Money-saving Clothes Shopping Hacks for Moms and Kids

I know, I know. There are life-changing hacks everywhere across the web.

But, puh-leeze listen to me when I say these hacks are TRULY ahh-mazing! Money-saving clothes shopping hacks will help you save money and feel great — instead of guilty and penniless.

money-saving clothes shopping hacks

Do you get overwhelmed when you see racks and racks of clothes at the super-large department stores?

Sometimes I just want to run in the other direction, but I know it’s a necessity for my family to have well-fitting, clean and acceptable clothing.

When your kids are trying to tie their shirts in fashionable ways to cover holes, you know it’s time to go shopping — once again. Not that I am speaking for experience or anything — wink, wink!

If you have lots of kiddos like our family you know that shopping for kids and mom is no easy, financial task. I truly hope these money-saving hacks will help your clothing budget as well as cut back on some of the shopping stress — so you can actually enjoy it!

clothes shopping tips for moms and kids

  • Host a fashion show before you shop. Have your kids try on all their clothes — this may take some serious bribing, but it’s worth all the trouble! Don’t forget shoes and accessories. Make notes on items that you need for each child. Check socks and underwear too — those always need updating and purchasing! Do the same thing for yourself — and yes, you have to look in the mirror!
  • Create a hit list. Make a list of the best places to shop. I have found Wal-mart to be the best choice for underwear and socks. I choose the large retail stores for dress clothes and shoes. I hit the thrift stores for play and school clothes. Accessories? I check the clearance rack at every retail store we hit. I also add online shopping to my list. My fave online place to grab super clearance prices is Swap.com They typically have the best deals of almost any online clothing companies! You can grab some high-end brands at a fraction of the cost — and it comes straight to your front door!
  • Make notes of your best colors. Do you look best in warm or cool colors? What about your kids? Make notes of which colors complement your complexions and hair colors so you can quickly choose outfits that are visually appealing instead of choosing items that make you think “eh…it will do.”
  • Don’t go overboard. Just because they have a cute shirt in five colors, does not mean you or your child needs every single color! Typically, the more items you have in the closet, the more difficult it is to sort through and find fun outfits. In fact, many times the “not so great” ones constantly get pushed to the back and you end up only wearing the same 10 outfits repeatedly. What happens to the other ones? They just sit there — and you may have spent $300 on clothing, but only wear $150 worth. That’s not a frugal decision. So pick your fave styles or colors, and just stick with those. Mix and match and make the most of what you have!
  • If you don’t love it, don’t buy it! If you buy something that makes you feel ugly, frumpy or fat, it’s going to just hang in your closet unless there’s a huge emergency and necessity dictates that you look like a giant, orange hot air balloon that day. Same thing goes for your kids. No one want their kids looking drab. So that ugly yellow, striped shirt that gets looked over, but never worn? That cost you $15.99 for absolutely nothing. So every single piece of clothing that just sits and takes up space in your clothing cost you money. Lesson learned? Don’t buy something unless you LOVE it!
  • Mix and match. Spend a little bit of time changing up your cardigans, t-shirts and accessories until you can create several different outfits that use the same pieces of clothing. This will save you tons of space in your closet, money in your pocket and time! Genius, right?
  • Sign up for store credit cards. I signed up for a retail store a few months ago, and my husband signed up right after me. They sent us both awesome coupons. In just two weeks I received $60 in coupons and was able to use them for clothes shopping for me! It was a fun, free shopping spree! Just make sure you never go over your limit, and that you keep your bill paid, or you won’t be saving money!
  • Follow your favorite stores/brands Facebook pages. Stores and brands share their best deals and discounts on their Facebook pages. Like their page, follow it, and double check the page before you plan a clothes shopping trip!
  • Find out the mark-down days for your favorite stores. At one point I had these memorized: Christopher and Banks was on Tuesdays, Target was on Tuesdays and many thrift stores offered dollar days on Tuesdays. You can guess which day I’m normally out clothes shopping! If you can’t find the information online, simply ask someone the next time you’re in the store or ask on their Facebook page. Another follower may answer of the manager of the page may as well. If you don’t reach anyone on the Facebook page, try Twitter. Brands typically respond very quickly to a tweet!

What are your money-saving, clothes shopping tips? Share them with us on social media!