Snow Vacation — 3 Tips to Find Cheap Gear for Kids

Growing up in NJ, I have had my share of cold dreary winters. I remember one winter where it would not stop snowing, we had more snow days than ever before, so many days we had to make up days at the end of the year in un-airconditioned hot as heck school. These days are melted into my brain.

I hate the snow. I hated the cold so much the number 1 reason I left NJ/NY was to escape the cold winters.

Now, we have to go on vacation to the mountains to experience the snow.  After years of talking about having a wintery vacation, we did it!

I know you are thinking, you aren’t working, going on a vacation isn’t the best idea. My thoughts exactly. When I was pregnant with Tabitha I found matching snowsuits, one in NJ and one in CA for less than $12 each marked down from $98.

Yes, I am the Markdown Queen.

The snowsuits are 12 months and 4T so we had to go THIS year. Makes total sense  why we went, right?

We found booking a trip during the week on a week that isn’t a holiday is a huge savings. If you can take time off, and we all know I can, I highly suggest it. We went from Monday until Thursday.

I have compiled a list of tips for finding deals on winter gear especially if you will barely use it because you don’t live in a cold climate, for kids. I will share tips for adults on another post.

• Amazing is your best friend! I searched high and low, spent hours looking for inexpensive decent snow gear that, of course, matched.  Make sure you do your research when using Amazon. I read a ton of reviews and made sure these items I was able to return. Amazon made my search so much easier. This is what I found:
  • Snow boots:  Not only are these boots adorable, they were comfortable, came in many color options and the price was right. I didn’t wan to spend more than $30 and these were $24.50. I sized up a size. I got both girls these. Fingers crossed we get one more year out of them.
  • Thermal underwear AKA Long-Johns: I was expecting the waffle Long-Johns of my youth but there no were to be found. Again, budget was important. These were higher than I wanted to spend at $22 but the quality was there. They are a set and come in many colors. I got Dylan Coral. These started at an XS which is too big for Tabitha, best for a 4 year old and up. They were made well, comfortable and really cute. Dylan loved them. I sized up. Oh, and they have it for boys too!
  • Thermal underwear for 1-2T these are the best I found. These ran really big which makes sense since they are for a child between 1 and 2. They looked like they would fit a large 2 year old. I returned them. I ended up using a fleece hoodie onesie, similar to this one, I got on sale when Dylan was a baby.
  • Warm wool socks: No matter how warm your boots are, you need warm comfy socks. I got a pack of 5/6 for both girls. I got these for Tabitha size 1-3 years and these for Dylan, size 4-7 years.  I am sure these will last a few years.
  • We didn’t buy new gloves. I thought the wool mittens I had was good enough, but I was wrong. We ended up buying in town while on our trip. I found gloves were much better in the snow than mittens. Gloves are tough tough to put on, but worth it. These are the ones I found for Dylan’s age. Gloves for Tabitha was really challenging since she is so petite.
    • N’Caps, comes in various colors and sizes and they change color when cold for $16.99
    • Boao Snow Mittens, if you rather mittens these looked great, good reviews, comes in various colors.
• When in doubt best deals are found in-store: Without a doubt the most expensive item your kids need in the snow is a snowsuit. Best time to find a snowsuit at the best price is the year BEFORE you need it. I bought ours 2 years before we used it. If you see a snowsuit, in a the size you might need, remember to size up one or two sizes, GRAB IT! I look at the sale racks whenever I am in a store which these days are rare. I will be keeping an eye out for snowsuits for next year now. I will not pay full price.
• Borrow, Beg but Don’t Steal: Borrow anything and everything you can! Kids grow  like weeds you won’t get to many wearings out of these.

Have you enjoyed a snow vacation? How did you go about finding your gear? I would love to hear from you! Comment below.