To think keeping kids in clothes is so expensive??

[Namedilema123]

When they go up a size and you have to replace everything...tops, leggings, vests, socks, coats, shoes, jumpers, cardigans....it is so expensive! I often find myself on eBay or Facebook marketplace buying second hand clothes for them and feeling bad that I don't buy them new things. I have a 6 month old and twin 3 year olds and we definitely earn more than the national average, but sizing up for all 3 is really expensive. Am i missing something? Someway to have presentable kids in nice clothes without breaking the bank? How people kit their kids out in head to toe next/gap/m&s is beyond me. Maybe im being tight rather than U.

I always buy the next size up in the sales so costs me a fraction of the price. I shop throughout the year. There are some fab outlets on ebay if you want new clothes rather than second hand clothing. And you don't need to feel guilty about buying second hand clothing, nobody knows where you got them just you. Your stopping things going to landfill which is a good thing to do.

I used to buy ahead in the sales a size or two at that age. I used to queue for next on boxingday and get heaps half price but also supermarket sales when t shirts are a couple of quid. It’s harder as they get older I found as they like to choose although Ds 11 loves primark at present - long may it last! We now also shop at outlets (Gap), H&M amd sports direct and supermarkets. Asda is particularly good for kids but Ds is now between kids and adult ranges there so nothing fits!

I loved hand me downs even as a tween - my DM was still buying me age 12 kids clothes but the lady across the road (girls 1 and 2yrs older than me) would occasionally bring me bags of size 6 ladies clothes from top shop and miss selfridges. I thought it was the coolest thing ever (I've actually still got one!)

I don't think it's that expensive to dress young DC though especially as a lot of them would probably prefer a £3 supermarket top with Peppa/Thomas on it than something stylish.

Timing can help.
Debenhams always used to do a 70% sale at the very end.

Sad to say I got piles of uniform for next to nothing when Woolies closed down. By the last days it was about 90% off iirc.

You can't get everything but I would usually get underwear and socks at the very least this way.

I did/ do have a cupboard for things to grow into plus zipped storage bags in loft space for clothes waiting to be passed down.

I buy a year in advance in the sales - it’s far cheaper. So I actually already have all their summer 2019 clothes. I had their winter 2018 clothes in the sales in 2017. I have 2 children a 4 year old and a 1.5 year old. Shoes wise - we buy in advance in the sales too, currently have all their shoes they need for 3 sizes up. There are websites where they sell leather shoes for 70% off as they ordered too many - we get notifications of that. Also - I am on the invite list of a few sample sale clothes and those are 70% off. I have a 9 year old d&g dress I bought for £20. If you look around - there are a few things around. Good luck OP.

Luckily my friends and I all staggered our kids so we have a chain of hand me downs. It's really sweet when we meet up and it's like "ooh that used to be L's and then it was S's and now it's T's..." it's part of our shared friendship history! Lol..

It's normal for our kids and not a source of shame for them. (Obviously as they get bigger they get to choose only things they like).

I don't think it is particularly expensive apart from the one or two years in their teens when they grow like weeds. Second hand and hand me downs for little ones and I always bought big. I used to buy wellies and have another pair of shoes or sandals . Once they started school and until feet stopped growing , School shoes, trainers , football boots and wellies with jellies or flip flops for summer holiday. They brought their trainers home for weekend. We bought bargains if seen at decathlon . I did buy fitted sturdy school shoes as there was a lot of walking . Wellies, football boots, flip flops etc can easily be passed on as can coats , outdoor wear in general, hoodies and fleeces. I have a DD and 2 DSes .thinking back , GPs bought quite a lot of their clothes when they were little. Obvs one has to put them in things that one wouldn't normally choose but it is nice to see the GPs pleased and can make one 'get over yourself' a bit!

For under 8s clothes flood in from every bloody angle and I rarely get chance to actually buy my kids anything. Actually makes me feel a bit sad that I don’t get to dress them according to my tastes sometimes.

It’s that age and above that cost me a lot of cash, the outerwear that costs a lot I find, we are talking about them needing pumps, school shoes, trainers, football boots, sandals or occasion shoes, walking boots, wellies, dance shoes at a bare minimum just to go to school.....not to mention coats, waterproofs, snow wear, waterproof gloves, day to day gloves, hats and scarves, sun hats, swimsuits, shin pads, school bags, kit bags and swim bags and so on and on and on.

Where to put it all is also an issue!

All good advice on here. I have 3 boys, so life is a bit easier but they are all different shapes so some buying has always been needed.
One teen ( now man's sizing) and pre teen, so it gets v expensive. But as pp said bigger items for.birthdays/ Xmas and gifts from family/ they get given cash/ vouchers which is always great.

Can I really really recommend TK Maxx for this age- online is fantastic ( just got teen trainers £150 for £50, which sounds a lot but they are for his birthday) also brilliant for kids' clothes in general ( got amazing organic PJs for the youngest for £6).

No one has mentioned wwwshoesforkids
They are a family run company selling all branded shoes. I've used them for years. I got DS 6 Clarks school.shoes for £26 inc p&p just yesterday.

I’ve 2 DDs - I’ve been lucky in that they are both very close in age - 2 and 1 month old.

I’ve kept everything for DD2 but DD1 gets tons of hand me downs from friends and birthday/Christmas gifts tend to be clothes/books. I do feel bad that DD2 won’t have any news clothes for herself.

I also have bought extra nursery clothes bundles on eBay and set them aside as nursery clothes/messy play. Shoes - well I feel a bit tight but I’ve only bought 1/2 pairs per size as any more than that is a waste as atm she grows so fast. Once she stops growing out of shoes so quickly I’ll up the amount.

No I find I rarely buy clothes, when I do I just buy them big and they wear them for years!

Second hand doesn't just mean hand me downs. Ebay and charity shops are both good for clothes IME and if you have very little ones things like church/nursery jumble sales and NCT nearly new tend to have baby and toddler clothes at good prices second hand.

Plus ask friends with older DC (e.g. older siblings of your DC's friends) if they know anyone with kids their older DC's age who has stuff to sell/pass on.

If you buy new then clothes can cost a lot. If you buy from car boot sales, then sell on at a later date on Ebay, then your clothing can actually make you money.