As a mom of 5 hand-me-downs are my jam.  They save money and keep you from having to go to the store to buy a whole new wardrobe but there is a downside too.

WHY HAND-ME-DOWNS ARE AMAZING

I've shared before that I grew up with a single mom and we didn't have retail store money.  I always loved when someone gifted my momma with cute clothes their little girl could no longer wear.  Heck, I loved it when I was a teenager, and my friends passed along clothes they no longer wore.  It was like Christmas.  I know some people are funny about it but not me.  I appreciated the thought and it saved us money, plus I got a new wardrobe.

My momma told me when I started having children that I should save their clothing to pass down.  I took her advice and many of the items I have saved all three of my boys have worn.  My favorite hand-me-down item ever is a coat that I bought in 2008 when my older boys were little.  It is a Nike coat that I got on clearance from Macy's Department Store.  This coat traveled through all three of my boys and most recently was given to our youngest child, Charlotte.  Yep, she is wearing the same coat all her brothers wore and she thinks it's the coolest thing EVER.

ANGEL WELSH
ANGEL WELSH
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She wore it out in the snow for the first time over the holidays and said "Mommy this is the warmest coat and I love it because my brothers wore it too."  It made me so happy and also made me think of my sweet momma and her wonderful advice.

There are some things though that you should not pass down and other cons to the whole hand-me-down process.

3 REASONS HAND-ME-DOWNS ARE A BLESSING & A CURSE

Hand-me-downs aren't for everyone.  This is why they come with both pros and cons.

  1. Once you accept hand-me-downs from an outside source you sometimes become a breeding ground for all their crap.  Then you get stuck with an overabundance of stuff you might not need.  Instead of being a blessing, it becomes a job to sort and get rid of.
  2. I already stated the obvious-YOUR SAVING MONEY!  Clothes are expensive and kids outgrow items fast or they ruin them.  It makes it easier on the pocketbook if you know you have friends and family passing down their gently used items.
  3. The hand-me-downs from siblings are super special.  Plus you get to take photos and place them in scrapbooks or share them with each child that gets to wear the item.  Knowing they get to wear something from their brother or sister makes them feel cool.

One huge rule to follow when thinking of gifting hand-me-downs or donating them:  If you wouldn't still wear it if you could or it isn't in gently used nice condition it should not be passed along.

Rockport Christian Resource Center Thrift Shop

Rockport Christian Resource Center strives to work together with the community to provide programs and resources that lead to self-sufficiency.

 

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