Tips on Thrift Shopping For Kids – How to find killer deals for less!

There are so many amazing ways to save money on children’s clothing, but my favorite way is thrift shopping for kids. I have 6 kids and that means back to school time can be VERY expensive!

I do a lot of my back to school shopping at thrift stores and I get SO many goodies new with tags for cheap! Here are my best thrifting tips!

Thrift Shopping for Kids:

1.) Name Brands Matter

When it comes to secondhand clothing, name brands do matter! The higher end brands use better quality fabric, so you know that by purchasing it secondhand the fabric should be in decent condition. I do not buy second hand Walmart clothing unless it is never worn and new with tags.

2.) Buy ahead of season

Thrift stores have store wide sales at the end of every seasons, similar to other retail stores. If you think ahead you can grab amazing deals on the next season items + current items.

3.) Watch for sale days

One thrift store by me has 50% off all clothing on Wednesdays. If I am going thrifting and am looking for clothing, I will plan to shop on a Wednesday to take advantage of the percentage off.

If you live near a Goodwill store, sign up for their rewards program and you can shop on their rewards day for 50% off. This day is usually once per month.

You should inspect all the items thoroughly before you buy them. Is the dress missing a belt? Does the shirt have armpit stains in it. Are there any rips or tears? Obviously dirt doesn’t count, because that can easily get washed off. My rule of thumb is that in order to buy secondhand, the item has to appear brand new.

5.) Have a buying price in you head 

I have a price of what I am willing to pay for everything stored away in this crazy brain of mine. For example: I won’t pay over $1.00 for a t-shirt for my girls. I won’t pay over $5.00 for a pair of pants.

All in all, as long as you are alert and know what you are looking for, you should do okay thrifting for kids.

And my last tip is …. don’t tell your teenagers you got their clothing from a thrift store. I typically bring everything home and throw it right in them washing machine. Fold it up and show them that I got them some new items. If your teens are like mine, they may put up a fit that you bought them used clothing.