It was not until I had my first baby that I finally discovered the shocking fact about baby clothing. And that is, “They are super expensive when bought new.” Some of the clothes are even more expensive than mine Haha.

And the fact is that they grow out of them as fast as you buy them.

They are getting so big entirely too fast. And with them moving up in clothing sizes almost overnight, the thought of paying full price for the next size up makes me cringe.

That’s why I have looked for different ways to save money while also keeping my baby’s closets full.

(THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS HOWEVER, I WILL NEVER RECOMMEND ANYTHING THAT I DO NOT BELIEVE IN OR USE MYSELF. YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT MY DISCLOSURE POLICY HERE)

1. Yard sale

Who doesn’t love going to yard sales? If you don’t you’re crazy.

Yard sales are absolutely awesome for finding baby clothing. I have seen some yard sales in my area selling baby onesies for $.25 each. Yes! You read that right.

And yeah the clothes are used but they can be tossed in the washing machine and made good as new. Think of it this way. Your baby is gonna wear that one shirt you buy for maybe 6 months and then go up a size. So you might as well save your money.

2. Thrift Store / Goodwill

Okay. So thrift stores and the goodwill are kind of like yard sales but inside a store. All of their inventory is donated and it is sort of a scavenger hunt. Many times you have to look through a few racks of clothing to find just the right size that you have been searching for but when you find that diamond in the ruff, it’s all worth it.

I have also come across brand new clothes with the tags still attached at the goodwill. And a lot of times it’s because babies grow out of the clothes before wearing them. These finds are like gold.

Another great perk about thrift stores and goodwills is the fact that every type of clothing is a certain price. For example, all of the infant clothing no matter what type or brand name would be priced at $1.50. So this means you can find some really nice brands like Oshkosh and Gymboree for pennies compared to the retail amount.

Lastly, the goodwill runs a discount of 50% off of a certain tag color every single week. Meaning if this week all green tagged items are half off and you purchase a pair of jeans marked $5 then you will get them for only $2.50. Which is just icing on the cake!

I love this about goodwill and I make sure to ask what the color of the week is every time I shop there so I can keep an eye out for that color.

3. Clearance & Markdowns

I am not sure how many people do this but anytime I walk into a store the very first place I visit is the clearance section. This way I can see if the item I am looking for might be already marked down.

In the baby clothing section, you will often find that the clearance rack is full of clothing that is out of season so that they can make room for the in-season items. And buying your baby a winter jacket in the middle of June may not make much sense, right? Wrong!

I know you are scratching your head now but just stay with me. If you know what size your baby will be when that season comes back around you could buy it now at a discounted price instead of full price later.

So if we are in November and it’s beginning to get cold there may be summer clothes on clearance. And if I find some cute little onesies that are the next size up from what my daughter is currently wearing, I could put them away until next summer and save money in the long run.

By shopping in advance you could save huge amounts of money compared to the retail price.

This is also extremely useful for buying special clothing items such as Halloween costumes. In fact, in the morning following Halloween, most stores will put all of the costumes and accessories on clearance for half off or more.

So once again if you know what your child would like to be, check to see if there are any there and stop paying full price.

4. Facebook Buy & Sell Groups

So just about everyone on the planet has a Facebook account right? If you do then you have probably seen online yard sale groups for your area. These groups have tons of members and most of the time all you have to do is live in the area that the group is zoned for and ask to join.

Once you are a member just look through the listing in the group or search for a particular item. This is how I have bought and sold several of my baby clothing and toys.

And once you find something you would like to purchase, simply message or comment to the seller and set up a meeting place to exchange the money for the item. It’s that easy.

Of course, I highly recommend always meeting in a shopping center or other public place where you are comfortable. I have done this many times without any problems. It keeps both parties safe during the exchange.

5. Hand-me-downs

Can I just say how wonderful hand me downs are for a second? Ah!

Okay so if you have already had one child then saving their clothes when they outgrow them and storing them for your next child to use them is a huge savings.

Even if you have two children of different genders you could still hold onto the clothing that is gender-neutral. And the more babies you are able to use them for the more money you will save.

6. Swapping with Friends / or Family

I know several families and friends who swap clothes between their children.

For example, when my daughter grew out of her baby clothes I started saving them and when my friend was having her first daughter I was able to lend them to her until she grew out of them. It works amazingly and saves money.

7. Asking for Clothing as Holiday Gifts

This tip is one the I use on almost every big holiday.

So when birthdays or Christmas is coming up and all of my family asks what my kids need for Christmas, I always look through their clothes to see if they are in need of anything.

For example, this year my daughter needed socks and was down to barely any that fit her.

So I told almost everyone to get her socks as one of her gifts for her birthday. And although some of my relatives will spoil them with toys, many of them may pick up a pack of socks and she could end up with a whole drawer full on her birthday.

Which saves me from spending any money!

What Are Your Tips for Saving Money on Baby Clothes?

More Money-Saving Tips:

• 17 Household Items that I Stopped Buying to Save Tons of Money
• 9 Super Simple Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half
• How to Cloth Diaper without Breaking the BANK
• Why We Switched from Paper Towels to Cloth Towels!