How much do you spend on clothes for your dc?

[MelissaM]

I went shopping for my 2 older kiddos yesterday and about fell out. I admit that I am a "brand" shopper, but GEEZ LOUISE...!! When did jeans get to be so expensive?

 

I spent about $2000 total (inc. shoes) for all four kids for winter. Is that crazy?

 

The really bad part is I haven't gotten coats or dd's Wallaby's yet. :w00t:

[TammyinTN]

I shop Landsend closeouts for most of RonII stuff. I usually spend between $300 and $500 for fall/winter. I don't think you actually did that bad!;)

[elegantlion]

Wow, My ds is 11 and doesn't care too much about clothes, but I doubt we've spent 2000.00 on him in the last five years for clothes.

 

We don't have a distinct winter so we don't need heavy clothing. I imagine we'll have to spend 100.00 this year as he has outgrown all of his long pants.

 

We shop at Target, Wal-mart and Old Navy mostly for clothing. Shoes are hit or miss, but Kohls clearance usually has something.

[Carrie12345]

I don't really know how much we spend on clothes, but I do try to be frugal. My kids, especially the girls, are *hard on their clothes.

 

Since nobody ever knows what to give them as gifts, they usually get a nice stash of clothes for their birthdays and Christmas. I rarely have to buy anything for ds10, what with his "extra" sets of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. In fact, I begged people *not to get him clothes for his birthday this year. I do feel like I'm constantly buying him shoes though.

 

Dd5 probably has the most clothes, since everything from dd6 goes straight to her.

 

Dd6 and ds1 require the most shopping. Since neither of the girls have had a big growth spurt this year, I think I can keep them down to about $200 combined for this fall/winter. Ds1 needs a whole new wardrobe. I don't want to think about what it will cost.

 

And I'm pretty sure we'll need 4 new winter coats, 4 new snowsuits, and 4 new pairs of boots.

 

Ack! Time to hit the consignment shop!

[Jennifer in NH]

This summer I started to make most of the kids clothes. DD loves to wear dresses and we mostly wear longer ones that aren't so common in the stores...so I bought, and then modified, a few patterns and it is a lot cheaper. My son wanted the same treatment so now I am making his shirts for him.

I cannot make jeans though, nor winter coats....nor boots.etc... I shop yard sales in the summer and pre buy whatever I can find that is in good condition and quality for many upcoming years....we also shop occasionally at the Salvation Army store and a church consignment shop.

 

We also hand down anything reusable....I used to dress my DD more like a boy than I do now.....plus my oldest boy used to love pink...that was pretty useful!

I buy socks and some shoes for my toddler...but most of his clothes are from his older siblings.

My oldest son (6), I spend about $100 per year for new jeans and socks and underwear, sweaters etc.. So far I have been able to hand down winter coats all but one year.

DD 8, I probably also spend about $100 a year on...including in material to make those dresses. I tend to buy or make most items on the large side so that she will wear them for more than 1 year...hopefully! Last years winter coat still fits..hopefully it will still fit in January, but if it doesn't. it is blue, so it will be handed down!

Sorry about the rambling!

[Nestof3]

I spent about $2000 total (inc. shoes) for all four kids for winter. Is that crazy?

 

Well, if you have the money to spend, enjoy -- there are worse things you could have spent money on :) ! If you're building debt, living on the edge, etc. -- I would be concerned about spending this much, personally.

 

If you cannot afford to spend that much, here are my thoughts.

 

We are in get-out-of-debt mode (house and car), so we are trying to plunk down extra on this. I've also always been a bargain-shopper, even when I was young. Now, I try to buy ahead a lot when Target and Walmart have end-of-season clearances. That means buying next summer's shorts and shirts at the end of this summer. I also shop thrift stores. Jeans, I buy new in the fall. I watch the sales, knowing that everything eventually goes on sale.

 

I sent my oldest to Sears the other day and he got some very nice summer shirts for $5.00 each.

 

I've never been a brand shopper, though, and have been raising my boys to not buy based on brand but to get the most out of their money, thinking of how much work was required to earn the dollar.

 

Now shoes -- they are expensive. I cannot wear cheap shoes, but I buy at Off Broadway and try to keep it simple -- a brown and a black pair for cool season, a pair of sandals and slip on tennis shoes for the summer. Dress shoes are not worn often enough to need replacing each year. The boys are still fine with Target and Walmart tennis shoes.

[dawn of ns]

For me, that would be insane. Completely and utterly insane. :D That's 6 months of mortgage payments after all. But if you can afford it then it's reasonable! It's all relative.

 

I usually spend less then a hundred dollars each year for both. They have a pair of cousins that are a year or two older then them and are complete clotheshorses so we get a couple of garbage bags of clothes each season. I tend to buy new underwear, socks, boots and shoes but that's it. The local used clothing stores always have snow clothes for a few dollars.

 

I also do the local thrift stores. The kids can find their own clothes and I often find great upscale brands for a buck or two a piece. I have a friend who purposely looks for designer wool pieces for adults and then sticks them in the washer and shrinks and customizes them with beads and ribbon to make gorgeous sweaters for her daughter. I have to admit that that's what I really love about thrift store clothes - You can remake them.

 

I guess I live at the other end of the spectrum! :D

 

PS: I do have to admit that all I'm thinking is, "$2000 could buy me a LOT of books!"

[BritAnnia]

My budget is $250 per person per year. My older two dc (ds16 & dd18) sometimes buy clothes out of their own money, usually items on sale. When it's their own money they hunt for bargains. ;)

I must add that my dd is just starting a job at a new American EAgle sister store so who knows how much money she'll spend on clothes in the coming months. :D

[Cathy in IL]

I was excited to find a stash of boys clothes in the attic. The family that used to live here left an attic filled with things they didn't want. It was almost entirely Gap. Last winter a friend gave me her son's really nice clothing, and I now have over 50 outfits for my son this winter without spending a cent! I even have coats and nice shoes!

 

My older daughter got new clothes last year, so she didn't really need anything but shoes. My youngest dd has lots of clothes handed down to her from various places. I let them each choose an outfit and the Children's Place and bought a pair of jeans for the middle one.

 

With all these blessings I only spent a little over $100 this season. I may need to get the girls new winter coats though. We haven't tried them on, and I don't remember what condition they were in at the end of last winter.

[Parrothead]

My MIL usually sends a check for dd's clothes. This can be anywhere from $250-500 depending on her mood at the time. During the summer I spend it at Wal-mart because she is very rough on her clothes. I can get more for the money there. In winter I will shop at Kohls for her and get quite a bit less. I usually have to supplement a $100 or so.

 

This year we are going to have to really shop smart because dd has nothing from last year that fits. Major growth spurt over the summer. She went from an 8/10 to 14.

[Renee in NC]

We spend next to nothing. I do occasionally buy socks.

 

My 15yo earns money to buy his own clothes. Everyone else wears hand-me-downs. We wear things until they are literally ragged and unwearable.

[Jennifer3141]

I spend about $400 a season clothing mine. But I like Gymboree and Hanna Andersson.

 

Jen

[nutmeg]

Quicken says.........we spent just under $100 per month over the last year to outfit 4 people.

[OnTheBrink]

I took dd out Saturday to clothes shop for fall/winter. She was down to one pair of jeans.

 

We bought:

 

3 pair Levi jeans

1 pair brown gouchos

1 pair black palazzo pants

1 pair black leggings

8 tops

2 dresses, one dressy, one casual

4 pair pajamas

2 pair casual shoes

1 pair boots

1 pair tennis shoes

1 zip up hoodie

 

I spent $360 for all of that.

 

The shoes were buy one, get one half off at Shoe Carnival.

The tops, hoodie, leggings, and palazzo pants were 50% off at Sears.

The casual dress was on clearance, originally $55, marked down to $9.95.

The dressy dress was on sale, originally $55, marked down to $33.

The gouchos were on sale, but I can't remember how much the markdown was.

 

I think we did pretty well!

[annabanana1992]

I went shopping for my 2 older kiddos yesterday and about fell out. I admit that I am a "brand" shopper, but GEEZ LOUISE...!! When did jeans get to be so expensive?

 

I spent about $2000 total (inc. shoes) for all four kids for winter. Is that crazy?

 

The really bad part is I haven't gotten coats or dd's Wallaby's yet. :w00t:

 

Ok - I am right here with you. For my two boys, I can do Target for basic polo shirts and t's with some gap thrown in, and I usually buy one "church"out fit for them (Kitestrings,etc). They both run, so I can't buy Wal-mart sneakers - they need Asics ($$). I use Wal-mart or Target for their church shoes b/c they get so little wear it doesn't matter if they are cheap.

 

Now, for the girl it is a whole different story... my husband allows no trendy clothes - no sparkles, words, no trendy styles that might make her look older than she is. We both still want her in dresses for church, too. So Target, Wal-mart, department stores, etc are off limits except for the most basic of items. All of her clothes are ordered (miniBoden, Lands End, Kelly's Kids and Chez Ami) with very limited stuff from the gap (again b/c too trendy). Her clothes cost a small fortune! The good thing is, she takes good care of them, and I resell most on E-bay and make a good amount of the money back.

 

Also, we live where winter coats, snow pants, boots, etc are needed. So yes that amount would be reasonable for our family... (and them some...)

[klmama]

We don't spend that on all 5 of us in a year. I tend to shop end-of season clearance racks for the dc, as well as garage sales, and one of our dc gets hand-me-downs from the older one. Dh buys both work and casual clothes at Sam's Club, and I shop at JCPenney when there are great sales. It's very rare that I pay full price for anything, although I do need to spend more on shoes, as several of us are hard to fit. Althogether, we usually spend about $700 per year for our family of 5.

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

Wow, My ds is 11 and doesn't care too much about clothes, but I doubt we've spent 2000.00 on him in the last five years for clothes.

 

We don't have a distinct winter so we don't need heavy clothing. I imagine we'll have to spend 100.00 this year as he has outgrown all of his long pants.

 

We shop at Target, Wal-mart and Old Navy mostly for clothing. Shoes are hit or miss, but Kohls clearance usually has something.

 

Plus, I get hand-me-downs and shop Goodwill. We are not named-brand shoppers. They wear sweats and t-shirts and own one pair of nice jeans each. I buy their coats off the end-of-year clearance rack at Khols ($25 for TWO coats).

 

Socks and winter boots we buy new for the oldest and then pass down to the youngest. Underwear is bought new and NOT passed down, however.

 

K

(single income living in expensive Northern Va - bargain shopping is not optional)

[cathmom]

About 2 or 3 times a year I go to my favorite thrift shop and buy new clothes for my dds, spending about $30. I have to buy them new bras, of course. They also wear some of oldest ds's hand-me-downs. My little boys are swimming in clothes and I hardly ever buy them anything. They get clothes as presents from family and we get clothes given to us.

 

I literally cannot imagine spending $2000 on clothes, but if you have it to spend, then have fun!!!

[amyable]

I go to a twice yearly consignment sale around here and usually do pretty well - although I'm finding it harder and harder to find good things for the oldest dd (in a size 10/12). Yard sales are the same - great finds here for the younger crowd, not so much for the older one. We have pared down outfits significantly though, now that we are a big enough family that I do wash every day. I probably spend about $60 twice a year at those things for all the kids.

 

We do a lot of hand me downs, and have another family that we often trade back and forth with.

 

I'm guessing between hand me downs, consignments, birthday/Christmas, needing new shoes/boots, etc... we probably do $300 per year at the most. We *have* the money to spend more, but dh and I are both big on not creating more waste (and dh on not paying more than he thinks an item is worth to produce) ;)

 

I will admit I do occasionally look at the girls clothes lined up and wish they all looked like cute/matching Hanna Andersson stuff! We find brand names, but I'm not the best at matching/cuteness. :D

[Cricket]

Plus' date=' I get hand-me-downs and shop Goodwill. We are not named-brand shoppers. They wear sweats and t-shirts and own one pair of nice jeans each. I buy their coats off the end-of-year clearance rack at Khols ($25 for TWO coats).

 

Socks and winter boots we buy new for the oldest and then pass down to the youngest. Underwear is bought new and NOT passed down, however.

 

K

(single income living in expensive Northern Va - bargain shopping is not optional)[/quote']

 

That is what we do. Most of my kids' clothes are hand-me-downs from other families, clearance items, from garage sales or second-hand stores. Grandma sometimes buys them an outfit for Christmas. Sometimes my oldest son will say, "Mom, can we go to Goodwill? I need a shirt." We do buy shoes new though. My kids are very hard on shoes!

[mommylawyer]

In the last week, I've spent about $300 on clothes for my older two - that's getting prepped for fall/winter by going to consignment sales, shopping for clearance items, and Ebay. My youngest will do well with hand-me-downs from her big sister. I probably have another $100-150 to spend on clothes though, and that will be it.

 

Shoes are another story... usually about $100-150 for fall/winter total for all 3 kids.

[cathmom]

I forgot - I buy shoes for the little ones at my Mothers of Multiples club's yard sales. They have them twice a year. But the shoes are usually about $2 a pair.

[mazakaal]

We spend very little on clothes. We get tons of hand-me-downs so all I really need to buy is socks, underwear, pajamas, and jeans. Oh, and shoes. But I don't think that I spend even $1000 on clothes for my whole family in an entire year.

[mazakaal]

I took dd out Saturday to clothes shop for fall/winter. She was down to one pair of jeans.

 

We bought:

 

3 pair Levi jeans

1 pair brown gouchos

1 pair black palazzo pants

1 pair black leggings

8 tops

2 dresses, one dressy, one casual

4 pair pajamas

2 pair casual shoes

1 pair boots

1 pair tennis shoes

1 zip up hoodie

 

I spent $360 for all of that.

 

The shoes were buy one, get one half off at Shoe Carnival.

The tops, hoodie, leggings, and palazzo pants were 50% off at Sears.

The casual dress was on clearance, originally $55, marked down to $9.95.

The dressy dress was on sale, originally $55, marked down to $33.

The gouchos were on sale, but I can't remember how much the markdown was.

 

I think we did pretty well!

 

 

You did very well!!!

[Nakia]

I used to spend a lot of money on clothes by buying way too much and mostly name brands. Now I spend a lot less. Probably around $350 for the fall and winter, including all their shoes, for all 3 girls.

 

Here's what helps me:

 

*My good friend is a yard sale queen. She loves it! Last fall she basically outfitted my oldest with jeans and tees. All name brands too. She usually won't let me pay her back, so I will just pick up stuff that I know she needs or would appreciate from time to time. That is a real blessing!

 

*We consign. I take whatever the little ones outgrows to a local consignment shop and they give me store credit for it. Then I go and purchase stuff for my oldest usually, since her clothes are more expensive and she is the pickiest.

 

*My best friend has a daughter that wears a size or two bigger than my 5 yr old. We get all her hand-me-downs. And she is a name brand shopper.

 

*I save clothes and pass it down to the younger ones, if possible.

 

*We shop at Target, Old Navy, Walmart, and The Children's Place for new stuff. I will only buy at Gap and bigger department stores if it is on super clearance. I try to buy most stuff at the end of the season for the next year. But that is getting harder to do, as they get older.

 

*My kids do not care about name brands. And they love hand-me-downs. Another benefit to homeschooling!:D

 

*They get clothes from just about everyone for their birthdays. They love clothes and people love to buy for little girls.

 

 

It's funny, but I find that the more I give away, the more people give me. I sent a trash bag full of nice clothes that my 2 yr old had outgrown to a friend last week. Then the next day, a girl from out co-op emailed me and told me she has a box of clothes that she is going to give me tomorrow for my girls. The Lord is supplying for out needs!

[RoughCollie]

If I had to buy a winter wardrobe from scratch, I would spend about $650 on each boy. If one of them suddenly decides he will wear slippers, bathrobe, and flannel pjs, the cost goes up by $150. I buy most items at Lands End, and I buy on sale when possible. Sometimes the boys like a few items at L. L. Bean better.

 

I don't spend that much per boy every year. One boy can wear his brothers' hand-me-downs. I buy coats in a size larger than they need, so they can wear them for more than one year, and some things carry over from other seasons (long-sleeved t-shirts & sweatpants, for example). Frequently the boys can wear the same size for two years in a row.

 

DD is a different story. Before she changed into her current incarnation (i.e., became a teenager), I spent whatever was necessary to buy her a beautiful, high quality wardrobe with shoes in every color.

 

If you ask DD today what she will need, her wardrobe will cost at least $1200 for winter, and most of it will be lower-quality clothing (in terms of fabrics, workmanship, design, and cost).

 

RC

[Dayle in Guatemala]

I have 3 kids and I usually shop the season-end sales online to get stuff for them new. I also love thrift stores.

 

Here we have an entire section behind the market full of American clothes. The clothes are donated in the US and shipped here. The families are allowed to buy the clothes per pound and then set up a little shop behind the market where they can sell them to bring in money for their family here. It's a good system for all. They get a chance to make some money and everyone else gets a chance to buy nice stuff for really cheap. So that's helpful. What's also helpful is that our weather is so mild, we can live in spring/summer clothes with lite jackets and sweatshirts.

 

 

I probably spend about $100 per child because of hand me downs as well.

[Kelli in TN]

Truthfully, we MIGHT spend that much per year on the whole family. We shop Goodwill. I look for coupons, like I recently had a $10 coupon with no min purchase to Kohl's and after adding $3 of my own my 13 year old had a church shirt. My kids wear the same things over and over and so do I. The only one of my younger kids who really dresses well is my 10 year old and that is only because we get really lucky at Goodwill for her!! My 17 year old buys her own clothing.

[PrairieAir]

I don't know how much I spend total per year. I would guess about $100-$200 per kid including shoes. We try to shop garage sales and thrift stores first, then Walmart, Target, Kohl's, Gordman's. Mall stores we like that are easy on the budget are Steve and Barry's ($10 jeans and sweatshirts and the quality isn't bad), Deb, and Charlotte Russe. There are a few more, but I can't remember the names. The kids (particularly the girls) may get one mall trip for a few items per year. They also get special clothing items that go beyond their normal needs as birthday and Christmas gifts. We have been very fortunate to get a lot of clothes handed down to the girls (and me) from dh's younger sister who is a shopaholic:D This is the same way I shop for dh and myself as well.

[Haiku]

I give my 14 year old $50 for spring/summer clothes and $50 for fall/winter clothes. I tell her she can go to a store like Old Navy and get three things or she can go to a thrift store and get 20. I let her handle it.

 

I rarely spend anything on my younger kids. We get a lot of hand-me-downs. However, the other day my 6 year old told me she needed more dresses. I went to a Goodwill outlet and got her 9 dresses for $9. If I have to buy something for the little ones, I buy used. I can outfit the little ones for about $80 a year, total.

 

This does not include shoes.

 

Tara

[Kelli in TN]

I went to a Goodwill outlet and got her 9 dresses for $9.

 

Dang. I want to shop at your Goodwill. Our prices are much higher than that.

[Tracey in TX]

I spent approx $700 per girl on summer clothing. The boys don't care much, so their cost is much lower. Winter clothes are more expensive and this year everything needs to be replaced. They've all grown so much. I'll budget about $500 per child plus shoes and jackets. Maybe?

The kids enjoy wearing the same clothes most days, so maybe it'll be less this year. Still adjusting to homeschool and it's been almost a year.

[LNC]

We have 4 children (3 boys and a girl). Ages 7-14. We spend about $200 per year on everyone!

 

- Hand me downs for the boys: My oldest 14yo is handicapped and wears out his clothes very little - so he is the source of hand me downs or the other 2 boys. My oldest also gets Old Navy gift cards for Christmas and birthdays from Grandparents - $20 cards but they add up, especially with clearance purchases!

 

- Goodwill: Then, I shop at Goodwill for extras and for my daughter. Winter coats even! Everything is $2.49.

 

- Few clothes for everyone & laundry every day!: i.e. My boys wear the same wrinkle free khackis and short sleeved polo (a long sleeved one in winter) - every single Sunday. My daughter has a long denim skirt (also Goodwill) she wears with various shirts and sweaters every Sunday. They each have only 2 pairs of jeans, 2 windpants for boys, 2-3 denim shorts, 2 denim capris for daughter. I find sticking to denim makes matching effortless, which keeps costs down. About 6 tops for each of the two seasons. Again - most of these are hand me downs for the boys and for my daughter I buy clearance at Target, Old Navy and Goodwill. Each child has 1 pair of brown shoes for church and everyday! My daughter also has New Balance sneakers we recently found at Goodwill. My boys brown shoes are sneaker/shoes combos they play in and wear to church. They each have only 1 pair of pajamas and a nightgown for my daughter.

 

So, through these tips we keep clothing costs way down. They look great though - nice and clean clothes. We throw out any with holes or stains, and God always provides more through these means I've described!!

 

ETA; Of course you, the original poster, are not crazy for spending what you did! We have a modest income and lots of medical expenses - so we have to cut costs wherever we possibly can!

[Haiku]

Dang. I want to shop at your Goodwill. Our prices are much higher than that.

 

This is the Goodwill outlet, where all children's clothes are 99 cents. The "regular" Goodwills around here have higher prices, too. I was told that the outlet is all the stuff they can't sell at the regular stores but I don't believe that because on my recent trip there I saw Old Navy, Hanna Andersson, Gap, etc., and it wasn't the scratch-n-dent stuff. It was all clean and unstained and some of it still had the original tags on it.

 

Tara

[3lilreds in NC]

I have a budget of $100 per month, or $1200 per year for the 5 of us. That works out to $240 per year, per person. I just figured that out with a calculator, LOL.

 

The good news is that we don't have severe winter here, so our clothes don't have to change much from season to season. Sleeveless shirts only in the summer, of course, but capris, skorts and such they can wear almost year-round.

 

I try to keep an eye out for clearance at Target (it's the only place I shop with any regularity) for my oldest. My younger dd gets mostly hand-me-downs from her sister. I still have to buy for the boy when he needs it, and that's about to become an issue here when the weather cools off. We do have grandparents who like to send clothes, so that helps - usually a new outfit or two in the fall for the start of school, for Christmas, and for birthday. If the kids need winter coats, they are usually willing to buy them. It's not looking good for this year, though, so Emma will probably get a new one and Abbie can wear the hand-me-down.

 

I would like to shop more at consignment sales, but until I have the chance not to take the kids, it's not terribly feasible. I get to Goodwill once in a blue moon, but again, I need to have time to shop.

[CLHCO]

Honestly? $50/year per child - tops. Sometimes a bit more or less, depending on hand-me-downs and thrift shop finds.

 

I just got several pairs of pants and several winter shirts for my youngest for about $5 at the thrift shop including many cute things I couldn't otherwise afford. They were having an amazing clearance sale. I couldn't find enough clothes for my son this time but I did get some second hand ones last year, larger, and the knees are getting worn so I'll be picking up some iron on patches to reinforce the insides of the knees before they go. Hopefully that'll mostly get him through the fall. I may need to pick up a couple pairs of sweats from WalMart for around the house. He likes those best anyway.

 

Clothes are not in the budget. Come to think of it, homeschool is not in the budget so I'm doing a garage sale this week to get some money for curriculum. I'm trying to figure out how I can feel so broke sometimes that I cannot afford jeans for kids but have so much junk? What is it with that?

 

I have been known to discretely put out the word for hand-me-downs when desperate.

 

One major problem arising.... TEENAGE GIRLS. They are more than happy to go with thrift shop but most jeans are either way too big, or way too low-rise. I admit, one of the two is very picky about the way her jeans fit too. A few are really old and are the "mom" jeans that go up past the belly button. My picky girl won't wear those. :tongue_smilie: They do have their limits.

 

They are fine with mid-rise but they just can't find anything that's not too big or too immodest at the thrift shop. They do not get into a lot of the modern styles, super tight t-shirts, etc. But they're too skinny for many of the women's sizes that are a bit more classy.

 

I may have to also find some funds to go purchase jeans for them if the next thrift shop I expect to hit tomorrow comes up empty. I have probably gotten close to $100/year on them lately - not including the material for the occasional fancy sewing project. Civil War ball gown material is costly even with 50% off coupons. The trim? Yikes!

 

I can often find shirts for them at least on sale at WalMart or the thrift shop. They can also sew their own. They are into medieval and Celtic styles these days and one has plans to make some shirts in that style to just wear with jeans.

[Jenny in Florida]

We don't have much of a winter here, meaning we don't have to maintain two entirely separate wardrobes. My kids have always pretty much worn jeans and t-shirts year-round, although my daughter now prefers a slightly more pulled-together look and has started wearing more skirts and dresses.

 

I took my daughter (13) shopping before she went back to school and spent more on her than I think I've ever spent at once. It was about $300. And the only reasons we spent that much were that she had grown and lost weight (and, well, puberty, so her body type changed) AND would be away from home and doing her own laundry for most of the academic year. So, I wanted to make sure she had enough decent clothing to get her through.

 

She bought several skirts and a couple of blouses, new underwear and bras and two pairs of shoes. Most of the stuff was from Kohl's, with a few items from Ross. The shoes were from Target. She had a few pairs of jeans left over from last year that were still wearable and lots of t-shirts and casual tops. Earlier in the summer, we did buy her a dressy blouse for a special occasion ($25) and two dresses. One of them was for a funeral ($25-ish) and one an impulse buy just because it looked so great on her ($35).

 

So, that's probably it for the year for her, a total of less than $400. And she's the most expensive member of the family.

 

I bought a bunch of new stuff for my son (10) at the pre-back-to-school sales at Target (beginning of summer when they're closing out school stuff from the previous year). It's all sitting in a bag in my bedroom waiting for him to go through his current stash and prune out the really grungy items and things that don't fit anymore. He, too, has some jeans and shirts that are still wearable and plenty of pajamas and socks. So, I bought three new pairs of jeans, nine nice t-shirts and polos and two packs of underwear. I spent $63, and it's probably more than he needs. Back at the beginning of the summer, I bought him a few pairs of shorts, probably about $20. That'll be about it for this year, other than possibly something nice to wear for the holidays.

[elegantlion]

This is the Goodwill outlet, where all children's clothes are 99 cents. The "regular" Goodwills around here have higher prices, too. I was told that the outlet is all the stuff they can't sell at the regular stores but I don't believe that because on my recent trip there I saw Old Navy, Hanna Andersson, Gap, etc., and it wasn't the scratch-n-dent stuff. It was all clean and unstained and some of it still had the original tags on it.

 

Tara

 

I didn't realize the Hobbits had a Goodwill. :lol::lol::lol: :tongue_smilie:

[Tap]

I spend about $200-400 per season per kid on just clothes. We live in the PNW so we have 4 distinct seasons. That is about $800-1200 per year. It is a lot less than I used to spend. I used to shop the mall and buy brand name, but once we started homeschooling, I have backed off the brand names a lot more. Also my kids don't really care about brands, so I try to care less also ;0) I like brands that wash well and don't shrink. Brands with higher quality fabric that don't stain easily are my favorite!

 

For the little one, I stop by a second hand store every couple of weeks. I can outfit our 2 year old in Gymboree, Gap and Old Navy there for about $100 per season including great almost new shoes.

 

For dd9, I will browse the second hand store, pick up a few fill ins, but buy a lot at Target for her. The Mossimo brand fits her well and the styles are often layered which she likes. She is tall and thin so a lot of brands don't look good on her or are too short in the arms/legs. I buy her some items at TJ Maxx and Ross too. She looks good in Roxi and Jade too, but I won't pay forty dollars for a shirt in the mall for a 9yo, so we wait until we find those there.

 

DD14 is in men sizes so he is getting very expensive. H wears a 29/30 so he isn't easy to buy for. I can usually find him a pair of pants at the Goodwill every once in a while, but usually get the best sizing with Levi's. Jeans at Goodwill here are $8-10 per pair so they aren't much of a bargain if I have to spend much time and gas to get there. Shirts are a teen medium so again Target is a great place for him. We also like to find unique items for him at TJMaxx and Ross. He has his own style, and likes to be quite nondescript, but doesn't want plain clothes. So he is isn't the easiest to buy for. I spend about $200-300 per season.

 

Coats are expensive for us. We buy a lot of sweatshirt style jackets but he kids both ski/snowboarders so they both need good quality gear. They both get jackets and snow pants, boots, hats gloves each year. That is at least $100 each kid usually closer to $200.

 

Both kids go through about 4 pairs of shoes a year.

[Cornerstone Classical]

For dd(5) and DS9(6) each--- I buy in fall and spring ---I buy underwear/socks as needed, 6 pj's, 6 everyday outfits, 3 "going off " outfits, 3 church outfits. 1 Tennis shoes, 1 dress shoes, and 1 casual shoes and /or flip flops. I shop at Kohls, JCP, Childrens Place and Belk. I spend about $600 all together. I wait for sales and use their store coupons. After each season I consign everything but everyday outfits and tennis shoes/flipflops and usually make around $60 twice a year. I take the rest to Goodwill, and start over the new season fresh. This also helps with keeping down drawer/closet clutter!;)

[rockermom]

I went shopping for my 2 older kiddos yesterday and about fell out. I admit that I am a "brand" shopper, but GEEZ LOUISE...!! When did jeans get to be so expensive?

 

I spent about $2000 total (inc. shoes) for all four kids for winter. Is that crazy?

 

The really bad part is I haven't gotten coats or dd's Wallaby's yet. :w00t:

 

Next to nothing as we get great hand-me-downs

[Haiku]

I didn't realize the Hobbits had a Goodwill. :lol::lol::lol: :tongue_smilie:

 

Yeah, it's down in Bywater, just around the corner from the Green Dragon. ;)

 

Tara

[laughing lioness]

Probably less than $20 a year for our 5 kids. We have been so blessed with beautfiul clothes that are passed on to us. I spend a very small amount on underwear and maybe a few things at garage sales.

My mil buys my older girls bras and panties once a year.

[Kelli in TN]

I have a budget of $100 per month, .

 

This is what I hope to work towards in the future. Even $50 per month would be amazing. If I had a predictable amount each month for clothes I could shop sales on a regular basis, it would be nice.

[phathui5]

Sounds crazy to me.

 

We spend roughly $300-400 a year total for all four kids.

[ereks mom]

...Most of my kids' clothes are hand-me-downs from other families, clearance items, from garage sales or second-hand stores. Grandma sometimes buys them an outfit for Christmas.

 

We very rarely buy new clothes. Almost all clothing items we buy comes from the thrift store. And my dc are pretty stylish-looking, if I do say so myself. ;) EK often gets compliments on her outfits. We just look at each other and smile because we know that we usually spend well under $10 for a jeans & top outfit.

[emeraldjoy]

From January 2008 until now we have spent about $50-75 for our entire family including unders, socks, etc. and it was all at GOODWILL.

 

I keep on mentioning our travels overseas, but truly it has changed our everything....when we witnessed families of 8 or 9 making $25 a month working 16/18 hours a day; more or less starving, literally eating less that we, in America, throw away in our garbages then things can never, ever be the same.

 

Everything truly is relative.

 

We made a New Years Resolution that we would not buy anything new for the year unless it is made in America.....it has been a challenge considering I eventually ended up pregnant this year.

e

[BritAnnia]

EK often gets compliments on her outfits. We just look at each other and smile because we know that we usually spend well under $10 for a jeans & top outfit.

 

Don't you just love that!

When I was a teen at school my parents were struggling financially. My mum would make me summer tops from the edges of our old cotton bedsheets that had worn holes in the middle. A few remnants of other materials that friends gave her and I had pencil skirts and bolero jackets. They were simple but stylish and totally fit the fashion of the time. I never had so many compliments, all thanks to wearing old bedsheets :D

[Guest janainaz]

I always find GREAT sales at Target, Kohl's, Old Navy and Mervyn's. I have two growing boys and I would say in a year I spend about $600 on them (together). That would include shoes, underwear, socks, etc. I could care less about brands, boys are easy - cargo shorts, t-shirts and jeans. My boys always look cute and I'm very careful with how much I spend. I would hope that even if I was at liberty to spend whatever I wanted, that I would shop just like I do now (and that goes for myself as well). I can't fathom paying $25/30for a brand name T-shirt, when I can buy 3 for $20 at Old Navy. I just would not feel right.

[KS_]

We don't spend a lot on clothing in general for any of us (although dh just got a new job and has to dress a little nicer now, so we have recently spend a couple hundred dollars on new shoes and pants for him). But for the kids, I try to never pay full price for anything - I shop off season when clothes are clearanced out and watch online for deals. I buy shoes whenever I see a really good deal and they're any size bigger than what my kids are currently wearing (they've got larger sized shoes in their closets for when they move up in shoe size, and I probably average $5 per pair). Same thing with underwear and socks - I watch for them on sale.

 

My mom is also a bargain shopper and will send them a shirt or other article of clothing every month or so as she finds them.