Hand me downs - do you use them?

We've been lucky with clothes for our little one -- between gifts from friends and family and a lot of hand me downs as well, we haven't really had to buy much at all during her first year. Hand me downs especially have really been amazing. So many things that we got for free from people had been barely used, and were virtually brand new. Can't get much better than that!

Have you been using hand me downs (whether it's clothes, furniture, toys, whatever!) from others?

I absolutely used hand me downs, then I started shopping at consignment sales. I've probably spent much less than $500 in 5 years for clothing. Once you start shopping consignment sales, you see that there are plenty of barely used things out there for only a few dollars. I find Osh Kosh, Old Navy, Polo, Carters, Gymboree, all that good stuff.

I know some people might dislike the idea of wearing used clothes, but when you see the clothes are barely worn for one season before they are handed down, you realize there is still plenty of life life in the item and were probably only worn a handful of times.

I would say that pretty much half of my entire wardrobe is hand me downs. It is certainly one of the benefit of being the youngest sibling, and of course it means that I am saving a good amount of money when it comes to clothing. I am one of those people who does not enjoy shopping either, so it really works for me there.

BarbieDoll said:
I know some people might dislike the idea of wearing used clothes, but when you see the clothes are barely worn for one season before they are handed down, you realize there is still plenty of life life in the item and were probably only worn a handful of times.

This is exactly what we've found with the things we've been given. Even with the stuff that we were given new as gifts, it's a matter of being worn a couple of times before they've grown out of it (since they seem to grow at the speed of light!!)


And yes, consignment stores are wonderful for a whole host of baby stuff! I love finding bargains - it's just so much help to the budget when you can get great quality things for a good price!

We couldn't live without hand me downs! With three under three, they are outgrowing clothes like clothes grow on trees! Our youngest mainly has clothes which were her sisters about 12 months ago. We also keep all their clothes to give to my sisters when they have children. I know a lot of people who turned up their nose at second hand clothes, but once you have kids and are buying clothes or shoes every month, you they start to realise hand me downs aren't so bad.

Having three kids, I am all for hand me downs! I even do a "swap" website online in my area where other parents have clothing that is gently used that you can swap for others. This makes so much sense when your little ones are growing so fast in the first few years. I also like to do this with holiday dresses. They only wear them once, and then its back in the closet! By the time the next kid wears it, it looks brand new still.

Yes we recycle everything that proves to keep well. By keep well I mean...doesn't look like a hand me down per say. I most definitely let my children wear each others clothes once they get too small for the other. This is the only way I can be sure to get my hard earned money's worth. I will make sure we get the most bang for our buck...so that is why I buy good quality things so that they will last and last...to eventually become a hand me down.

sheebah7 said:
Yes we recycle everything that proves to keep well. By keep well I mean...doesn't look like a hand me down per say. I most definitely let my children wear each others clothes once they get too small for the other. This is the only way I can be sure to get my hard earned money's worth. I will make sure we get the most bang for our buck...so that is why I buy good quality things so that they will last and last...to eventually become a hand me down.

That's a good point you make there - sometimes it's better to fork out a bit more for a quality garment that you know will wash and wear better than another cheaper brand. I certainly have my favorite brands that hold up well in the washer and dryer - I've had other brands that I have essentially "blacklisted" because their items just don't wash well, or have shrunk even though they say they're fine to go in the dryer!

We definitely make use of hand me downs! We even have a hand me down box in our home, and when my siblings or parents come to visit, they usually dig through it to see if anything fits. My husband and step dad is about the same size, so we usually joke to say that he is coming to do shopping when he visits!

Yes, we use hand-me-downs! From clothes, to furniture and even toys. I was fortunate enough with my first born to have two nieces a year older then my daughter. So, from the time she was born, up until she was 6 we didn't have to buy any clothes for her. It saved us hundreds of dollars just on her. We have also inherited couches, tables, books you name it. Every bit helps.

I am a little particular about hand me downs, yeah, I have a problem. I can handle toys and books. But clothing must be from a very close relative that I am certain of their hygiene patterns. I freak out when a rash is on my boy, talk less of a skin disease.

I do make sure whatever hand me down is given is properly washed by me before use. But my next child would use my older child's hand me downs

Most definitely. Hand me downs are a godsend especially with how fast they grow out of clothes. Baby clothes can be expensive for the amount of time they wear them. I always welcomed hand me downs whether it was clothes or anything that I could use. Being a single parent is hard enough without wondering how I am going to afford to buy new clothes every few months. After they were done with the clothes, I would pass them on to someone else if I knew someone who needed them. If no one could use them then I would sell them.

On the topic of hand me downs, we just got a super cute bookshelf that my neighbours were getting rid of and we've used it in our little one's room! Gave it a lick of paint and it looks awesome, and its given us some good storage space for both books and toys. Love getting a freebie!!

yes and yes to hand me down. I have three daughters. Most of there clothes was given to them from friends and family who have kids. They have alot of clothes and I don't spend for clothes unless if needed like panty or other clothing that might be needed otherwise all of my daughters clothes have been pre loved.

Yes I love hand me downs. I have two boys and they 13 and 6. The 6 year old lives almost sole on the hand me downs from his brother. He gets everything from his older brother's bikes, toys, hockey equipment and of course clothes. He doesn't mind yet so it's all he knows. If fact he loves wearing his brother's old clothes. My oldest was very gentle on his clothes and I lovingly packed them away when he outgrew them so they are in perfect condition for our youngest. His godparents give him their son's clothes and toys as well. It's a great way to save money. Once he outgrows the clothes I take them to a consignment shop and resell them.

We rarely buy clothes new. We get a lot of hand me downs, although now that my kids are getting older there are less since kids take longer to grow out of their clothes. I have several consignment pages on facebook that I frequent as well as a great resale shop in our area that often has brand new items for very cheap. The one thing I have been having a harder time finding as my kids get older is used shoes. We are now buying most of their shoes new.

We have been getting many hand-me-downs especially for my second child, as I have become a stay-at-home mom before my second child was born, and I got to know more neighbors. They have always been passing me a lot of used clothes, shoes, books, etc. Perhaps they have always been seeing my little girl wearing her elder brother's t-shirts as well.

I am very grateful for the neighbors passing me the hand-me-downs, even clothes for me as well, it really saves me a lot, as I don't really need to buy any clothes for my children, except for new year. It saves the environment as well. I think those used clothes are quite comfortable, and they are suitable for kids to wear at home or in the park, and some are very new too.

I also do not mind girls wearing boys' t-shirts or shorts, so my little girl has been wearing the clothes from the elder brother. I'm keeping everything to my third baby soon too. Then after that, perhaps I'll need to find someone to giveaway all these stuffs after my children have grown up.

Definitely! I think that baby stuff (toys and clothes) is one of the most wasteful industries. The amount of stuff that gets produced and worn once (if at all!) is worrying. So unnecessarily bad for the environment. So much waste.

I definitely think that promoting a culture of reusing baby/kids clothes is very positive. So go for it! x