Budget
When it comes to Blake needing new clothes, shoes or toys then I try and do a budget.
I look at what he needs and then decided how much I can spend. Most of Blake's clothing are second hand and I do a budget for what to spend on second hand clothing and new clothing. I also do this with toys, I've not had to purchase many toys recently as he got loads for Christmas and his Birthday which are pretty close together. I have however purchased books for him as he loves for me or Stuart to read to him.
Buy Second Hand
As children grow out of clothing so quickly most stuff are in Excellent condition so buying second hand is a great way to save money. I use Ebay a lot to buy clothing for Blake and charity shops and boots sales are also great places to find bargains.
Shop in supermarkets
Supermarkets such as Tesco have a fab range in store and/or online and they tend to be much cheaper than shops such as Next for example. This also applies to toys as well.
Shop around
If your child needs for example a new pair of jeans shop around and see if you can find cheaper ones. If you are shopping online make sure you also factor in postage costs. It's pointless spending £6 on a pair of jeans if the postage is £3,99 and you can buy some in another shop for £8. For toys its a good idea to shop around as prices vary from store to store and sometimes Amazon works out cheaper.
Accept Cast offs
If you know someone who has a little one who is a little older and are getting rid of their child's clothing or toys and asks if you would like them, accept. I was passed on some clothing for Blake which he has worn and it's saved me a bit of money.
Buy in the Sales
This is pretty obvious shops have sales on throughout the year ready to get new season items in so why not buy in the sales and save £s in doing so. Toys also go on sale for example I knew I wanted Blake to have the Happy Land Train Set for Christmas and my Mum was going to get it him. I found it on the ELC website down to £22 from £50 and told her so she snapped it up whilst it was on sale.
Buy out of season
This kind of relates to buying in the sales. For example if after Christmas all the winter clothing goes on sale buy for the next year.
Stock pile
I like to stock pile when I see a good offer on and I've already got Blake 3 of his presents hidden for Christmas/Birthday.
Buy only what is needed
If you think your child doesn't really need something he/she probably doesn't.
Write a list of what is needed when it comes to clothing such as x3 Jeans, x3 joggers etc.
I also make sure Blake has clothing that he can get messy in as well as the more nicer clothing.
Buy Unisex Items
If you are planning on having another child it's a good idea to try and buy a few unisex items of clothing and toys. Most of Blake's clothing from when he was newborn are all unisex so ideal for when we have another child. Although Blake has toys such as trains, cars and football; I also plan on buying him dolls etc. If we have a girl one day she will be playing with Blake's toys and I have no problem with girls playing with trains and cars, just like I have no issues with Blake having a doll.
