To think £100 a month should be enough for clothes?

[SabineUndine]

I don't have to wear formal suits for work, so I'm always in smart casual, with emphasis on the casual. But £100 doesn't seem to go that far. What do you spend (inc shoes)?

I don't think I spend much more than that a year. I hate shopping though and can't stand having loads of stuff. I reached my 'peak stuff' years ago.

£100 isn't a huge amount to spend on clothes in a month. Obviously not everyone can afford this, but there are many that spend far more than this. Of course the MN posters will mainly only admit to living on a shoestring and they all only shop in charity shops . They also feed a family of 10 on £10 a week! (including all toiletries, nappies, pet food and cleaning stuff).

Sorry I think I should go to bed.

Yes, it should be enough, I'm in a smart (but not all suits) place and I think planning is key. If you plan round a core list then you should be fine on that budget. I'm not particularly big on clothes but before this job I made a list like that, mostly to be sure of saving as much as I could, it's worked well for me.

I could afford to spend a few hundred a month on clothes but it doesn't really do anything for me - I am not a shopper! Occasionally I will order stuff on line but it never exceeds £100 I mostly buy to replace stuff for me and kids.

on the other hand my running shoe purchases are over £130 a pair and I have many :)

I budget an average of £100 a month for me, dh, and dd.
Tend to spend more at the start of the season.
Dd new boots and scarf. A couple of tops and trousers for new job for me.
Dh work clothes are a business expense and he has to be bullied to go clothes shopping

I suppose if you need to have smart clothes for work then that is a reasonable spend - sort of like an investment.

But I can't remember the last new clothes I had. I'm gearing up to buy some new leggings for the winter and some pants but otherwise I'm okay for a year or so. I think I spend about £100 over 18 months these days.

I am completely uninterested in clothes. I buy them in supermarkets especially when there is a bargain rail.

Have just spent 300 quid equivalent kitting out ds in decent winter gear (-30 here last winter and already a foot of snow on the ground.) we all needed good winter coats, insulated skirt for me, and boots - the type of proper technical gear that you just can't buy cheap. Plus hats, gloves, wool base layers etc. My stuff will last years but ds will need new each year as he grows. So that's a few hundred a year. I am generally smart casual at work but for overseas trips etc need to be very smart. I have no idea what I spend on myself a year - last year I needed maternity stuff too. 100 a month seems reasonable if you can afford it.

If you're looking for decent basics (not technical clothing) then three main routes: second hand, outlet type places like Tk maxx or learn to sew. Buy simple very good quality stuff in the sales or discounted that lasts. The times in my life I've lived off a real shoestring I have still managed to get some great stuff from car boots, damaged rails in department stores etc (things like a frock for several hundred quid that was reduced to twenty due to damage which was easily repairable.) I used to make a lot of my own stuff too (no time these days.)

I probably spend more, but don't shop very month, I tend to spend more in sale months like January and July. One month I might spend £400 on a new coat, shoes, bag etc. and the next nothing.

I budget £200 a month for our family of 5 and find that pretty tough to stick to. The kids always need something - new hockey socks, wellies, a coat. I bought 2 new pairs of shoes - a work pair and a casual pair and that was half the months budget gone! £100 doesn't go far and if you don't have a big wardrobe things will wear out quicker so you'll need to do some replacing!

I buy basics from Peacocks/ New Look and use charity shops. There is one across the road from me where jeans, trousers and beautiful tops are £1-2 each!

Thats heaps OP!

I rarely buy new clothes other than cheap stuff which ain't smart enough for work, I might get a new coat and winter boots every couple of years.

We're smart casual at work and apart from the odd new top that I've got in the sale, I have pretty much worn the same work clothes for the past 15 years, and I've my black work trousers for over a decade which I wear most days.

Tbh it's more a lack of money which is why I barely buy any new work clothes.

Trainers are my most expensive item and I need to buy them at least once a year - all told I spend about £250 per year. I don't buy specific clothes for "work" and for "casual". I wear the stuff that has started to get shabby for doing the housework etc.

Though I bought one of these www.germanwear.net/ebay/10320-003.JPG about 20 years ago in a charity shop - and while it makes me feel like an Austrian pensioner, it is still as good as new - so I haven't bought a winter coat since forever.

Jeez so glad I've got a uniform! Could never afford that

I could spend 100-200 in a clothes shop, but will only do a clothes shop about every 3-6 months, so on average spend 400-500 a year I guess.

It depends on what you need to wear for work and if you do a lot of sports.

£100/mth is what I spend on my executive wardrobe. 1200 a year will get you a great deal from Reiss/Hobbs so yes. I think it's unreasonable spending that on a casual wardrobe.

I also buy new clothes about twice a year and spend about £200- £250 each time. Don't find I get any more wear out of expensive clothes and they are more likely to be made of unwashable fabric.

I buy maybe 3 times a year for 400-500 quid a time. But I hate clothes shopping.

So 100 a month average is reasonable

I have no idea how much I spend. I just replace things when they need it. Assuming I can afford it that. I spent £60 on winter boots last month because I'm fed up with cheap ones that need replacing every few months.

Sometimes I don't buy anything for a few months because I don't need it

I spend less than that but then I'm one of those hate-shopping-guilty-if-i-spend-on-myself people.
I need to look relatively put together for work.
I'm very fond of the stretchy skirts you get from primark. Rarely more than a fiver and fine for work. (They are also ace as maternity wear in the bigger sizes)
I wear them with lightweight mens jumpers from supermarkets (I find they rest on the hip- more flattering than the women's ones). They cost £5 or £10 each.
Then a long cardigan or suit jacket (mine is M&S from a charity shop) over the top.
And there you have the patented Unlimiteddilutingjuice skint and can't be arsed guide to looking professional at work.
At the weekends it's jeans, worn out trainers and 10 year old band T Shirts!

I budget about £150 a quarter per person. The bigger spend is Autumn for new school shoes and uniform and for winter a suitable coat. Summer is sun hats and a set of summer uniform if needed and replacement of holiday clothes. Spring is cheaper and might include party clothes and replacing shoes but it works over a year.

I don't think that's much, you could get a few tops and a pants maybe.?

Oh goodness, when I was worked in the city and was earning very well, I wouldn't think twice about blowing £600 in one go.

Now a sahm, in the early stages of divorce, I'm more sensible. I have input £200 a month estimated expenditure for me and two children. Will be tough given my history but doable

You can definitely manage comfortably spending £100 a month on clothes. However it's one of those piece of string questions, people love to buy clothes whether they need them or not, and if you can afford to spend more then do it.

I spend about £100-£150 a month. My personal downfall is comfort pjs and fleecy dressing gowns! I love to be comfortable at home in the evening.

I work 6 days a week and wear dresses & cardi. £100 isn't much, new dress @ £50 new, £20 in a sale, Cami tops to wear underneath, tights! New bra every few months, generally a new pair of shoes every year, and then casual clothes on top. £20 for a pair of jeans, £20 on a top, swimwear and knickers too....

I just wear what I have already and then buy the odd bit in the Boden or Gap sale when my knitwear is going a bit bobbly. I have a few winter coats, boots etc from about 10years ago which are still going strong.
I think if you buy quality classic styles they last longer, then no need to keep replacing.