(WXYZ) — According to the National Retail Foundation, spending on back to school clothing this year will climb to $240 bucks per family, up $3 from last year.
But to that high bill, some Metro Detroiters, like this Royal Oak mom of two are now saying no thanks, instead -- turning to Facebook to meet their household clothing demand.
Novi mom Kristina Lambert is one of them. With three active kids, she was looking for a way to get some quality back to school clothing without breaking the bank.
"Kids get things dirty, messy, muddy, so you have back ups," Lambert said.
But Kristina found a solution in Facebook’s Mom 2 Mom swap sites, thousands of moms across Metro Detroit buying and selling kids clothing to and from their neighbors!
Just type in "mom2mom sale" on Facebook along with your city name, and you’ll be able to buy clothing organized by gender, size and season at the third of the retail price.
"It makes things that are sometimes not affordable, affordable," said Lambert.
And not only are moms using it to save some cash while buying, they’re also using it to gain some cash by selling.
You simply leave the clothing on your porch with an envelope. The clothes are taken, and cash is left at your door – meaning you don't even have to interact with the person on the other side of the transaction.
But there is a caveat. The process does require a little trust, given the fact that the money exchange often works on the honor system, so Lambert says you've got to do a little vetting.
"Make sure they live in the area, look at their pictures and make sure they have kids, so you're buying from an honest person, you’re selling to an honest person," she said.
There are also on-site mom to mom sales happening. Find one in your area here: https://www.mom2momsalesmichigan.com/
