How I Save 50-70% On My Kids' Clothes Every Season (Without Overbuying)

Quick note: some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means if you grab something through them, I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). I only share items that meet my criteria (great quality at 40%+ off), even if they're for ages or styles outside my own girls.

I used to wait until the season hit to shop for my girls' clothes.

The weather would shift overnight, the girls would suddenly need pants that actually fit, and I'd find myself online at 9pm trying to pull together a whole wardrobe in a panic.

It was always the same story.

Everything was FULL PRICE. The pieces I REALLY wanted were already sold out in their sizes. And by the time I added in shipping, my "quick little order" had ballooned into a number that made me cringe.

I'd close my laptop annoyed at myself, knowing I just spent way too much for way too little.

I was you for years.

Then a few seasons ago, I made one small change to the way I shop for them. And it has saved me 50-70% on the majority of their clothes ever since. Without sacrificing quality. Without buying junk just because it was on sale.

Let me walk you through exactly how it works:

I started buying their clothes one full season ahead, from clearance.

That's it. That's the whole thing.

But there's a method to making it actually work (instead of leaving you with a bin full of random pieces nobody wants to wear). It took me a few embarrassing seasons of getting it wrong to figure out the right way to do this... so let me just save you the trial and error.

What I Buy: Staples Only

The key word here is staples.

I am not stocking up on trendy graphic tees or anything that screams "Spring 2025!" I'm shopping for the pieces my girls will need no matter what ends up being "in" next year. 

Things like (with links to examples I purchased for this upcoming winter):

• Leggings
• Jeans
• Plain tops (long sleeve for fall, short sleeve for spring)
• Sweaters
• Sweatshirts and hoodies
• Plain dresses
• Pajamas

These are the pieces that mix and match with literally anything. They pair with whatever trendy item ends up being the "must-have" of the season. And they don't go out of style in 8 months (which matters even more for the tween and teen ages, where the trends shift constantly).

Because these are the pieces they'll reach for the most, I'm NOT skimping on quality. Cheap leggings that pill after one wash are not a deal at any price. I'm not chasing "the cheapest." I'm chasing the best price on items I would happily pay full price for if I had to.

What I Don't Buy Ahead

Knowing what to skip is just as important as knowing what to grab.

Here are the things I do NOT buy ahead, no matter how good the deal looks:

• Anything trendy or "of the moment"
• Shoes (their feet grow weirdly and unpredictably)
• Items they need to try on for fit (anything fitted at the waist, especially)
• Anything I'm not 100% sure they'll still want to wear in 6 months

If I'm guessing about whether they'll still love it later, I leave it. The whole point of this system is to spend LESS, not to buy more stuff that ends up donated unworn.

When I'm Shopping (And For What)

Here's how I keep this straight in my head: shop the OPPOSITE season's clearance for the season coming up next year.

Right now, in spring, I'm buying for fall and winter. Stores are clearing out their winter inventory hard to make room for summer. Which means it's prime time to grab fall and winter staples.

Then in late summer, when summer gear hits clearance to make room for back-to-school and fall, I'll be hunting for swimsuits, swim towels, and summer basics for next year.

The two windows you really want to circle on your calendar:

• April through May: Deep winter clearance
• August through October: Deep summer clearance

These are when the markdowns get the most aggressive (sometimes hitting 80% off) because retailers are desperate to clear floor space for incoming inventory.

SOMETIMES, they are also getting rid of last year's stock in clearance. So i'll grab some current/upcoming items as well (BONUS!) like this swimsuit from abercrombie kids that's only $9.97 3 weeks from pool season. ☀️

Sizing (This Is Where People Get Nervous)

I size up one full size in most items. My girls grow fast, and one size up usually fits them perfectly by the time the season actually hits.

For pieces that are okay being oversized (hoodies, sweatshirts, baggy tops, oversized tees), I'll go up two sizes. Those tend to look really cute oversized for one season... and then they fit normally the next season.

So I get TWO seasons of wear out of one purchase. Win.

For more fitted items like jeans or leggings, I stick to one size up only. You don't want a kid swimming in their leggings.

If you have NO idea how much your kid is going to grow, my rule of thumb is to glance at how much they grew in the last 6 months. Whatever happened then is probably going to happen again. So if they jumped a full size last fall, plan for the same growth this fall. I like to err on the side of too big vs too small bc then they can grow into it if needed. 

The Discount Rule

This is the one rule I really try not to break.

I only buy items that are at least 40% off. My sweet spot is closer to 50-75% off, which is where the real magic happens.

If something I love is only 25% off, I leave it. Either the price will drop further, or I'll find something similar somewhere else. There is always another sale. Always.

A few tactics for finding the deepest deals:

• Watch end-of-season clearance in waves. Prices keep dropping the longer something has been on the rack. Sometimes it pays to wait another two weeks for that 60% to become 70%. I check these usually once a week. 
• Check direct brand websites. They often go deeper on clearance than department stores carrying the same items.

Don't Want to Hunt for Deals Yourself?

Listen, I get it.

Some weeks you do not have the bandwidth to go price-stalking three different websites looking for 60%-off leggings. I've been there.

So I keep a running list of clearance staples I've personally vetted (using all the criteria above). It updates anytime I find something good that htis ALL criteria. 

Click here to get an updated list of items for you. 

Skim it whenever you have a few minutes. I do the hunting. You do the grabbing.

Always Check the Return Policy

This one tripped me up a couple times before I learned my lesson.

A LOT of clearance items are FINAL SALE. So before you check out, take a quick peek at the return policy on each item. If it says non-returnable, just be a little pickier about what you're adding to your cart (and extra careful about sizing).

When in doubt, I'll size up by two on a final-sale hoodie before I'd risk being too small.

My Storage System (Of Course There's a System)

You did not think "the decluttered mom" was going to send you off without a system, did you?

Here's mine. It could not be simpler.

I have one labeled bin for each upcoming season. The bin I'm filling right now is labeled "Fall Winter 2026." When something arrives, I open it, check it, and toss it in the bin.

Then I set a phone alarm for mid-August for fall/winter (or early May for spring/summer).

When that alarm goes off, I pull the bin out, the girls try everything on, and we sort it into three piles:

• Fits now (goes straight into their drawers for back-to-school)
• Doesn't fit (donate or pass to a friend)
• Save for later (back in the bin, relabeled, alarm reset for next round)

One bin per season. One alarm. Done.

Quick tip that changed everything for me: I keep a running list in my phone notes of what's already in each bin. Just a quick line as I add stuff (like "size 10 black leggings, 2 pair" or "size 12 oversized hoodie"). That way when I see another deal on leggings, I can check my notes before doubling up on something I already have.

Bonus Categories To Stock Up On

While you're already in clearance mode, here are two categories that go DEEP on markdowns and are easy to miss:

In spring/summer clearance, grab: winter hats, gloves, snow boots, snow pants, heavier coats, and winter pajamas. Retailers slash these prices because they want them out of the warehouse before next season's stock arrives.

In winter clearance, grab: swimsuits, swim towels, sun hats, sandals, summer pajamas, and shorts.

Stockpile these once a year and you'll basically never pay full price for them again.

The Mistakes I Made Early On (So You Can Skip Them)

I did not get this perfect on the first try. (Spoiler: I still slip up sometimes.)

Here are the big mistakes I made when I started, so you can save yourself the trouble:

Mistake #1: I bought TOO far ahead. Like, two seasons ahead. By the time we got there, my girls had grown more than I anticipated, and half the items didn't fit. Stick to ONE season ahead, max.

Mistake #2: I bought trendy items because they were on clearance. They were on clearance for a reason... nobody wanted them anymore. They sat in the bin all season and never got worn. Stick to staples. I ONLY buy trendy if my kids love them and they can wear them now (or within a few weeks). 

Mistake #3: I underestimated growth. I'd buy true-to-size and then 6 months later, nothing fit. Now I always size up, especially in items that need to actually fit "right."

Mistake #4: I forgot what was already in the bin. I would see something on sale, think "oh, I need that for fall!" and then realize I'd already bought 8 long-sleeve tops in fall colors months earlier. That's how the bin notes list was born.

"But Wait, You're the Decluttered Mom..."

I can hear the question already.

"If you're the decluttered mom, why are you promoting buying things?"

Totally fair question!  Here's my honest answer.

We ALL have to buy things. My kids need clothes on their bodies. That's just the reality of having growing humans in your house.

I am not trying to never spend money. I'm trying to spend it in a way that doesn't lead to overbuying or overspending.

Here's the thing nobody tells you about panic-shopping in-season: it leads to over-buying. When you're stressed and your kid needs pants TODAY, you grab whatever fits, at whatever price, in whatever quality. Half the items end up being meh. They get worn a few times and donated. You spent a fortune for a closet full of mediocre stuff.

But when you plan ahead, calmly, with intention?

You buy LESS. You buy BETTER. You only bring home pieces you actually love and that fit the staples-only criteria. Quality over quantity, every time.

That isn't the opposite of decluttering. That IS decluttering. It's choosing intention over chaos.

It also leaves real room in our clothing budget for the moments when one of my girls REALLY wants a specific item that season... and I can say yes without breaking the bank, because the rest of her wardrobe was already 60% off.

That is not more shopping. That is smart shopping.

A Few Of My Recent Favorites

Here are some pieces I've grabbed (or am eyeing right now) that hit all the criteria above:

• My 12 year old's FAVORITE pair of Jeans is on sale for $19.99 (from $59.95)
• My 9 year old is super excited to wear this Shacket this fall 

And if you missed it earlier, here's the full running list of clearance staples I keep updated:

Clothing Staples Link (Deals I have found and that pass all my criteria at time of posting!)

Bookmark it and check back often (especially in March/April and August/September when the big seasonal markdowns drop).

For Younger Kids/Toddlers:

The strategy is slightly different here, as toddlers don't typically care about trends like your tweens or early elementary kids might. I'm more willing to get graphic tee's/onesies etc. at these ages bc I know they will just wear whatever I put on them. For them I watch for big sales like Carters has randomly - and I created a board for toddler clothes that fit the criteria here as well. 

Your First Step

If you've never done this before, please do not try to rebuild your kids' entire wardrobe ahead of time on day one. That's a recipe for getting overwhelmed and giving up.

Just pick ONE category you know they'll need next season. Maybe it's leggings. Maybe it's hoodies.

Watch the clearance markdowns over the next few weeks. When something hits 50% off, in a size that's one up from where they are now, in a quality you would happily pay full price for... grab a few. Toss them in a labeled bin. Set the alarm.

That's it. That's how it starts.

You don't need to spend a fortune to keep your kids in good clothes.

You just need a system.

And now you have one.

P.S. The very first time I tried this, I grabbed four hoodies for my oldest at 70% off. She wore one of them for two full school years. TWO YEARS. And the total cost of all four hoodies was less than what I would have paid for ONE full-price hoodie that fall. That's the moment I knew I was never going back to shopping "normally".