Tips for Keeping Your Children’s’ Clothing Organized
Posted in Your Home, Your Money on 10. Sep, 2009
I have two girls, ages 2 and 4. With two little princesses, it would be very, very easy for me to get sucked into spending WAY more money than I should on their clothes. However, I consider myself to be a pretty organized individual, so I can get away with spending a minimal amount on clothes, while still having a blast with their clothing options. Fortunately for me, my 2 year old can wear my 4 year old’s hand-me-downs, but that means I have to be organized when I store things as well, to ensure that I actually make use of these older clothes instead of forgetting they exist because they are crammed in the back of the closet. Here are some tips I’ve come up with when it comes to clothing for children.
Buy ahead, and shop clearances. This may be common sense, but it’s good to note. I buy one or two sizes ahead, and only for my older daughter (knowing that she will pass clothes onto her younger sister). When it’s the end of the season, you can find things that are 50% or even 75% off, which makes a huge difference in the long run. By shopping ahead of time, you are in control of what you want to buy, when, and how much to spend. This is a much better situation than waiting until your kid has outgrown their clothes and suddenly you have to go out and purchase a bunch of new ones. THAT is when you won’t be able to find the good sales!
Unless you absolutely love going, skip the consignment sales. I have shopped at all sorts of stores for my kids, as well as taking the time to visit consignment sales, second-hand-stores, and yard sales. I went to a consignment shop today with a friend of mine, and I did find two items I thought were well priced and in great shape. However, most of the clothes were (we felt) overpriced for used goods. Don’t be fooled that you are getting a bargain just because it’s second hand! In the end, I firmly believe that you are better off keeping a close eye on the clearances at your favorite retails stores rather than focusing on shopping for second hand clothes. First of all, new clothes are going to wear much better than used ones, which is especially important if you are planning on passing them onto a sibling or two. Sure, there are some great finds at consignment sales, but more often than not you will simply find decent stuff at a decent price. That’s fine, but I think if you play your cards right, you can find cute NEW stuff at an even better price. At some of my favorite stores, I’ve found pants for $1, shirts for $2.50, shoes for $3.50… I could go on and on. My favorite words are, “Take an additional 50% off already reduced merchandise.” Finding clearances at your favorite store is much, much better than spending your Saturday morning getting elbowed by crazy bargain shoppers at a local consignment sale.
Now that you have the clothes… make sure and stay organized. What good will it do you if you forget you have something? Don’t let things get stuffed in a drawer or a box for next year (that you forget about). My favorite ways to store clothes are incl ear plastic bins. They are awesome. Clear is essential, because you can see exactly what is inside. Also, I suggest labeling the bins by taping a piece of paper to the inside of the bin, for example, “Girl Clothes 12-18 months.” You need to be able to open up your closet, attic, or garage, and see these bins stacked and labeled. This way, when your child needs clothes, you will simply pull out a bin and voila! If you don’t think you have time to be this organized, think again. You don’t have time to NOT be this organized. Would you really rather spend twice as long searching for something?
Keep their current clothes organized. What’s the point of buying ahead and trying to stay on top of things if it just gets lost in their closet or dresser? Obviously, closets of hanging clothes and drawers of pants and pajamas are pretty standard. I have a few suggestions for those little things that may get lost, OR if space is an issue. Personally, my kids share a room (and a closet) so we have to get creative. Here are some things we’ve figured out.
- Use a clear, plastic, hanging shoe organizer on the back of the door. Don’t limit yourself to storing shoes in these. Use it for mittens, hats, socks, and scarves… whatever little tiny things your kids have. Drawers are useful, but they can become bottomless pits. You may find the coolest hat for your son, but if he puts it in a drawer and forgets about it, then it’s useless. These clear shoe organizers save you space, and are wonderful because you can SEE everything in them. We have one hanging on the back door of our coat closet downstairs, and I keep hats and mittens in it (along with other household items, like flashlights, batteries, etc.) I’ve also labeled them using different colored labels, so my kids can tell what belongs to who (they can’t read their names yet, so colors help).
- If your closet is small, consider a hanging shelf organizer. You can stack pants, sweaters, pajamas, etc. Again, I like these because you can see it right when you open the closet. There are also hanging organizers that have compartments with small openings, which are ideal for storing socks and tights.
- If you have a baby or a toddler, you know how easy it is for stuff to “get lost in the laundry.” Try using a laundry basket that is made from mesh material, rather than a traditional plastic one. Traditional laundry baskets have larger openings, which mean more opportunity for stuff to fall out on the way to and from the laundry room.
- Buy all white socks. I know, it’s boring, but at least you’ll always have a mate for your sock. I know those cute little ones with bears are great, but once you lose one… the other sock is pointless. Buy all white, and then losing one or two won’t be a big deal. (Unless this is your first baby – in which case you should ignore my advice. Those tiny little socks are just too much fun if it’s your first baby… but heed my advice in a few months once you are feeling more practical.)
- Also with socks, make sure your kids’ socks are different from each others. My girls are close enough in their shoe size that it is not obvious whose socks belong to whom. If my younger daughter has plain white socks, and my older daughter has white socks with no-skid writing on the bottom, then I can easily tell whose is whose.
I absolutely love kids’ clothes and picking out my children’s outfits… although those days seem to be coming to an end, now that they have their own opinions on exactly what they should wear. But still, I enjoy finding great bargains on cute stuff, and I feel a great sense of accomplishment knowing that my kids look sharp while still having money in their college fund. Shop smart, stay organized, and have fun with it all.
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