad System-Of-Group. It’s not likely ironclad and it’s positively unfit of being a Proper Noun, nonetheless it actually works. Principally. Correct proper right here’s my secret:
I’ve plastic tubs labeled by dimension and season stacked on cabinets in our basement.
That’s it. Not magic, nonetheless very wise. When the children have been youthful, I had all the gadgets grouped by dimension, equal to: “3-6 months,” “9 months” and so forth, nonetheless as they acquired older, the addition of seasonal subdivision has been useful.
Initially of winter and as quickly as additional initially of summer time season, I take away all the clothes from their rooms and divide it into programs:
-
Final yr’s hand-me-down Halloween costumes Give away:
- That is one factor Littlewoods has outgrown, one factor Kidwoods detests and one factor we now have an excessive amount of of. As an illustration, Littlewoods–for unknown causes–had 20 t-shirts in final summer time season’s wardrobe, so I donated half of them.
- Memento topic:
- That is one factor Littlewoods has outgrown that I can’t bear to half with. Up to now, I’ve only one topic of saved clothes and I’m making an attempt very laborious to maintain this at a minimal.
- Since my youngsters are each ladies and solely 27 months aside, they’ve worn all the comparable clothes so I get two for the worth of 1 after I save an merchandise!
- May match subsequent yr:
- One factor that’s massive/roomy/appears as if it’ll match as quickly as additional goes into an appropriately labeled topic, i.e. “Winter, Measurement 4T, May Match Littlewoods As quickly as additional Subsequent 12 months”
- Kidwoods outgrew:
- One factor she’s outgrown goes into one completely different topic labeled as such in order that I don’t get confused, i.e. “Summer time season season, Sizes 5-6, Kidwoods Outgrew”
That is normally a bit laborious, nonetheless I solely do it twice a yr (fall and spring) and it’s the one means I do know to maintain observe of what we now have for every infant for every season.
As I obtain hand-me-downs, and rating storage sale finds all yr prolonged, I type them into the appropriately labeled containers. Thus, these snow pants I purchased for Kidwoods to make the most of subsequent winter are already all through the “Winter, Measurement 8” topic.
This technique furthermore permits me to hand-up garments to buddies whose youngsters want a express merchandise in a selected dimension. And optimistic, they do joke about going shopping for in my basement and optimistic, I deserve it. BUT, I like with the ability to tug out an entire wardrobe for every infant for each season for an absolute fraction of the price of shopping for new. We’ve saved tons of of {{{dollars}}}–merely–by not buying for our kids new garments for the last word seven years and we’ll proceed to reap these financial monetary financial savings for so long as attainable.
What About Child Preferences?
This was not a problem when the children have been infants and, actually, I normally miss dressing them in cute outfits with matching hair bows. They don’t let me try this anymore. Now, each youngsters choose their very private outfits and costume themselves day by day, which is okay by me and ends in some very distinctive sample options. I encourage them to positioned on no matter makes them snug and blissful.
The one “rule” we now have is that it’s vital to be sure to’re heat ample all through the wintertime. At 4 years outdated, Littlewoods doesn’t have many opinions on her clothes and is content material materials supplies to pick out from no matter I put in her drawers. All of her factors are all through the bottom two dresser drawers in order that she goes to be succesful to pick out all the gadgets herself. Her mantra at age two was, “I DO SELF!!!” and that moreover rings true for her.
Kidwoods at seven years outdated, then as soon as extra, has very express notions about what she’d need to positioned on. Up till final yr, I merely put factors in her drawers for every season (as I do now for Littlewoods) and he or she’d select what to positioned on day by day. However, she let me know final yr that she categorically didn’t like numerous the garments I’d put in there for her. And so started the routine of letting Kidwoods choose her non-public wardrobe from the hand-me-down topic.
Now, our course of is that I carry up all of the containers labeled alongside collectively together with her dimension vary for a given season and he or she goes by the use of them choosing the garments she must have in her room. I collect up the cast-offs and re-box most of them for Littlewoods and donate one factor that doesn’t appear value preserving. Then, Kidwoods areas away her non-public garments, clothes herself day by day and likewise areas away her clear laundry every week. I did occur to look in her drawers the opposite day and situated that her opinion of “folding” maybe differs from mine, nonetheless, it’s her garments, her room, her chore. To this point, she’s been capable of finding garments she likes out of the hand-me-down containers for each season.
Why We Purchase Used
Our youngsters know that their garments are used and I’ve outlined our philosophy to them for why we get clothes (and virtually all the gadgets else) second-hand:
1) It prices SO MUCH LESS to purchase stuff used.
Subsequently, it’s a state of affairs the place we’re capable of get the same product for a cheap value. Completely completely different examples on this frugality class: MVNOs for cellphone service, generic producers, and so forth. Explaining the worth of cash is a central tenet in our early monetary literacy training with the women and, as Kidwoods earns, saves and retailers alongside collectively together with her non-public cash, she very fairly a bit will get why it’s preferable to purchase a pair of used footwear for $2 versus a mannequin new pair for $40. I clarify to her that, merely as she wants to save lots of numerous quite a lot of and uncover provides for her cash, daddy and I need to do the same with our cash.
2) It’s MUCH MORE environmentally-friendly.
We take care of how taxing it’s on the planet to fabricate, produce, ship and market new garments. We speak about how good it’s to go our outdated garments alongside to fully completely different households and the way in which through which grateful we’re for the garments which can be handed alongside to us. My ladies LOVE seeing youthful youngsters inside the neighborhood sporting their outdated garments and appear to know the cycle of sharing and handing down factors we not want.
3) It’s further FUN!
We actually not know precisely what’ll be in every topic on account of the objects are added over time and from many different sources. We snort over foolish shirts and put wild pants on our heads. There’s a lightness spherical it on account of we’re not invested in these provides objects.
4) It areas WAY lots a lot much less stress on me and saves conditions.
I’m not involved with getting them “the appropriate” winter gear or “most certainly basically essentially the most attractive” matching Christmas clothes. This protects me an unimaginable time-frame. I don’t analysis which snow pants to purchase–I purchase no matter I uncover at a yard sale.
We get what we get and, you discover what? No particular person cares. I’ve little or no stress surrounding their garments on account of I’m not beholden to the endowment have an effect on of contemplating the stuff I non-public to be further invaluable than it truly is. It’s merely clothes, which furthermore permits me to engender an…
5) Easy come, simple go angle.
Since I didn’t hunt for, pay extreme greenback for, and in one other case make investments lots of money and time in these garments, it doesn’t problem me after they arrive dwelling from faculty stained with purple paint. It furthermore doesn’t problem me after they (primarily Kidwoods at this diploma) refuse to positioned on a surprising costume that I like, nonetheless they demonstrably don’t. I’m positive we’d have arguments over what Kidwoods should be sporting if I used to be invested all through the contents of her wardrobe.
6) It helps take away the give consideration to outward appearances.
I don’t know if that is actually true OR if this may sustain for the tween years (I’m positive it obtained’t); BUT up to now, I’ve been capable of engender a mode of dressing that’s centered on:
- Consolation
- Fulfilling
- Being activity-appropriate:
- For this I depend on the Daniel Tiger tune, “think about what you’re gonna do and choose the garments which can be biggest for you!”
- All hail Daniel Tiger
- Being weather-appropriate (blended outcomes correct proper right here; Kidwoods wore shorts and a t-shirt on Thanksgiving day. It was beneath freezing… ).
Since these are the local weather we emphasize about clothes, we don’t give consideration to:
- How we glance in our garments
- Whether or not or not or not or not we’re modern
- One factor associated to our dimension/physique sort
7) They’re normally fancy anytime they need.
Alongside my “simple come, simple go” angle is my “allow them to positioned on no matter they need” angle. Each of my ladies have been acknowledged to positioned on ballgowns to highschool and I’m not involved within the occasion that they arrive dwelling stained or ripped (each of which have occurred). I need them to take pleasure in their garments and play freely with abandon. I don’t need them to limit their prepare or their sample sense on account of they’re involved about defending a fabric possession.
Usually, my hope is that my youngsters obtained’t have deep-seated attachments to provides possessions and I hope that that is normally a great reply to begin. By eradicating numerous the inherent “significance” from their clothes, my hope is that they view them as essential gadgets for all events, nonetheless not factors to obsess over, spend tons of cash on, or devour themselves with. Who’s acutely aware of if this’ll work. I’ll report as soon as extra in a number of years.
Furthermore, shockingly, regardless of how laborious they’re on their garments, we throw only a few objects away. Most dwell to see one completely different household! Or two!
Does This Counsel You Don’t Purchase ANYTHING New?
Nope. As with all factors, I try and not be a hardline zealot. Whereas 98% of their garments are sourced used, a small fraction are bought new.
Correct proper right here’s all the gadgets I purchased new for them all through the final yr:
- Cowgirl boots for Kidwoods as a birthday present to interchange the pair she’d outgrown (affiliate hyperlink).
- Jean jacket for Kidwoods as a birthday present to interchange the one she’d outgrown (affiliate hyperlink).
- These underwear for each ladies (affiliate hyperlink).
- Our matching clothes (affiliate hyperlink). Awwww.
- These Snowstoppers mittens for each ladies (affiliate hyperlink). I’ve actually not discovered mittens used, maybe on account of all youngsters–mine included–rip them to shreds by dragging their paws over each single rock, twig, piece of bark and sharp object they uncover. These are the proper model for staying on youngsters and preserving them heat.
- These base layers for ski season.
- Up to now, they’ve worn their frequent garments beneath their snow pants, nonetheless our elevated ski schedule this winter made me assume I need to maybe get them some proper non-cotton base layers.
- Who am I kidding, none of this occurred to me, my pal texted me to say that Land’s Finish was having a mammoth sale on these base layers and that I need to get some for the women. She was correct and I did.
Two summers to date I purchased these swimsuits/rash guards for them, which fortuitously match as quickly as additional this earlier summer time season (affiliate hyperlink).
As you could even see, I rely fully on Walmart and Amazon for mannequin spanking new objects since they’re low value, snug and sturdy.
When Looking for Used: Focus On Depreciation
Just a few years to date I wrote about the worth of specializing in depreciation when buying for second-hand, which has solely develop to be further related as my youngsters have gotten older and new garments in bigger sizes are costlier. I used the event of snow gear in that submit, which continues to be most certainly basically essentially the most apt illustration of my diploma.
Correct proper right here’s the maths:
Worth for a New Set of Winter Gear for One Child: $175.49
Vs.
Worth for a Used Set of Winter Gear for One Child: $13
I reference these express producers and sizes on account of I occur to have bought these express producers and sizes from storage product gross sales. Correct proper right here’s what I paid:
- USED Land’s Finish Little Kids Waterproof Snow Bibs (dimension 4T): $5
- USED Land’s Finish Little Kids Squall Waterproof Winter Parka (dimension small/4T): $3
- USED Kamik Kids’ Snow Boots (dimension toddler 11): $5
Full saved by buying for used: $162.49
I need to get all the gadgets used that I presumably can, nonetheless, if the thought-about doing that overwhelms you, ponder specializing in sourcing used for beneath the largest ticket objects, equal to winter gear.
The Revolving Door of Donations
One completely different aspect of my “simple come, simple go” method is that I donate all the clothes my ladies have outgrown. I don’t really actually really feel the necessity to try and promote it on account of it was free or low value for me all through the primary place. So, I hand it correct all the way in which right down to buddies and donate the remaining to the thrift retailer. As quickly as additional, since I don’t have an attachment to the technique of clothes procurement, I’m not obsessive regarding the place the garments find yourself. I don’t ought to recoup my prices, I don’t ought to have pristine clothes go to the “right” household, I don’t have to be acknowledged for my good mannequin, and so forth. I merely want to maneuver stuff they’ve outgrown out of the home.
After they have been youthful and altering sizes nonstop, I saved containers on the flooring of their closets whereby I’d drop one factor they outgrew. Now, I resolve outgrown stuff after I do the twice-a-year seasonal swap-out. That is furthermore my likelihood to donate any duplicates/triplicates we now have, as all through the case of Littlewoods and the 20 t-shirts of the same dimension.
Along with my love of decluttering, it’s important to me to donate their garments whereas they will nonetheless be utilized by one different explicit particular person. Garments don’t final ceaselessly and if I held onto them for, say, my attainable some-day future grandchildren, the elastic would positioned on out, the varieties might probably be abominable and the provides might probably be scratchy. I see way more value in donating stuff now in order that fully completely different folks can get use out of it whereas it’s nonetheless comparatively “new.”
Abstract
In conclusion, I get virtually all of my youngsters’ clothes second-hand on account of it:
- Saves cash
- Saves time
- Reduces stress
- Engages my youngsters all through the strategy of discovering out about cash
- Enfranchises my youngsters to pick out their very private clothes and costume themselves
- Is means bigger for the setting
- Retains stuff out of landfills
- Is further satisfying
- Decreases the give consideration to appearances
- Permits me to freely donate clothes after they’ve outgrown it
