Do you think this was a pretty reasonable amt to spend on dd's clothes?

[Chris in VA]

Went out this afternoon with dd. We hit JCPenney, Target, and Old Navy.

 

Came home with

 

1 tankini

3 shorts

2 capris

1 dress for church

1 long sleeved blouse/shirt

1 tank

2 t-shirts

1 long (knit, fold over waistline) skirt.

 

We spent approx $200.

 

Does that sound reasonable to you?

[4kiddies]

Yes.

[SKL]

I try not to notice what I spend when I buy my kids' clothes. ;)

[MomtoCandJ]

Yup

[Heatherwith4]

Yes

[Ameena]

For New - about right.

 

I never buy new though - I thrift shop and pay maybe $3 an item at most.

[Chris in VA]

I LOVE thrifting. Dd used to get nearly all her clothes that way, as well as hand-me-downs.

What I've been noticing lately is that older girls' clothes (Jr sizes) are harder to find, and it seems that they are in worse shape most of the time. I guess maybe kids who aren't growing at a quick rate just tend to wear out their clothes instead of passing them down? I mean, we can sometimes find jeans and stuff like that, but not lately.

We have 4 good (and big) T stores near us, and no one seems to have stuff lately.

[SKL]

I've switched to buying things mostly online, other than basics like leggings, basic shorts, and underclothes. My kids' t-shirts are pretty much all souvenirs. Still, the costs rack up every time I go to Old Navy to pick up seasonal basics.

[texasmama]

Sounds reasonable to me.

[PachiSusan]

Very reasonable for new. :)

[dakarimom5]

My clothing budget for 6 people is $200 and that includes shoes.

[DianeW88]

Completely reasonable.

[Tap]

Pretty standard.

[Caroline]

Very reasonable.

[Anne in CA]

Very reasonable.

[Audrey]

Sounds like a pretty good deal actually.

[Chris in VA]

My clothing budget for 6 people is $200 and that includes shoes.

 

 

So where do you shop, and what would you get for that, Dakarimom5? Is that for all year?

[Kari C in SC]

I added it up before I read your price and I came to $185ish in my head before tax, so I'd say you were right on track. My dd rarely finds things she likes all in one trip so it seems to get broken up in about $50 increments.

[Jenny in Florida]

That works out to an average of a little under $17 per item, which sounds a little high for my taste, but reasonable.

 

The long-sleeved shirt, tank, t-shirts and fold-over waistline skirt are all basics that I would have expected to be able to find at Target or Old Navy for less than that per-item price. But I would assume other items like the dress might be more.

[Chris in VA]

@ Kari--We did pay more for the capris and shorts and tankini than I would, usually. She is a size 0 in women's, a 3 in Jr's--so weird how some things are cut.

 

Anyway, thanks, everyone. She still needs some shoes and some tops/skirts for Jerusalem. Dh said to get long skirts and elbow-length sleeves on the tops. We found a skirt and shirt that meets those requirements at Target, but everything else is just for school/spring (except the bathing suit). Sigh. It seems like a lot to spend and a lot to "need."

[Ameena]

I LOVE thrifting. Dd used to get nearly all her clothes that way, as well as hand-me-downs.

What I've been noticing lately is that older girls' clothes (Jr sizes) are harder to find, and it seems that they are in worse shape most of the time. I guess maybe kids who aren't growing at a quick rate just tend to wear out their clothes instead of passing them down? I mean, we can sometimes find jeans and stuff like that, but not lately.

We have 4 good (and big) T stores near us, and no one seems to have stuff lately.

 

 

Our Thrift is just the opposite - I find lots of JR sizes, but can't find size 6/7 for dd.

 

You might try Thredup.com - it's kinda like an online thrift shop for clothing only. I've ordered a few times and been very happy. They do run coupons every so often for $15 free if it's your first order.

[fraidycat]

That sounds very reasonable.

 

My clothing budget for 6 people is $200 and that includes shoes.

 

 

Per month? Per year? Per decade? :confused1: Are you saying the amount OP paid is unreasonable, or what exactly are you saying here?

[TravelingChris]

Yes, it is reasonable. You are in a high cost area so some who are answering that it seems high may not know how much more things cost in your area.

[dangermom]

I would expect to pay that for that amount of clothing. I wouldn't be happy about it, ;) but it's a perfectly reasonable amount to pay.

[Χά�ων]

It seems a bit high.

 

I spend $4-$10 per new, non dressy, item and get dressy items on clearance and spend about $50-$65 for the entire outift (excluding shoes). If the dress was really nice and you were expecting it to last an entire year or longer I would say a bit more.

 

I do spend $100-$150 for new shoes for DS because he has the weirdest foot and the only shoes that fit are not cheap.

 

I shop a lot at thrift stores and I make it a point to hit the clearance racks at the end of the season and buy a size or two larger then the childs current size depending on their age and the price.

[Guest]

I LOVE thrifting. Dd used to get nearly all her clothes that way, as well as hand-me-downs.

What I've been noticing lately is that older girls' clothes (Jr sizes) are harder to find, and it seems that they are in worse shape most of the time. I guess maybe kids who aren't growing at a quick rate just tend to wear out their clothes instead of passing them down? I mean, we can sometimes find jeans and stuff like that, but not lately.

We have 4 good (and big) T stores near us, and no one seems to have stuff lately.

 

Do you have a Plato's Closet near you? Dd is 10 but is very tall, so she needs a size 00 for jeans. I have a lot of luck at Plato's Closet, because brand names are the only ones that fit her.

[dakarimom5]

I should have clarified my response. What the OP spent was great for buying new. I only shop at thrift stores an my "clothes" closet. I keep clothes from various sources and my older children in one spot. Lili is usually the only one that I buy for since she is the only girl. I never turn down clothes from anyone and because of this I am floating in boys clothes. Because of my situation I have a small clothing budget for the year.

[GraciebytheBay]

I would say it was quite reasonable. My dd 13's tankini alone was $60, and that was on the cheaper end for what she needed.

[AnIslandGirl]

It sounds like a great deal! Well done.

[Coffeemama]

With the stores you listed, i had $175 in my head as i was adding them.

[Crimson Wife]

As long as it fits within your family's budget, I'd say it sounds reasonable for new clothes.

[HomeschoolMamaOfTwo]

For just going to the store and buying stuff, yes that sounds reasonable. I shop at Kohl's with sales, coupons (I try to wait for the 30% off, which is on top of sales), and clearance racks and I would have spent much less on those things with that. But, you can't always do that, they don't always have what you want when you need it, so it wouldn't work for everyone for sure. I am able to do that because I buy ahead for a season or two and I have plenty of storage room for it. I usually pay no more than $3/$4 per item on the high end. So, to me, it is more than what I probably would be willing to pay, but I still think it is reasonable for a normal shopping trip. I wouldn't fret over it at all! :)

[LucyStoner]

Sounds about right for new stuff. And nice church dresses aren't cheap new. I think you did pretty well.

[LucyStoner]

My clothing budget for 6 people is $200 and that includes shoes.

 

 

Those aren't even thrift store prices where I live ($33.33 per person per year?) A thrift store dress is easily $8-10 here.

 

If you have kids getting big brother's hand-me-downs and are garage sale-ing it, that is perhaps feasible here in a HCOL area. But not everyone has the time to garage sale or has hand-me-downs working for them. We do used for nearly everything and do get some hand-me-downs, but I spend more than that just on shoes and underwear for 4 for a year. I rarely find decent used shoes for the boys or my husband. For me, I get lucky with lots of barely worn nice options I think because some women hoard shoes. My husband works on his feet and he needs 2 new pairs of nice (on sale but quality) shoes a year. If he bought cheap ones, he'd need a pair every 2 months so we pay for quality and comfort.

[Hikin' Mama]

I live in a fairly low COL area, and I think you did well. To the poster who said they clothe a family of 6 on $200, I'd be curious to see your breakdown. I do a lot of thrift store shopping, but that wouldn't even be realistic in my area.

[J-rap]

I would say it was quite reasonable. My dd 13's tankini alone was $60, and that was on the cheaper end for what she needed.

 

I was going to say the same thing. Swimsuits alone (at least ones that hold up) can be pricey! We get a lot of good deals at Old Navy.

[goldberry]

Pretty reasonable. Especially with the tankini, because with those you usually have to buy what fits rather than finding something cheaper.

 

I shop Kohls also, though, and just last week week got

2 tops for me

1 dress for me

1 dress for DD

1 pair jeans for DD

1 pair long shorts for DD

2 tops for DD

1 splurge necklace to match my new dress (higher than I would have liked, but so cute!

1 necklace for DD

 

Total $123 - I considered that quite a haul! Kohls clearance racks with a coupon often end up $5 -8 per item.

[dakarimom5]

I normally spend $2-4 per pair of shoes but never over $15 for my hard to fit son. I get Lili's clothes mostly on dollar days at the thrift store. I also shop on the 50% off days too. I have set prices that I refuse to go over, $5 for a pair of plus size jeans for example.

[Ali in OR]

I think you did well. My oldest two are probably in a similar size range to your dd, and I find that I have to spend more than I used to to get acceptable clothes. A lot of "teen" styles don't pass my filter for acceptability, and when I do find something tasteful the stores/catalogs don't seem to stock very much of it. I can't wait for sales like I used to because the nice items in their sizes will be gone by then. So I just accept that their clothes cost more per item (and I'm thankful we can handle that budget-wise). Also thankful that most items go through at least two if not all three of my girls, so we get a lot of use out of them.

[Ghee]

That sounds reasonable to me. For $200 I can go to Goodwill and outfit *myself* in Banana Republic, Gap, and Ann Taylor LOFT for a season...but they never have anything for my kids. We won't even discuss shoes. Last shoe shopping trip I spent $109 and got two pairs of shoes. Two of my kids have terrible feet, and must wear special inserts in really well made shoes. The shoes MUST fit a certain way, as well. It gets pretty expensive. I'm lucky that my parents do enjoy helping us purchase clothes and shoes. I do try to buy durable items that will last more than one year (though that doesn't happen with shoes...they need a new size every six months!)

[justasque]

Young teen girls are particularly challenging to shop for. Thrifted kids' stuff doesn't fit - it's the wrong shape. Thrifted misses' stuff doesn't either - too big where the kids stuff was too small. You really have to have something in a junior range. Junior clothes, however, tend to be trendy and poorly made. They're less likely to end up in the thrift, and when you do find something, it might not be something you want your daughter in anyway. Hand-me-downs are tricky too; there aren't as many to be had, and friends may not be a compatible size or shape. To make it even more complicated, sizing is crazy. Different brands don't use the same sizing, so even finding things that *might* fit is a challenge. My dd's clothes have sizes including XS, S, M, 00, 0, 1, 3, short, medium, and long. Add to that style issues and rapidly changing tastes.

 

OP - finding long sleeves and long skirts in summer styles and fabrics might be a bit of a challenge. I think shopping early is probably necessary under the circumstances. Given that it's the beginning of the season, I think you did reasonably well with your shopping. Good luck on finding the rest of what you need!

[KungFuPanda]

That would be my exact guess for that list.

[Koerarmoca]

That is high to me. I just did 3 summer outfits each for 6 people and shoes for 3 of us for $32 (plus I had a biology text book and two readers in there)

 

I love thrift stores, a lot of what I buy is high end clothing some NWT even.

 

Last year I did a $5 bag sale (they where standard 13 gallon trash bags) I stuffed my bag really good. I did all our winter shopping for 6 people in two bags.

 

$200 I could likely do the entire year for 6 people plus shoes.

 

I don't have to shop at thrift stores but I love it. It takes time I go over everything with a fine tooth comb, I look for little to no wear and tear or staining.

[Chris in VA]

Pretty reasonable. Especially with the tankini, because with those you usually have to buy what fits rather than finding something cheaper.

 

I shop Kohls also, though, and just last week week got

2 tops for me

1 dress for me

1 dress for DD

1 pair jeans for DD

1 pair long shorts for DD

2 tops for DD

1 splurge necklace to match my new dress (higher than I would have liked, but so cute!

1 necklace for DD

 

Total $123 - I considered that quite a haul! Kohls clearance racks with a coupon often end up $5 -8 per item.

 

 

I love Kohl's, and we do shop there, but I couldn't do the clearance because we were looking for spring clothes. Most of their dresses are way too short for us, too--I do like their stuff, but their Jr items are often too "trendy" for us--i.e., short, lacy or see-thru (to be worn with a tank--which we can't do this time around). Their clearance never has the sizes we need! Oh well.

[TammyinTN]

I think you did a lovely job! That's a lot of stuff for the money!

[JFSinIL]

If all new, no sales (like Kohls does) then sounds right. But I'd have hit Goodwill, looked for garage sales, hand-me-downs etc. for as much as possible before buying new (except maybe the dress - but then she'd be limited to the sale racks only. My dds HATE shopping with me - I am such a kill-joy ;-)

[Wabi Sabi]

I'm curious for those who say that could spend $200 for the entire family: what about shoes? Are you only buying thrift store shoes as well? I can do pretty well with finding great deals on clearance rack clothing and piecing together hand-me-downs, but shoes? Forget it. When you have an entire family with very hard to fit feet that require special shoes that alone pretty much blows the budget.

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

I think so. We went this week end to shop for dd and bought:

Sandles

1 dress

2 leggins

3 tops

1 capris

and spent about $100

For what you bought $200 sounds good.

[itsheresomewhere]

That sounds very reasonable to me. I spend more than that per kid but we all have to have good expensive shoes.