Stores

When I was a kid, I was very label-conscious. I wore the most popular brands and the latest fashions. At one time, I had almost a hundred pairs of shoes. I loved shopping with my mom, and I always looked forward to our back-to-school ritual: We scoured magazines and catalogs, picking out our favorite styles. We would head to the mall like everyone else, where we would check out the trends and see what the “rich kids” were wearing. Then we would visit our favorite thrift stores and consignment shops to buy those very same things at a fraction of the cost. All those shoes I had? Most of them came from Goodwill, and they cost less than a dollar a pair.

If you would like to outfit your kids in cute, high-quality clothes, but buying a $50 shirt at the children’s clothing boutique isn’t in the budget, you may want to consider buying secondhand. When they are young, the kids won’t know the difference, and they grow so quickly, it seems like a waste to spend a lot on something they will outgrow in a few months. Plus, consignment shopping is another easy way to be green – it takes recycling to a whole new level!

Read on for some great places in the Boston area to buy gently used clothing, toys, books and baby equipment. When you get compliments on your child’s adorable outfits, you can smile, knowing just how little you paid for them.