Raise your hand if you enjoy inventorying and purging your kids’ wardrobe. Yeah, I don’t either! But if you implement these tips, I promise it will make it much easier and less stressful to get it done!
CREATE A WARDROBE INVENTORY CHECKLIST
Before getting started, make sure you have a predetermined wardrobe inventory list for each child. If you don’t have one and/or need some ideas, you can download one of our FREE printables (linked below).
But you can create one in the notes section on your phone, a Google spreadsheet, or a plain notebook.
WHAT SHOULD THE CHECKLIST CONTAIN?
This is totally up to you and your child’s wardrobe needs, and/or the weather where you live, etc. If you’d like, I have this blank checklist. You can download it for FREE and fill it out yourself. But I have also added pre-filled ones that I use. (you can find these linked below)
But keep in mind that each child and family is different. Some items on my list may not apply to your child or your family’s needs. Make sure your checklist contains wardrobe items that your child needs/wears. Don’t worry about matching someone else’s child’s wardrobe.
There is no right or wrong way to do this. Just make your checklist realistic for your child.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU INVENTORY/PURGE KIDS CLOTHES?
Most people typically inventory and purge their kids’ closets, maybe every season or once before school starts. But I have noticed that my kids have outgrown many of their clothes by the time those seasons come around. Then, I rush to buy them new clothes, shoes, etc., and purchase items I would otherwise not buy. Instead, I would inventory and purge their clothes more often and be updated with their wardrobe needs so I can plan and stick to my budget.
That said, I take on this task bi-monthly, sometimes sooner. It just depends on how fast my kids are growing. Some months, it seems like they grow overnight! But to be safe, I would say that bi-monthly is the most I would wait. This way, it’s not a huge, daunting task. If you do it often, it won’t take you half the day to get it done. For example, I take about 10 minutes to update my lists and purge a few items instead of a few hours. Also, remember that you’re not buying clothes every time you inventory. The point is to have an updated list so that if your child needs something, you already know beforehand. You can calmly shop for this item and ensure it’s within your budget.
HOW TO PREPARE
I suggest washing all your child’s clothing before you start an inventory/purge. This way, you ensure you go through their entire wardrobe, and nothing gets left behind. I usually wash all their clothes a day before to ensure most of them are clean. This is also helpful because if you are purging something, at least it’s clean, and you don’t have to worry about washing it to sell it, donate it, etc. This will save you time and effort, and you can leave the purge feeling relieved.
BETWEEN INVENTORY/PURGES
And although you inventory/purge often, you want to set a system up for “in-between.” I set up a large labeled basket or container inside my kids’ closets. This way, when they wear something, and it either does not fit anymore, or it’s torn, or they no longer like it, they can throw it in there, and I can give it one last look when I do my more extensive inventory/purge. This system also cuts down on the time my bi-monthly inventory/purge will take me to complete. If you have not noticed, I always want to maximize my time here! Haha!
SORTING
I prefer to first pull all the clothes, shoes, etc. out of my kids’ drawers and closets and put them all into one pile. I set four boxes up once I had gone through all their drawers and cabinets. I label the boxes – to sell, to donate, toss, and keep. Then, I go through each item individually and sort them into each box. And I recommend you sort and decide what you’re doing with the items on the same day. Otherwise, you forget about them, and they end up in a box in the garage. Or worse, back in the closet!
SELLING IT?
I donate or give away most of the clothing my kids grow out of. Because I try not to spend too much on their clothes, most items are not worth my time to sell. However, there are some items I try to sell first. These are usually items such as clothes that are in excellent condition and of good quality.
I also sell items in bulk. For example, if my son outgrew all his t-shirts and I have a few of the same size, I’ll post them to sell as a “package.” Some items aren’t worth over two bucks, and posting individually takes too much time, so it’s not worth it. But if you bulk them together, you save time and still get to sell them.
Also, jackets, sweaters, dresses, skirts, and stuff like that sell very well. Because these items are typically expensive when purchased brand new, people are always looking for these types of items. I suggest seeing for yourself what is worth selling and if it’s worth your time, etc. Also, some items sell well in different areas and not in others. It depends on what the people in your area are looking for. At least, that has been my experience.
DECIDING WHERE TO SELL
I have only sold items on Facebook Marketplace, and most things have sold quickly for me here. I like it because you can do porch pick-up without meeting with anyone in person. But I know other apps like Poshmak, Mercari, OfferUp, etc. I have not sold items on these apps yet, but I have heard good things about them. I have purchased items from OfferUp, though. It all went well. But do your research before trying any of these apps out.
HOW LONG SHOULD YOU HOLD UNSOLD ITEMS?
Honestly, I am the worst person to ask this to. I wait too long to withdraw from selling and donate or give it away. So, this is up to you. Ideally, one month; if it does not sell, let it go. But I have been guilty of waiting too long before I finally give it away, haha! So, in this case, do as I say, not as I do. Don’t hold items forever; they take physical and mental space in your life. I am working hard on following my advice on this one!
DONATING IT?
As I mentioned above, I donate or give away most of my kids’ outgrown items. I typically give the best items to people I know who have younger children. But if I have sizes that don’t fit anyone I know or items that are still good but not great, I donate them to places like Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or, most recently, a women’s shelter.
Do your research on where to donate. I usually take it wherever it is most convenient at the moment. However, I have recently done more research and have been donating more to women’s shelters. They only accept certain items, so I am still mostly taking the rest to Goodwill.
TOSSING IT?
Okay, some things are not worth giving to anyone or donating. Some items are just ready for the trash. And I don’t like taking items like these to donate because I know they are trash. Items with holes or stains, stuff like that. Just throw it away! I hate throwing things away, but some are just trash, and there is no way around it.
KEEPING IT?
All right, so there are some items I keep. Not so much now, but more so when my kids were smaller. I don’t know about you, but some outfits just seeing them take me back to the moment they wore it. And I cannot let it go. Nor do I want to, haha. There are a few of these items, so I don’t mind keeping them as a memento. I keep a baby box for each of my kids, and these items are also there.
Also, winter and summer clothing, jackets, etc. I store these in a labeled container in my garage during the offseason. Whenever the season comes back, I check if anything still fits, and if it does not, I either donate or try to sell. However, I live in Southern California, so the weather is mostly sunny, so our seasonal clothing is not a lot. I can fit both my kids’ stuff in one container.
However, it may be a few containers per child for you, but the idea is the same. Have designated containers that you rotate through the season. This keeps their closets tidy!
ORGANIZATION
When I do my bi-monthly inventory/purging of my kids’ wardrobes, I fold and put away my kids’ clothes. I see it as a reset of their closets and drawers. Any other time, my kids put away their laundry.
In our family, we hang clothes or use the roll or file folding method to store clothes in drawers. We file fold mainly, but some clothing pieces don’t fold well, so we roll those. This keeps our drawers nice and tidy and allows for more items per drawer. And because we do not have a lot of storage room in our house, this is very helpful.
However, I realize this folding method is not attainable for all families. It is very time-consuming. But since we don’t have a lot of clothing, it works fine for us. I suggest going with a method that works for you and your family. Don’t stress too much about what everyone else is doing. If it doesn’t work for you, then find something that does. It is just not worth stressing out over.
BUDGETING
Kid’s clothes are expensive, and you can easily spend hundreds of dollars on one shopping trip. Therefore, I think it is essential to have a predetermined budget so you can keep yourself accountable when shopping for your kids.
HAVE A BUDGETING METHOD IN PLACE
The dollar amount to budget for kids’ wardrobes differs for everyone so I won’t go into detail. But find a method to track each person’s budget easily.
FREE PRINTABLES
Click Here To Download Printable
Click Here To Download Printable
And there you have it! Wow, that was a long one. Thank you so much if you read all of it! I hope it helps you.
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