Kiddo Clothes {Stocking up}

 I am a BIG believer of stockpiling.

I have...

 a cereal stockpile.

a toothpaste stockpile.

a wedding gift stockpile.

a laundry soap stockpile.

and... okay I have a lot of stockpiles.

But the one I want to ramble about today is for my little man.

I call it my "Someday he'll be that big" stockpile.

Because honestly I have to say that to myself everytime I buy for it. I am in denial that my baby will be a big kid someday.

Anyways.... So about once every 2-3 months my craft room floor looks like this.

Let me break it down for you.

Far right-2T

Middle- 3T

Left- 4-5T

Simple enough, right? I started 'stockpiling' when I found t-shirts at target for $1.00. I mean, who can resist $1.00? Even though a 3T shirt seemed like light years away for my baby who was still in 3-6 month clothes at the time. But I bought them. A lot of them. And that's where it began.

It's actually pretty simple when you know where to look, and what to look for. My favorite places are Walmart and Target. Walmart doesn't always have the cutest clothes... but sometimes you'll find some great stuff, or even just some play clothes. Target has a lot of cute stuff, but it goes fast (at least at mine) so I have to be patient and quick!

  Here's a few more tips....

1. Look for the signs. No, not 'signs from above'. Clearance signs. Those Big yellow clearance signs at target are my best friend. Stickers are another buddy of mine. Most are red, so watch for them!

2. But don't be tricked. Always make sure it's really a good deal. There may be a sign, but if it's only like 10% off, it's usually not worth stocking up on. I usually watch for 50-75% off to stock up. Now I'm not saying don't buy things that are 10% off, but thats just not a great stock up sale. Most likely you will be able to find a better deal later on.

3. Track the sales. This one takes time, but it's usually worth it. When you find an AMAZING sale, write it down somewhere you wont lose it, that way next year you will know when to start watching. Stores usually Clearance their items towards the end of the season, like right now most places have winter clothes on clearance because it's going to start warming up soon!! (well at least here in Southern Utah it is! ;))

4. When in doubt... buy it. If it's a super super SUPER great deal, I say get it. The other day I was randomly at Kmart (not my usual stop, but we had time to kill) and I found 4T long sleeved shirts for an awesome price! The only thing was, I had no idea if my little one would be wearing 4T when it was cold out. But, I figured I could always hem up the sleeves if he needed that size in summer. So I got them! Short sleeves are always a safe bet because you can always throw a long sleeved shirt underneath. Usually, even if you end up giving it away, or donating it, you wont be out much $$.

5. Make sure you have room. I am lucky enough to have a spare room and an extra dresser for just such things, but really, if you don't have room for 50 extra items of clothing... don't buy it. This is how I store mine...

 

Hope this helps you start your stockpile for little ones! And believe me, it's SO much fun to pull out a huge pile of clothes that you paid hardly anything for!