By now you have probably started looking for winter coats for your family. Hopefully, you were able to get a good deal on them, if not here are some tips for getting the best deals on winter outerwear.
- Buy at the end of the season. Stick this tip on a board, put a pin in it, and save it for February or March of next year. Buying at the end of the season is the best way to save big. There are always huge sales and stores just want to get rid of their inventory.
- Check out thrift and consignment stores. You never know what you’ll find at your local Goodwill or Arc. Most kids only wear a winter coat or ski pants or even boots for a few months. Many parents donate those used clothes and that is where you score big time. This is the time of the year when we start pulling out our winter gear and sometimes find that it doesn’t fit so it goes into the donation pile. That means coats and other winter gear are still making their way into these stores and they could be just what you are looking for.
- Compare prices online. If you haven’t already, download the Amazon app on your phone. You can scan price tags and quickly see if you are getting a good deal. You can even take a picture of a jacket and it will recognize that you are shopping for jackets. Try your local Craigslist for outwear as well, you never know what you may find. Another good place to start is thredUP. This online consignment retailer has new inventory coming in all the time.
- Ask friends. If you have friends who also have kids who are just ahead or behind you, they may be up for exchanging jackets or even selling them to you for cheaper than you would buy them.
- Set up a swap! You can organize a clothing swap in your neighborhood, church, child’s school, community center, etc. You’ll need a place to hold the swap. Make sure it has an area for trying clothes on. Make sure there is plenty of space to display the clothes. You’ll need to recruit a few helpers to sort and hang clothes. You can ask to pass out flyers at your kids’ school, your church, scout meetings, the grocery store, etc. For more details on setting up a successful swap, check out this article from The Swapaholics. While you can include anything into your swap, try starting small. Host a swap just for kids’ outwear and with specific ages. Remember to get something you have to bring something.
How do you find the best deals on winter coats and outerwear?
