Pregnancy is one of the most exciting times of most women’s lives, but it also has the potential to be one of the most expensive. With the joy and excitement of having a new baby also comes the responsibility of financing all of the necessities involved with raising a child. Baby clothes, diapers, formula, car seats, strollers, cribs, toys, and nursery decorations are just a small portion of the expenses you’ll incur while waiting for your newborn to arrive. Many of these things, such as diapers, are fixed costs- that is, they aren’t often available secondhand or at discounted rates, so you’ll be forced to simply pay what the market demands. Some of the costs of pregnancy, however, such as maternity clothing, can be lessened. Below you will find the top three ways to save on maternity wear:
1. Raid your closet
Chances are, if you’re anything like most women, you probably have a few pairs of oversized sweatpants or t-shirts hiding somewhere in your closet. And, while these articles of clothing probably aren’t nice enough to leave the house in, there’s no reason you can’t wear them while lounging around your home on a lazy weekend day. So use these large clothes to your advantage! Just because something isn’t specifically designated as maternity wear certainly doesn’t mean that it won’t serve the same purpose as fancier (and pricier) maternity clothes. If you have any men living in your home, ask permission to raid their closets as well. Men’s shirts tend to fit much looser- perfect for expecting mothers.
2. Ask around
Nearly everyone knows someone who has been pregnant within the past few years, so before rushing out to purchase expensive maternity clothes from department store or maternity boutique, be sure to ask your family members, friends, and coworkers if they know of any women who would be willing to give or lend their old maternity clothes to you. Chances are, at least a few of these women will have no intention of having more children in the near future, so they’ll probably have very little use for these old maternity clothes. Even if they aren’t willing to give the clothes up for free, at worst, they might offer to sell them to you at a discounted price.
3. Find yard sales
Yard sales and garage sales are an absolute goldmine for expecting mothers. If you’re pregnant and you happen upon a yard sale that’s selling used maternity clothes or baby clothes, definitely take advantage of the opportunity! When people hold yard sales, they’re usually desperate to be rid of the things that they’ve put on sale. In the majority of cases, they’ve realized that they no longer have any use for the items and simply want someone else to take them off their hands. That’s where you come in. Just think: Most of the maternity clothes you’ll find at yard sales have been worn through only a small part of a single pregnancy, usually four of fives months at most. And the prices at yard sales simply can’t be beat: You can expect to pay somewhere around fifty cents to two dollars for each article of clothing.
If you’re an expecting mother, there’s no need to stress about paying for maternity clothes. By shopping at yard sales, asking acquaintances about obtaining used maternity clothes for free, and using your old oversized clothes for pajamas, lounge wear, and housework, you’ll save quite a substantial amount of money on maternity wear. Then you can use all that money to purchase more of the things you’ll need for your baby or just treat yourself to something special.
The Women’s Center-Sidney is a pregnancy resource center that serves women of Shelby, Auglaize, Miami and surrounding counties in the state of Ohio. The center provides free pregnancy tests, limited ultrasound scans, prenatal vitamins, consulting on pregnancy decisions and an educational and material assistance program.
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