Here are some simple tips to help keep shopping for your kids wardrobe in perspective.

1. Stop The Impulses - How many parents can walk into a store, see a precious little outfit and not exclaim how cute it would look on their little girl? It probably doesn’t happen often and retailers know that. Impulse buying kid’s clothes can cost you a pretty penny so avoid it as much as possible. Sure it would look great on your kid, but college funds look better.

2. Don’t Shop Retail – There are so many great liquidation-type stores available nowadays where you can find bargains and still retain quality and brand names, without the large costs. A slight drawback to the liquidation stores is occasionally it takes a good hunter to find a good bargain. Liquidation stores often contain a large mixture of clothing and other items that may not be in as neat an order as a upscale department store. Nevertheless, the same brand name clothing can be found for a reduced price at these liquidation and outlet stores. Remember when you buy clothes for older children, stick to basic colors or patterns so they will be able to be handed down to younger siblings regardless of gender.

3. Shop for Seconds – Thrift stores offer plenty of selections on children’s clothes, though not all are in the best of condition. However, when looking for infant clothing, dress pants, and blouses for kids tends to not get much use so the items available in a secondhand shop are likely to be like new. Plus, it doesn’t make much sense to spend a fortune on articles of clothing that your child will hardly wear. Be sure to check all clothing for holes, ripped seams, and missing pieces such as buttons or defective zippers, even if the tags are still attached.

4. Save On Designs – What parent hasn’t been assaulted by the marketing ploys involved in children’s products? Unfortunately, it is usually the kids who get hooked on images and products they see repeatedly on television commercials and repeatedly pester parents to make the purchase of the latest pop-culture phenomenon. To combat the pressure of the tykes, try looking at craft stores for appliqués to add to a plain t-shirt, which cost way less licensed character items. Your kid will have a one of a kind item and your budget will remain intact.

5. Trade Around – If you are friendly with other parents who have children of varying ages, organize a clothes trade. Gather all of the clothing your children no longer can wear and put it in a box. Pass the box to the other families who can do the same thing. Once each family has had a chance to peruse the box at least one time, donate all the remaining items to the secondhand store.

5 Tips for Cost-Effectively Restocking Your Child’s Closet was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Don’t Snub the Thrift Stores

Younger kids are just plain tough of clothing but often grow out of clothes before they have a chance to cause real damage. Thrift stores are a great place to find jeans and denim shorts for really good prices. If you have never checked out the local thrift store, you would be surprised at the items for sale that still have the original tags. People often donate items when they clean out their closets so many things are still in great condition.

Check Out Resale Stores

There are often resale stores that specialize in children’s items and clothing. Items found at these stores usually are new or very close to new and are available for reasonable prices.

Ebay

Lots of parents turn to the internet to sell items year round instead of waiting for nice yard sale weather. Oftentimes there are sellers who sell clothing in lots by size and gender. For example, you could bid on a whole wardrobe of girl’s clothes size 6X. Most sellers post pictures and descriptions of the items.

Sears Kid Advantage

The retail giant Sears offers a special program called Kid Advantage that is free to consumers who purchase kids clothing. Kid Advantage allows you to replace torn or worn out clothing. The only condition is that you must replace it with the same size, same or similar brand, and same price. Remember to always keep your receipts in an easy-to-find location so that exchanges are simple.

Stick to the Basics

While marketing to kids is a huge and mostly unavoidable industry, you can save a whopping amount of money by skipping the Hannah Montana t-shirt aisle and buying basic t-shirts and shorts and more reasonable prices. Buy solid colors that can be mixed and matched with each other. Avoid patterns that are hard to match with everything else. Buy character clothing for special occasions or only when on clearance.

Buy More than One

When you find a good bargain on summer clothing that fits and looks great, buy more than one while you have the chance so you don’t regret it later. You may also consider buying the next size up for the next summer season.

Learn to Say No Without Guilt

Again, with the high impact of kid-friendly marketing, kids will beg and plead for the latest, “coolest” clothing. To sustain your budget, you have to stand firm with your decisions. But you can also consider some compromises. For instance, you can’t really afford to buy that Tinkerbelle sun dress but the Tinkerbelle socks may be more affordable.

Time to Clothe the Kids Again was created by and is property of American Consumer News.