Turn old clothes into new cash all year round

In this week’s baby bargainista column, Jenny shares how she turned her daughters’ outgrown clothing and toys into cash – and how you can too.

For a change, instead of writing about getting bargains, I’m writing about giving bargains – selling your pre-loved baby clothes and toys.

Even though I hunt out sales and used clothes whenever possible, when you add it all up I’ve spent quite a bit on clothes for Girl #1 over the last 5 years – and she’s also been gifted with many adorable outfits that were barely worn as she grew quickly into the school-ager she is today. I happily passed many of these on to #2, and now SHE’S growing out of them!

With no future babymaking plans, and no family or friends expecting in the near future, I decided it was time for these togs to find a new home – and figured I might get back a little bit of what I’ve spent while I’m at it!

When looking to sell clothes that are in good condition, you can’t go wrong with Once Upon a Child. I’ve bought many items there over the years and have raved about them in the past – and I’m happy to report that the process of selling clothes and toys to them is easy, painless, and simple. Just bring your items to the store at any time; their staff will comb through them and offer you a fair price (usually $4 for name-brand clothes, $10 and up for large toys such as bouncers) on the spot.

A few tips to keep in mind before you go:
1. If you bring a lot of items, it can take the staff up to an hour to go through them – so you might want to plan to drop off your things, go for coffee, then come back (or risk spending your time shopping in their store as I did, and end up spending as much as you made from selling!)

2. They won’t accept toys without batteries or clothes that haven’t been washed – so come prepared; do any pressing or mending beforehand.

3. They have a very high standard so you may end up taking more items back home with you than you planned. I ended up bringing home a few items that I had thought were in pristine condition – until the staff pointed out faint stains or small tears. Oops!

4. For best results, call ahead to find out what sizes and seasons they’re buying; you might get a better price if the item you’re looking to sell is in demand, or about to be (for example, August is the best time to sell back-to-school stuff like jeans, jackets, and boots).

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Baby Gear at Great Prices

In this week’s baby bargainista column, Jenny is getting down to the wire and the nesting instinct is starting to kick in...

I don’t know if it counts as nesting instinct, but as the due date for Baby #2’s arrival draws near I find myself compelled to shop for baby gear.

The baby’s room is still a shambles of unassembled furniture, and all the various clothes, toys, bouncy chairs, etc that I kept from #1’s babyhood are still in bins in the basement – but I feel like I can’t organize my inventory until I’ve ticked off all the items on my must-buy list:

1. a baby carrier
2. a breast pump and bottles
3. a breastfeeding pillow

I did without all these things during my 4-year-old’s babyhood, so they’re not exactly essentials; but since then enough moms, both new and experienced, have recommended these items to me that I’m convinced I’ve been depriving myself unnecessarily.

After my post about coveting a baby carrier, a number of folks recommended the Ergo baby carrier, and a friend found that they have plenty in stock at one of my favorite sources for new and nearly-new baby and toddler stuff – Once Upon a Child. I picked one up nearly-new for $99 – the cheapest price I’ve seen yet – and added an infant insert (which allows you to carry a newborn sling-style) for just another $28. Once Upon a Child doesn’t have as wide a variety of color choices as stores that sell them new, but the cost savings is more than worth it.

At Once Upon a Child I also scored a highly-recommended breastfeeding pillow, the My Brest Friend, for $49 new – $15 less than where I’d seen it elsewhere, simply because the washable fabric cover was last year’s pattern and color (again, not something I’m too fussy about when there are bargains to be had)!

Now, I just need to find the right breast pump and bottles! You can’t buy them used due to hygienic reasons, and there are SO many choices: manual, electric, combination; glass bottles, BPA-free plastic bottles… Once again, I’m open to personal recommendations! If anyone has any suggestions please let me know in the comments!

Cheap clothes for kids

In this week’s column, Jenny Bullough share’s her thoughts about shopping on a budget for young kids.

Now that fall is really upon us, my thoughts naturally turn to outfitting my 4-year-old for the colder months.

After a few years’ experience of digging through last winter’s long-sleeved shirts, pants, and jackets and finding more than half of them no longer fit, I’m prepared for a massive shopping explosion in order to make sure my girl is adequately clothed for the coming chill.

Nothing says “mommy guilt” like seeing the disapproving glances of the other daycare/preschool/JK moms and dads when they see bare ankles and wrists exposed because last season’s pants and shirts are suddenly a size too small! I speak from experience, unfortunately.

I hope you won’t think I’m a negligent parent when I tell you that when it comes to buying my little kindergartner clothes for everyday wear, I am *supremely* cheap.

Again, from experience I know that anything she wears to daycare or school is doomed to come back home stained with play-doh, paint, food, or old-fashioned mud, and most likely missing buttons, fasteners, and any fancy doo-dads sewn onto it, so spending a lot of money on daily wear is just not worth the investment since by the time she’s done with it, it won’t even be fit for passing on to future siblings or younger cousins.

For cheap kids’ wear, my first stop is always Joe Fresh. There’s a section conveniently located in our local Loblaws, which makes it easy to check out their clearance racks every week; and their kids clothes are inexpensive and surprisingly durable. Plus their pants often feature adjustable waists, which is a key ingredient to longevity in the kid wardrobe.

If I can’t find what I need while grocery shopping, Old Navy or Zellers will often have good stuff on their sale racks, and their regularly-priced merchandise isn’t too costly. For durability, go with Old Navy first; for items bedecked with your child’s favorite cartoon characters, Zellers is your best bet. I have occasionally had issues with the fit of some Zellers clothes, but as with all HBC properties their no-hassle return policy makes it easy to buy two sizes and return the one that doesn’t fit.

And finally, I always love to drop into Once Upon a Child at least once a season and I’m rarely disappointed. This chain of consignment stores scores high marks with me for their constant rotation of high-quality, gently-used kids clothing. I’ve gotten some tremendous deals there on barely-worn name-brand designer kids clothes like Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren.

Those are my top tips for durable, cheap daily kids wear. What store is your first stop when your little ones need new school clothes?