How to Get Kids’ Clothing for Free (or Super Cheap)

In All You Do uses affiliate links within its posts. You may read more in our disclosure policy.

Just like all of my other budgeting tips, we have some great ideas for how to get kids’ clothing for free or super cheap!

When you have children, it adds a never-ending saga of extra spending to your budget. They are truly little bundles of joy, but they are the most expensive joys you can acquire too.

From medical expenses to diapers, food, and shelter- children’s clothing is another expense you should really consider when making your family budget! 

As the mama of a large family and budgeting on a single income, I know buying children’s clothing can be so expensive. Kids grow up so quickly, which means you’re stuck buying new outfits every year. But luckily, there are several ways you can score free or super cheap clothing for your kids year after year.

Here’s how I keep my kids looking sharp without paying a fortune.

rack of kids clothes with overlay "How to Get Kids' Clothing for free (or super cheap)"

How to Get Kids’ Clothing for Free

Hand Me Downs

If you have more than one child, consider using hand me downs as a way to cut down on your clothing budget. Kids grow so quickly that some clothing gets very little wear. 

Obviously, this isn’t the case for every piece of clothing you’ll purchase, but it’s a good idea to repurpose or reuse clothing that still has good wear left in it!

Even if you don’t have more than one child, consider any family members that may be willing to share their old kid’s clothes instead of taking it to Goodwill. 

Host a Clothing Swap

This is by far the best way to score free kids’ clothing, and it’s fun too! Get together with a group of friends who have children who are the same gender, but older and younger than your own. You can pass down your children’s clothing to the friend with younger kids, and you can score clothing for your own child from friends with kids who are older.

This idea not only allows you to get kids’ clothing for free, but it also helps you clear the clutter from your kids’ room after they outgrow their own clothing. It’s a win-win!

Yard Sales

While you might not score many free clothes at a yard sale, you can find clothing for children and babies at extremely deep discounted prices. And if you buy a lot of clothing from one sale, the host will probably offer you an even better deal on their prices for taking the clothing off their hands.

The best part about shopping yard sales for cheap kids’ clothing is that it never hurts to haggle at a yard sale – which means even cheaper prices, and you may even score some freebies! And the best part is that you can resell those clothes at your own yard sale and make your money back when your kids are through with them.

Facebook Swap Groups

Every once in a while, there’s a mom on Facebook looking to unload her children’s clothing. Keep an eye on your local swap or yard sale groups on Facebook to catch the occasional offer of free kid’s clothing.

Even if you can’t score children’s’ clothing for free, most of the listings are available for yard sale prices, making it worth a shot when you’re in need of discounted kids’ clothing.

rack of kids clothes with overlay "How to Get Kids' Clothing for free (or super cheap)"

Clearance Sales

The key to scoring deep discounts on children’s clothing is to buy for the season that is ahead. If your child is currently wearing a size 6/7, start buying clothing up to a size 10/12 when you see it discounted. This is especially important to note when shopping clearance racks.

Most clothing goes on clearance at the end of the season. So, if you’re shopping at the end of the summer, you’ll need to buy clothing your child will be wearing next summer. Old Navy and The Children’s Place are two stores with awesome clearance deals where you can score kid’s clothing at yard sale prices at the end of each season.

Online Consignment Stores

There are several online retailers that offer gently used children’s clothing at discounted prices for shoppers. While you can simply buy those clothes and save a little money, there are actually ways you can score free clothing from these sites, too.

Thred-Up will send you a shipping bag for free, then all you need to do is fill it with your children’s (or your) gently used clothing and send it back. They’ll pay you cash or offer a store credit for the items they purchase from you. And with Schoola, you can earn referral credits for each friend you refer to their site, which can add up to great savings on already discounted clothing.

Bargain/Surplus Stores

Surplus/bargain stores like Dirt Cheap and Salvage World usually have name brands like Target, Gap, Old Navy, Nordstrom, Banana Republic, and more for up 90% off retail prices! 

They buy unused or out of season inventory at deep discounts and sell it to the public for under retail clearance prices. 

Do not underestimate these places! I’ve seen them run dollar days and you can really score some cheap, yet high-quality, clothing for kids! 

man stacking coins to count

A few extra ideas for getting kids’ clothing for free:

  • You don’t have to sacrifice quality in order to save money. These days, you can find well-made clothing in places you’ve never thought of before. For example, Dollar Store and Walmart have paired with celebrities to appeal to a broader audience and nobody wants their name attached to junk!
  • A good wash routine, as well as taking good care of your items, can make them last longer. 
  • Repurposing/distressing is IN! For boys, cut off those jeans and make them shorts. For girls, use too short dresses as tunics. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!

What are your tips, tricks, and hacks that you’d like to share on finding kids’ clothing for cheap or free? 

Sign up for our One Week Budget Challenge

Are you tired of always stressing about money? Are you tired of wondering whether or not you have enough money in your bank account to pay the bills? If you are finally ready to transform your finances and stay on budget, then you will love our One Week Budget Challenge! In this challenge, we go over everything from how to create a budget to how to get your finances under control.

[activecampaign form=116]

rack of store hangers with overlay "How to Get Kids' Clothing for Free (or super cheap)"

Like this post? Please share with your friends!

You may also like…

Leave a Reply