Maternity Clothing 

Budgeting for Maternity Wear

You know this period of time is one of the most exciting times of life. You also know it won't last for long. Pregnancy is fun, exciting, and full of emotions and sometimes challenges. Suddenly there will be costs looming in front of you and you realize that having a baby is more than a positive pregnancy test. With all the places to spend money in preparation for the arrival of the baby, it is little wonder many women want to be able to purchase affordable maternity clothing. Yes, clothing is part of the budget, but it can become very costly if purchases are made at high-end stores. Maternity boutiques offer great styles and selections, but they come at a premium as well. How does an expectant mom get wonderful maternity clothing at affordable prices?

Creating Your Maternity Wardrobe

Creating a maternity wardrobe can be a lot of fun and it need not cost a lot of money. Once you announce you're pregnant, you'll be amazed at how many moms want to unload their maternity clothing at your house. Be patient and weed through the piles of clothing because therein may lie some very important pieces. You're going to run into items you absolutely love, but the season may be wrong or the color unbecoming. Still, you will probably find a couple of pieces that can serve as base items. Maybe some maternity jeans or pants in the right size, or a jacket that can be worn with just about anything. Long tunics and t-shirts often show up as well. Pick and choose, and be thankful for the fact that it didn't cost you a cent. You might even be able to find complimentary pieces in your husband's closet - another freebee.

Consignment Shopping - Great Adventures

You can also make great finds at consignment stores that specialize in baby and children's items. While you're there, you might want to pick up some pieces for your little treasure - a stack of receiving blankets and baby bibs are possibilities. A mom can never have too many of those items. Consignment stores usually accept and sell maternity clothes that are gently used so you will probably be able to find some nice pieces of maternity clothing on sale. Then there are thrift stores and places such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army stores. They usually have a maternity section where you'll have to go on a treasure hunt, but you can often find some real gems. You can check out women's clothing in larger sizes as well - that way you can wear regular clothing to accommodate your growing belly.

Department Stores Maternity Clothing Sales

Discount maternity clothing can often be found in department stores, usually during end of the season sales. Old Navy maternity section has great styles and fashions for very affordable maternity clothing. Check out the Gap maternity clothing as well for both discount maternity clothing and maternity clothing sales. The maternity sections in both of these stores usually have sale racks at the back - check them out. You can also find petite maternity clothing and plus size maternity clothing in Old Navy and Gap. A lot of department stores have maternity clothing catalogs available for you to browse through and then you can place your order.

As we've talked about in other places on this site, you can find some really terrific deals online. Most department stores have web stores. If you are petite, then you may find shopping for petite maternity clothing easier to do online. The same goes for plus size maternity clothing. There are sites dedicated to both of these specialties where you can find styles and trends and affordable maternity clothing without leaving your home. One site that has excellent prices and a great selection is shopformaternity.com.

When You're Finished with the Clothing

Once you're finished with your maternity clothing you may want to pack it away for another time, or you may want to give it away. If you are looking to donate your maternity clothing, then there are women's shelters and charitable organizations. It is estimated that collectively, Americans discard two quadrillion pounds (that's a two with fifteen zeroes after it) of used clothing and textiles into the landfills each year. Nearly 70 pounds of clothing is tossed by the typical American every year, primarily women's clothing. You can make a difference to someone's life by donating your clothing to organizations that will see to it they are shared with people who need them.