How to Dress Your Family Well on a Budget 

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How to Dress Your Family Well on a Budget 

You can get name-brand items without going to a million stores hunting for sales for less time and money. And you can sell outgrown or never worn items without garage sales.

These magical places are consignment stores, where you can shop for many brands simultaneously! Remember the Devil Wears Prada scene where Anne Hathaway’s character transforms into a fashionista in a giant designer closet? That’s these places without the sticker shock. 

The stores become your shoppers – they know all the “cool brands” for your kids and are much cheaper than retail! You can change outfits as often as seasons change or children grow. This is my family dresses affordable season after season. 

The stores curate and display gently used, never worn, or outgrown clothes, so shopping there feels like a retail experience, except cheaper. Customers bring in items, and the staff selects the best resaleable items, and then the team will give consigners cash for the things they want to purchase to sell in their store or in-store credit. Buyers get a great deal, sellers receive money, and store owners get some of the profits! Call ahead to see if they accept items and the maximum amount (usually a large tote). 

We also consign our daughter’s toys, books, activities, and décor. This adds money to our family’s clothing budget, and she gets to buy some “fun stuff” if she agrees to help select and try clothing. We also use the one-of-each rule: one type of each must-have thing every season. Once we get the items home, we organize our closets and dresser drawers by color. This way, getting ready is a breeze in the mornings!

So, as it gets colder in Iowa, it’s the perfect time to try consignment stores! Or try new places if you are already a part of this club of bargain shoppers. 

Local Des Moines Area Kids Consignment Stores

  • Kidding Around – 10201 University Ave Suite C2 Clive, IA 50325 – Great selection of seasonal and dressy clothes, and the cutest boutique items and bows.
  • Once Upon a Child – 10465 Hickman Road Urbandale, IA 50322 – Bins of shoes, seasonal items, and cute PJs and coats.
  • Duck Worth Wearing – 2410 SW White Birch Dr. Suite 102, Ankeny, IA 50023 – Athletic, trendy clothes, and they carry Melissa and Doug (if your kiddo needs that extra incentive to try on clothes).
  • Me N Mommy to Be – 1690 SE Delaware Avenue Ankeny, Iowa 50021 – Clothes for newborns to teens with great seasonal selections.
  • Stuff Etc – 8700 Hickman Rd, Clive, IA 50325 & 906 E 1st St, Ankeny, IA 50021 – Often carries seasonal clothing and team gear. 
  • Platos Closet – 1605 SE Delaware Ave, Ankeny, IA 50021 & 5550 Wild Rose Ln, West Des Moines, IA 50266 – Trendy teens and young adults only.
  • The Loft Resale – 2405 SW White Birch Dr. Suite 103, Ankeny, IA 50023 – The grown-up version of Duck Worth Wearing – lots of trendy items and a large selection of accessories.

Pop Up Kids Des Moines Area Consignment Events 

These are seasonal and run by groups of parents who consign their clothes for a multi-date kids’ shopping extravaganza! 

  • Just Between Friends – Mega-sale at the State Fairgrounds – Fall and spring 
  • Take 2 – Mega-sale at the State Fairgrounds – The next sale is mid-October. 
  • Kids Closet – Stay tuned for the next Christmas-time sale! 
  • Rhea Lana – Twice a year in the Ankeny area.

Online Consignment Stores

Most offer millions of listings sorted by brands, sometimes free shipping, and buyer protection. Some sites charge minimal fees or provide an option to sell locally. If you sell locally, do it safely! Meet in a public place or do “porch pickup.”

In the age of Amazon prime, we want to get what we need and get on with our lives. Now you have some quick, painless, and budget-friendly ways to dress your family. Don’t forget to pick up Halloween costumes while you’re there!

Chantel Boyd

Chantel Boyd

Chantel Boyd is a resident of Johnston and a native Iowan. She runs a creative marketing agency with her husband. In her free time, she loves spending time outdoors with her family, fishing, riding horses, hunting for Morel mushrooms, and exploring wildlife. Chantel is excited to share all her secrets about how to get out in the area and enjoy nature as a family! Chantel Boyd is the Co-Owner of Boyd Creative, a boutique creative marketing studio she runs with her husband, Andrew. https://www.boydcreativeprintshop.com https://www.instagram.com/boydcreativeprintshop/ https://www.facebook.com/BoydCreativePrintShop

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