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My frugal confession this Frugal Photo Friday: I rarely buy new soccer shoes for my children.
I have been a soccer mom for 12 years. Each season consists of 16 roughly one hour games per child. On average my children play half of each game, so they are active for around 8 hours a season.
I am a long distance runner so I know the importance of good quality shoes. I also know the average pair of shoes is built to last 400 to 500 miles of use. Which means the chances of the $2 pair of soccer shoes I buy at a yard sale being past their useful mileage is minimal.
I keep a large bin in our attic full of yard sale soccer shoes, and a running list of what sizes we still need in my yard sale purse.
Using this system has only let me down two times. During my eldest son’s last two years in community soccer his feet grew beyond those average for boys his age, so alas I had to break out close to $40 a pair to get him on the field, and that was with using my clearance rack tricks.
However should my youngest two follow in their over 6 feet tall brother’s big foot steps I will not have to shell that money out again. I will also get a bit back when I sell them, like I have on all of the other now too small soccer shoes I have sold to date.
True I won’t sell them for the price I bought them for, which I do with all our yard sale found soccer shoes.
Yep, my chipped plastic tote full of second hand soccer cleats means my family pays NOTHING for soccer shoes (well except those 2 new pairs)
I also pick up $1 to $2 shin guards at yard sales and wash them with hot water and bleach for my kids to use, which I then resell when we are done with them.
How about you? I would love to hear how your family saves money on kids sporting goods.
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Rebekah from Simply Rebekah says
October 5, 2012 at 10:04 amMy kids aren’t playing any sports yet, but I’ll have to keep this tip in mind. It is a good reminder to always look second hand before paying full price!
Jean says
October 5, 2012 at 12:05 pmThese are great tips. My older son hands his shoes down to his younger brother and then, we are blessed with great friends who handed us shoes they were no longer using! I would like to know more about washing the shin guards–do you put them in the machine or do it by hand?
Wendy says
October 5, 2012 at 12:37 pmI’ve always thrown them in the washing machine with a load of clothes and set them in the sun to dry. It’s been the only thing that will take that smell out–phew!
Victoria says
October 5, 2012 at 5:28 pmYes this is what I do too. I put mine in an old pillow case tie a knot in the top and toss it in then I let it air dry.
Wendy says
October 5, 2012 at 12:35 pmYou’re lucky to still be able to do this as your kids have aged. I have 2 teenage sons and one is playing travel soccer. He kicks so hard even the new, expensive pairs of cleats are worn out/coming apart at the toe within 1 1/2 years. I’ve not been able to pass them along for quite some time.
Victoria says
October 5, 2012 at 5:29 pmYes travel soccer is much more time intensive and our community soccer team ends at grade 9 just as they are starting to get really really big feet!
[email protected] says
October 12, 2012 at 10:21 amI actually saved my oldest’s (16yo)soccer gear and my youngest (5yo) was able to use it last year. My husband kept asking me why I stored them in the gararge and I sad “just in case”. Well “just in case” happened and we saved money on shin guards, shorts and sneakers
shawn says
August 18, 2016 at 6:03 amI know I’m coming late to this party, but I wanted to pass on what our local AYSO does. We have a 2 big bins we take to the games, meetings, etc. In it we have used shoes, and shin guards that kids outgrow. We all know(or have) kids that seem like they outgrow their shoes in a season(some in a game!) Might be something to think about too
Victoria says
August 18, 2016 at 7:54 amThat has got to be such a great help to the families that play in your league. Such a great idea! Thanks for leaving it.