Match secondhand clothes before you leave the store
Liz frequents resale shops (something we strongly endorse!). Here's how she keeps a lid on impulse buys:
I buy a lot of baby clothes at the thrift store. You can get a great bargain but, I noticed that I was ending up with a lot pieces that didn’t go together. Now I grab the things I like and check sizes then hunt for matching stuff in the appropriate size. This helps me be a little more selective so I don't go away with the whole store and I only purchase matched outfits that I know we'll use.
Even though as a hack this is not a bad one, I can't resist commenting on the "matching" as such. For me (and I bet a lot of busy moms) it hardly ever matters anymore if things match. Dry, clean(ish), and fitting well are much more important. I so remember the day my -then 4yr old- stepson asked my opinion on his outfit: "does this match?" I answered "yes" (it actually did), but then asked why he asked. He said his mom wanted him to wear matching clothes. It really hurt me at the time, to put such a social stigma on such a young child. For no real reason.
Yes, there are times that it is appropriate. But the other 90% of the time -- let it go. She will much more enjoy picking out clothing for herself and bask in the pride of having put it on herself.
Posted by: Mieke | 19 April 2006 at 09:41 AM
Sigh. The last line read "< /rant off >". Figures.
Posted by: Mieke | 19 April 2006 at 09:42 AM
Great tip! If you browse a bit more closely you can often find the matching item on a different rail, very often you can get a whole outfit for next to nothing!
Matching doesn't matter so much for my sons clothes....any t shirt goes with jeans after all but my daughters clothes are a bit more tricky!
Posted by: Lisa | 19 April 2006 at 03:45 PM