Clothes Shopping the Thrifty Way

Yesterday I went shopping at the Ashley Lauren's Closet sale. If you don't know what that is, basically it's a consignment sale held twice a year for all things children. They have pretty much anything you could think of-- clothes, maternity clothes, bedding, furniture, toys, car seats, and so on. I first started going to the sale three years ago, and I've sold stuff at it a few times too.

Yesterday I went with a mission: to find Isaac some spring/summer clothes, and maybe a couple things for Elijah too. Until I went shopping, Isaac didn't have any shorts, and only a few short-sleeved shirts. Elijah was in better shape, with several short-sleeved shirts and a few pairs of shorts. I did not want to pay more than $2 for any item, if possible. (Just a note on pricing clothes for consignment sales: I suppose that maybe some people are willing to pay eight dollars for a used shirt for a toddler, but I ain't one of them! I think the lower priced clothes tend to sell better, but that's just my opinion. Maybe I'm just cheap thrifty.)

Anyway. Mission accomplished! Isaac ended up with 9 shirts and 7 pairs of shorts, and Elijah got 3 shirts, a pair of shorts, and a pair of overalls:






Total cost? $28.50 for 21 items. That comes out to an average of $1.36 per item. It would have been slightly less, but I did spend more than $2 on Elijah's overalls. He's been wanting overalls for a long time, so when I found some in his size for around $4, I got them. Still a good deal! I'll probably go back today or tomorrow in search of a few more things for Elijah and pajamas and shoes for both boys.

So there's my plug for the day. If you want to get your kids some great, gently used clothes without spending a fortune, go check out Ashley Lauren's Closet. The sale goes on the rest of this week, from 9:00 AM-7:00 PM through Friday. Then on Saturday, from 8:00 AM-2:00 PM, they take 30% off of many of the remaining items. And, as if the savings weren't enough, the money you DO spend goes to local families instead of big companies and retail stores. That's smart shopping! ;)