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My first pregnancy I bought a lot of maternity clothes… of course, it didn’t help, starting out my first pregnancy I had gained 10 pounds on my honeymoon, so my pants already didn’t fit, but I went a little overboard. Leggings, pants, shirts, swimsuits, beach cover… I think I even bought a scarf.
And it was expensive. Even though I did shop a few budget stores (although a few had gotten rid of their instore maternity section!), most of my clothes came from a specialty maternity store. It adds up quick.
This pregnancy though, I haven’t spent a dime on maternity clothing… and it’s not because I haven’t bought any. No, this pregnancy, I have shopped exclusively at consignments stores and websites, which has resulted in me paying nothing out of pocket.
Consignment stores are similiar to thrift stores in that the items sold are provided by the store’s customers; however instead of items being donated, consignment stores will pay the customer for their items, and then mark them up to be sold. It’s a win win for everyone. Customers get money for items they no longer need, and stores are able to select trendy merchandise at a franction of the price.
Unfortunately, there’s not many consignment stores that cater to a pregnant audience. Luckily, my favorite online consignment store, Swap.com (affiliate) fills that gap.
Swap.com is the fastest growing online consignment store in the United States. With over 600,000 unique items available from our inventory, we offer the largest selection of pre-owned baby, kid’s, maternity, men’s and women’s apparel and accessories.
They seriously have a ton of stuff, including a great selection of maternity and baby items.
So how am I getting my clothes for free? 2 Ways.
The best way is to sell all the clothes in my closet that no longer fit or just aren’t my style. These are of course, non maternity clothes, but if you’re anything like me there’s an abundance of clothes and accessories just sitting in your closet that you never wear.
Selling is super simple. You have the option of printing a label at home, having one sent to you, or having a prepaid box sent to you. The materials cost is taken from your profit, so there’s no upfront cost. Then you pack up your items and ship them off; swap.com employees take care of the photography and listing. You then are able to set your item’s prices (the site does take a percentage of your profit) and watch them sell! The site then pays you via paypal, and I turn right around and pick up a few items I need or want (I’m totally in love with flowy maternity dresses!)
The other way I’m getting free clothes is through their referral program. Each time you refer a friend using your special link, you receive a $20 credit to the site. Since the items are already such a great deal, you can usually get quite a few things with this if you shop right.
Ready to shop? Use my referral link and get an additional 20% off and free shipping on your first purchase!
I love this idea! This is my first pregnancy and I am trying to save as much $$ as possible on everything, including my clothes. So far (at 19 weeks) I have only bought 5 maternity shirts, all on sale from Old Navy/Motherhood, and all of which layer and look nice with cardigans.
I have looked at local thrift/consignment shops but haven’t found much. Online is such a great idea, and trading in old clothes is amazing! Do you have any problems with sizing? Each maternity brand fits differently and I am paranoid with online shopping that whatever I get won’t fit!
you can find me online at http://www.absorbinggrace.com
Yeah, that’s the biggest bummer about shopping online; especially for different brands since all the sizing seems to be different. Luckily, maternity clothes tend to be stretchy 😊 so I’ve only ordered something that didn’t fit once (and it was actually too big). I have ordered a few things that ended up not being very flattering but Swap.com does accept returns for store credit. I do tend to stick with things that I already know are flattering to my body rather than try out new styles/cuts.
Also, if there’s a Just Between Friends pop up event near you, they typically feature maternity clothes as well. It’s essentially a huge pop up consignment event of baby and kids items. I’ve scored some great maternity and baby stuff there as well (no fitting rooms at the ones I’ve been too, but being able to hold up an item really helps).
That’s true, I didn’t think about how stretchy most maternity clothes are. Thank you for the tips! I am super excited to look into trading in some clothes and getting a few new pieces!
Thank you SO MUCH for telling me about Just Between Friends! I had never heard about it before, but I checked and they are coming to my town in just a few weeks!!!! I can’t wait to shop there!