Baby clothes. They are so stinking cute. Just perusing through them can make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. People cannot seem to help themselves, and our friends and family were very generous in gifting us with lots of precious ensembles for our little punkin. The only thing we’ve actually needed to add to our collection thus far were baby mitts, socks and pajamas. I tried to hold tight to my less is more fun principles, but alas I could not help myself entirely from the temptation of buying teeny tiny pieces of sweetness.
I first fell victim at my friends’ yard sale. We had yet to receive confirmation one way or the other, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to buy a few neutral(ish) onsies.
Yard Sale total: I can’t remember. It was not much. Our friends actually offered to just give us the clothes, but they were putting the proceeds towards a charity so I figured I could cough up a buck or two.
This will probably be the 1st and last time I hunt down baby gear at a yard sale. I like the idea of it, just not enough to get up before the sun rises and forfeit all the time and gas driving around town.
Then I did not buy anything for a long time. If I’m honest it was less about simplicity or frugality and more about my fear of jinxing it. I caved just once before Leila arrived and bought two dresses.
Zulily total: $30.93
I first learned of Zulily via a friends FB post. There are tons of great brands, including lots of organically grown and fairly traded items such as these adorable dresses. The S & H is a bit much if you’re only buying a couple of items (which significantly brings down the overall savings), though it is a one and done fee for the day or weekend – good news if you see several items you’d like to purchase. It’s been my observation that even with the great discounts, like restaurant.com or other deal sites, it is important to remember that I am still spending money and I constantly need to ask myself whether it is something we really truly need.
My friend actually wrote a post about Zulily – check it out!
A month or two after Leila was born I made a run to Marshall’s and T.J. Maxx in hopes of adding one or two nursing friendly items from my wardrobe. I walked out with these.
T.J. Maxx total: $16.23 ($11.91 + $4.32)
Not bad. Not great. I find places like this a bit overwhelming and tend to only venture in when I’m looking for a specific type of item. I don’t think that will change.
Then I used a coupon as an excuse to wander into Old Navy.
Old Navy total: $14.53
Cute stuff and pretty decent prices, especially if you only shop clearance.
Finally, an afternoon on South Congress led me to the best possible place to get my baby clothes fix.
Charitable resale store total: $6.24 + $35.30 to buy the following…
9 outerwear/sweaters (Ralph Lauren, Gap, etc)
6 pajamas (including a Janie & Jack piece, which I didn’t realize was such a steal until a friend commented about the brand on FB)
3 tops
3 dresses (there’s even a smocked one in the bunch)
1 onesie
That’s a grand total of $41.54 for 30 pieces. By far the best deal. Every once and awhile I pop into a store and pick up a few items (almost always 50% off their already ridiculously cheap price tag) for the near future when Leila outgrows her current bounty. Maybe it’s flawed logic, but on top of the frugal factor, this also seems to be the best option when considering the other stuff that matters to me.
What about you? Where’s your favorite place to build your baby’s wardrobe?