Let’s face it, when you have children, there are a lot of costs involved and things to buy to make life easier.
They need clothes, toys, furniture, carseats, strollers, bouncers, etc.
Kids grow out of these items quickly so consider getting items second hand.
There’s no need to pay full price or buy everything brand new when these things will only be used for a short period of time.
Here are 7 resources to find discount items for your kids.
1. Garage Sale Groups on Facebook
A garage sale group is a like a Craigslist, but on Facebook. People who live in the same community post things for sale, one item at a time or a bunch of items.
Because it’s on Facebook, you can see a photo of the person you are buying from or selling to. And it’s easy to buy and sell items.
If a member of the group wants to buy an item, they post a comment saying that they’re interested. Whoever is first in line gets first dibs.
They can communicate with the seller to arrange a time to pick up or pass on it so the next person in line has a chance to buy it. There are also a list of rules to follow.
Where I used to live, there were several of these groups with active members. This is by far the best place I have found amazing deals. People were selling toys for $5!
To find a garage sale group, go to the Facebook search box and type in keywords like “San Francisco garage sale,” “San Francisco sale”, San Francisco shop and sell”, or “San Francisco treasures.” There are so many different names used. If you can’t find any, ask friends if they know of any.
2. Consignment Sales Events
These are huge sales events held in a convention center or church gym where you can find deeply discounted items for baby and kids. It’s a great place to find unbelievable deals on second hand playhouses, strollers, car seats, cribs, toys, clothes, books, pack n’ plays, nursing pillows, etc.
To find one in your area, do a Google search with keywords like “San Francisco kids consignment sales.” Just Between Friends is a popular event in our area.
3. Consignment Stores
Consignment stores are great places to find baby items, toys, and clothes. I have gotten a cute Hello Kitty raincoat, almost new toys, and shoes there.
4. thredUP
thredUP is an online consignment store for women and kids clothes, shoes, and accessories. They carry gently used, brand name items, such as Gymboree, GapKids, Ralph Lauren, and Zara Kids. And you get them at a fraction of the original price.
I have found cute clothes for myself and my daughter and deeply discounted prices. Get $10 now to spend on your first purchase. (You’ll have to enter your email address to access the site.)
5. Zulily
Zulily is a deal site for brand new, boutique items for baby, kids, and women. Each day they feature sales for high quality brands that are for a limited time.
Zulily has some really cute, gift worthy products at good prices. The only drawback is that you have to wait 2 – 3 weeks for items to arrive.
6. craigslist
By now, everyone knows about craigslist. I haven’t found as many good deals on craigslist compared to the other resources listed above.
Deals may vary by region. In my area, people seem to be selling things for more than 50% of the regular price, which is discouraging.
In my opinion, if the item is used and it’s being sold for just $10 off from the original price of $50, I might as well buy it brand new and save myself the trouble of trying to meet up with the person and dealing with a used product.
7. Freecycle
Freecycle is a community group where you can find things for free. You can give or get stuff for free. Go to Freecycle.org to find a group near you.
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