pregnant woman shopping, looking to save money on maternity clothesWhen you first found you’re pregnant, you probably had about a million thoughts going through your mind. One such thought might be, “What am I going to wear for the next nine months?” Preparing for a baby can sometimes mean creating the longest shopping list of your life. So, having to also shop for yourself can really put a ding in your bank account balance. Plus, you’ll only wear maternity clothes for a short time.
 
The good news is, there are many ways you can save money when outfitting for your growing pregnant body. Who knows, you might even find that you enjoy shopping for cute maternity clothes on a budget. With these six tips, you can save money on maternity clothes AND look great during your pregnancy:
 

1. Get thrifty

Thrift stores, Goodwill, and Salvation Army stores can have lots of great maternity clothes; you just have to have the patience to search through everything. Thrift stores have tons of gently used maternity clothes marked down an incredible amount from their original price! Moms who are done having children are usually so eager to get rid of their maternity clothes that they list them at very low prices.
 

2. Plan ahead

While every woman’s body and pregnancy are different, it’s possible that you won’t need maternity clothes until your second trimester. You may not even really rely on maternity clothes until the third. So until then, you might find that you don’t need to shop for “maternity” clothing. Tunics, dresses, and leggings may fit all the way up until you deliver!
 

3. Get a “belly band”

You can keep wearing your pre-pregnancy jeans and pants by using a belly band. A belly band is a piece of stretchy fabric that fits over your un-zipped pre-pregnancy pants. Check out Belly Bandit’s 2-in-1 Maternity Band, which works with your body to give you a double dose of support and comfort.
 

4. Borrow

Do you have a friend or family members who’s about your size and recently had a baby? You might ask if you can borrow her maternity clothes for a few months. If your friend is done having children, they may give you the clothes to keep.
 
If they want the clothes back for future pregnancies, you could add a few new pieces and pass the stash back and forth as you both need them. If there’s no one you can borrow from, check out the website Mine for Nine, which lets you borrow or buy maternity clothes.
 

5. Shop at maternity “outlets” online

Lots of maternity stores (such as Motherhood Maternity) also have online outlets where you can find special deals and sales. If there’s a Motherhood Maternity store near you, you could even go in to try stuff on, then order it online on sale!
 

6. Use Poshmark, Facebook Marketplace, and eBay

Don’t forget to browse online thrift shops, like Poshmark and Facebook Marketplace. Look through online “clothing lots” to find groupings of maternity clothes that work for you. eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Poshmark are all great places to find moms who are selling all of their maternity clothes for a set price. Try bartering with them on the price; this will help you save lots of money.