There is something terribly frustrating about spending $35 (or $75 if you shop in the stores I can't even afford to look at) for an outfit that your baby can only wear for a few months. We can't stop our children from growing, but we can become expert shoppers, finding discounts, deals and amazing bargains. So where do we start? Here is what I have learned after shopping for four children:

Search second hand stores. Many towns have thrift stores specifically for baby and toddler clothes. Many times you can find clothes with the tags still on (we've all forgotten about an outfit until baby has grown out of it already, haven't we?). New clothes, but for less than half of the new clothes price. For clothing that has been worn, look carefully for clothing integrity. Are the seams loose or the hem stitching frayed? Are their worn spots on the knee? Be frugal, but don't buy things that look cheap.

Shop a season ahead. At the end of the summer, when all the summer clothes go on sale, buy for next summer and spend half as much. Sure, you might not get the latest fashions, but does it really matter to your six month old?

Shop online. Almost every clothing website has a bargains section, where they group together all items that are on sale or on clearance. Search these often. Many times new items are listed and then gone on a daily basis. Sign up for email notifications of sales and deals. Many stores offer 10-30% discounts for registered costumers and will also notify you when free shipping is available. Before you purchase online, use a search engine to see if you can find any additional coupon codes or promotions that are currently going on for that specific retailer (for example, go to google and type in 'online coupon codes, old navy'). There are websites, such as www.momsview.com that have an entire section dedicated to listing coupon codes and discounts for online retailers. If you can't find any promotions listed, consider calling the retailer directly and asking them if they can offer you 10% off, or free shipping. Even online stores care about customer courtesy and want your return business; ask them to earn your business.

Finally, search online auction sites such as ebay. (I suggest this hesitantly because I have seen people on ebay end up paying more for an item than they would have payed full price in a store simply because they got caught up in the thrill of "winning" a bid, outbidding others until the price was no longer actually a bargain.) Many sellers on ebay will list an entire 'lot' of clothing, meaning, a group of clothes all in one size. If that size happens to be the size of your baby, you're in luck! Be smart though. Email the seller. Ask a lot of questions, and don't forget to factor in the cost of shipping. You can find good deals on ebay, but you have to be smart about it.

Learn more about this author, Jenny Proctor.
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