This weekend I nursed up the baby, handed him to his Daddy and rushed off with my Mom for a quick shopping trip. Jonah had completely skipped a size over the summer and needed pants for Fall. We headed to one of our favorite places in the world to shop. A second hand store.
When I was growing up, my Mom dressed us almost completely on things she found here. Buying used does not mean wearing worn out clothing. Buying used, for us, means buying high quality, excellent condition clothing at a fraction of the price. And, with a family of 7 (her case) or 5 (my case) children, spending a fraction is a very good thing.
We were gone for one hour. She brought home about 6 shirts. I bought 4 pair of jeans for kids, 2 pair khakis for kids, 1 dress for Fiona, 1 shirt for me and 1 dress for me. All "good" name brands. Altogether, I spent $30.
Buying used can be very overwhelming if you are not careful. Sometimes these stores are hard to navigate and searching through rack upon rack of clothes for something in the correct size and condition can be daunting. Here are some tips that help me when shopping for second hand clothes.
1) Know what you are looking for. Just like going to the grocery store with a list, shopping a second hand store with a list helps cut down on random impulse buying - and ensures that you keep on track. I like to write down a list of clothing articles and the sizes I need. I noticed this last time that the boys' jeans had tags telling their waist and inseam measurements, so having your kids' measurements on this list could also be helpful.
2) Have a designated time limit. These stores can be a bit like a black hole - sometimes you can be there for hours just to come home empty handed to a less than pleased spouse. Set a time limit and you will move quickly and make decisions.
3) Don't limit second hand buying to specialty shops. Stores like Once Upon a Child or other resale shops can charge double what you could find the item for elsewhere. I once went looking for jeans for my daughter at OUAC and the brand I was looking for cost almost as much as the jeans new. The owners of these shops frequently buy merchandise from other second hand stores and then mark them up. Cut out the middle man and save some money! At OUAC, Children's Place jeans for my daughter were $8. I bought them for $2 at my local second hand store. Yes I had to dig for them, but I found 2 pair in excellent condition.
4) Don't over-buy. Its not a good deal to buy 10 pair of jeans for $2 when you only needed 2 pair of jeans. Don't let bargains turn your head. Buy what you need and leave the rest.
Buying used clothing is just another way that my family lives simply and frugally. Do you have any tips for successful second hand shopping?
