As many families try to ensure that one parent be able to stay home with the new baby, it is more important that ever to get your hands on hand-me-downs. But how do you do it?
For starters, you'll probably find that as soon as people know you're pregnant, you'll get offers. From close friends to neighbors, to friends of your parents that recently had grandchildren, you'll hear, "Let me know when you're ready to start getting clothes. I have bags of them that my baby has grown out of."
While you might find this surprising, it's not. Within months of having a baby, they've already grown out of the clothes they we wearing the first few weeks. And many new parents are so overwhelmed with the first one, a second child is the farthest thing from their mind.
If you're leery of taking the clothes, just in case they decide to have another, you can always return them when you're finished with them. If you don't want to take them for free, you can offer to pay a small amount for them.
The other option to get a hold of hand-me-down baby clothes is to ask. Join a group like Freecycle.org and tell anyone that will listen that you're on the hunt for hand-me-downs. By taking them on, you're doing your wallet a favor, as well as the environment.
Hand-me-down baby clothes, or "used" baby clothing need not be a dirty word. Embrace the hand-me-downs and see how quickly your baby's wardrobe grows, without your wallet shrinking.
