Where to Buy Really Cheap Clothes for Toddler Girls

Resale Shops

• If you've never traded clothing at a children's resale shop, you're seriously missing out. Gather up all the clothing your little girl has outgrown, leaving out any clothing that's stained or ripped; resale shops typically won't take those. Then bring them to the resale stores in your area during their trading hours, which may be on a more limited schedule than the store's regular hours. Some stores will give you cash for the clothing they take; others will give you store credit to buy new or gently used stuff. Another important thing to keep in mind: Many resale shops will also take other baby gear you might no longer need, such as strollers, toys or baby accessories in good condition. Also, be aware that many retailers have online shops selling cheap used goods.

Garage Sales

• You're not the only one looking for good quality clothing at seriously low prices -- and you're probably not the only one in your neighborhood looking to offload the stuff your kid has outgrown. Check out the local paper or your online classifieds and hit up the garage or yard sales in your area. Narrow down the sales you visit by looking at the descriptions of what will be included at the sale. When an ad includes words such as "family," "kids" or "baby stuff," you know it's worth visiting. Garage sales that are actually estate sales, on the other hand, probably won't have much in the way of cheap kids' stuff. When you get there, sort through the items you want and make the seller an offer for the lot. For example, if you've accumulated a dozen $1 items, offer 10 bucks for all of them.

Clothing Swaps

• Your friends and family can be another great resource for getting toddler gear really cheap -- if not free. Pick a date on which you know many people will be available, and then invite them to your home for a kids' clothing swap. Ask everyone to bring the clothing their children have outgrown, and when they arrive, sort the clothing into piles based on size. Then let everyone pick one item at a time, giving each person a chance to sort through the pile -- or make it a free-for-all where everyone sorts through the piles all at once. Make the event a bit more inviting by offering snacks and drinks and playing fun music. You might even hire a neighborhood babysitter to watch the kids while the parents do their thing.

Thrift Stores

• Your local thrift stores are another place to get really cheap clothing for your entire family. Some stores even get the new clothing that department stores couldn't sell, meaning you'll be able to choose among new and used clothing. Gather up the clothing you weren't able to offload at the resale shops, or compile all the clothing no one took at your clothing swap, and donate it to the thrift store. Some thrift stores will give you a discount coupon to use in the store when you donate items, making your shopping trip even cheaper.

Store Mailing Lists

• If you're the type who prefers only new clothing for your toddler, one way to save is to get on the mailing lists for your favorite children's clothing stores. You may have to endure getting multiple emails from the store each week, but in those emails will often be found discount coupons and notifications about upcoming sales. Some stores offer further discounts to people who sign up for their in-store lines of credit, which may be well worth it if you shop at that store frequently.