AIBU to wonder how much you spend on your children’s clothes per year?

[NoseinBook3]

Hello,

Just realised that none of the kids now fit in their clothes so I’ve put an order in. I’ve got two children and it came to about £400... but that includes two coats, two pairs of trainers and then jumpers, tshirts, trousers, underwear and dresses.

I probably still need to get another pair of shoes for them both, pjs and swimwear.

Also I found it quite difficult to find any decent coats.

I very much hope that’s them now set for a while... but it did make me wonder. Do you budget for clothes for the year?

Ds 5 needed new school shoes, wellies, slippers, trainers and pumps in one go at xmas, that would have been 80 quid, but since we had clarks shoes bought in September we took them back and had him remeasured and they exchanged them so only 35 thankfully. All his school trousers and one jumper was replaced then as well so that was another 35. He's wearing jeans with holes at the moment so i don't have to buy too much for lockdown. Tends to be we spend about 500 every two years as theres a lot we buy to last the two years, this is supermarket clothes and uniform. His grandmother tends to buy the nicer labels in lovely jumpers, shirts and smart trousers and summer things is she thinks he needa them 😂

We totted it all up one year, and even with very careful and considered spending, hand me downs etc it was still more than £300 per child.

Toddler is probably 200 for a complete wardrobe change a couple of times a year (due to him growing out of everything). His last shoes only lasted 3 months until he grew out of them. Aside from a birthday or christmas outfiit, he doesnt get clothes outside of this.

For DS7, he has SN and is not materialistic at all, but I have heard other kids his age teasing others about 'branded sportswear' so I pick him up sportswear when I see it on offer throughout the year. In the last year, probably 300 for him on clothes, 50 on a coat, 100 on 2 pairs of trainers. 200 on school uniform. Other than football boots he wont need anything for a while.

I’m sure I’d be shocked if I added it up on a yearly basis! In previous years I’ve had great clothes bundle bargains from Facebook . This year it’s been 2nd hand Boden with bits from h and m/supermarkets/other places. DD always gets some clothes as part of her Christmas too. When the shops are open, H and M will give you a 5 off 25 spend voucher for giving a bag of used clothes in which I use to get a little bit off the basics.

I have 3 teens but they all think 'labels' are really lame so no ridiculously priced clothes are needed here. That reduces the cost of clothing hugely. Good quality is important ( we don't do fast fashion) but I have taught them that it is daft to pay a premium to advertise a product on your clothing.

Primark, Charity shops & cast offs normally. Far below budgets listed here. Shoes probably add up, but again I have cast offs.

I get a lot from facebay.

I try to spread it over the year, it's less scary that way!

My youngest wears her sisters hand downs though so that saves us plenty. I often buy lightly used bits from local buy and sell groups too.

Mine get a lot of hand me downs so I don’t tend to have to buy many clothes except for shoes and school uniform.
School shoes are 50 each, uniform including coats probably around £100 each per year.
Trainers, wellies, ‘nice going out shoes, sandals -another £100 each
Then I tend to buy a couple of outfits for special occasions-another 1
Approx 100 each per year.
The rest they get as presents from others or hand me downs.

Over the years hardly anything, as my sister in law has always given us bags of clothes from my niece and nephew. Always buy new shoes and the odd coat, swimming costume etc where there is nothing suitable but we’ve been really lucky. Now DD is a teen with different tastes to my niece and a different shape I’m buying more clothes, but I mostly give her money to buy them herself or she buys them from Xmas/ birthday money. PJs I always replenish at Xmas and give them as presents/ in Xmas Eve boxes. My nephew is into designer clothes so DS has much more expensive clothes than I would ever buy himself!

I try to avoid having to get a full wardrobe at once, but probably spending a about £30/month replacing bits as there outgrown. I also do a big uniform/ coat/ school shoes shop, which probably comes to £100, so £460ish per year. I have 2 DC, but only one is school age, youngest is a toddler and wears quite a few hand me downs.

About £500 on summer wardrobe including sandals and swimwear and £500 on winter wardrobe including a coat and boots

I don't have a budget, I just buy as and when he needs new clothes.

For things like coats I always look in sales for the next size up so I can get a good coat at a reasonable price.

I usually spend about £500 in a big go in the next sale which kits out both kids, then other bits as and when they need or want.

Probably about £1k over the course of a year I'd guess between the pair of them.

I try to buy things over the year, I'm a sucker for a sale rail, but I'll try to pick up bargains when I see them, and put things away until they fit. I buy a size up in coats and vests so they last longer, my son has worn his coat for three winters now! Luckily my children are 6 and 4 so not bothered particularly about what they wear. I get stuff in Sainsbury's, Tesco's and h and m mainly at the mo.

Shoes are the big expense, all this school closure is a bummer too. I bought new school shoes last Feb half term, then school closed and by the time my son went back in June they didn't fit, so that was a waste. I wouldn't have minded replacing then if they'd been worn but they just sat on the rack for 4 months! Similarly I bought new trainers for him to wear for pe in the Xmas hols, but they are a right state now as he's been wearing them every day instead of just pe and weekends.

I do 2 shops a year (winter/summer) at £500 per shop (1 child) & I don't shop anywhere designer! That's just like next, primark & H&M! It adds up doesn't it!!!

I've two of the same sex which helps a lot. So I bought 100 pound worth recently. I need go get shoes 50 each maybe in May.
I get some clothes as gift. Probably 250 a year?

Sorry should have said mine includes all coats, shoes, puddle suits etc etc

We always buy shoes, slippers, trainers, snow boots, sandals and wellies in sales, knowing their feet are going to grow. My DP just splashed out £35 on two pairs of trainers for my toddler in the next sizes up which he found in an end of line sale. I spend £25 on DD's school shoes, those are the most expensive footwear she has.

As for clothes, the toddler gets second-hand from eBay, except for socks which are cheap bulk purchase from Amazon. It's incredible what bargains are to be had on eBay Used, if you are patient and shop carefully. My DD (age 10) has a mix of second-hand and new (underwear and socks always new from M&S). I've been slowly migrating her to buy her own second-hand clothes, I enjoy teaching her about getting good value and reusing high quality items, helping her to spot good brands at a good price. She has just kitted herself out with a range of spring/summer shirts in different colours which she is really chuffed with!

Per child not her shop god I haven't woke up yet as you can tell!!!

It’s easily done isn’t it, especially when they’re really young and need different sizes several times a year. I think I probably spend about £300 on her over the course of a year but DM and MIL buy bits and pieces throughout the year too which is a massive help. A surprise parcel just arrived in the post yesterday from Mum, with shorts and T-shirt’s ready for spring and summer.

I think lockdown has made things difficult in this regard - spending most of your time in the house makes it less obvious that clothes have been grown out of, I think. When DS was small I bought things as and when I liked, but now he’s bigger and more expensive and needs more outfits, shoes and coats/accessories, I need to rein it in a bit. Currently looking at shoes as he’s only just started walking, and the cost of them has surprised me quite a bit!

I've had the same realisation this week and did an order for tops and jeans for DS and underwear for DD ... £80 just for a few bits.

If a miracle happens and I get a UK break, I'd have to spend about £100 so they have a weeks worth of summer clothes.

They've basically worn pyjamas for a year

For 6yo DD1's clothes, I buy 'good' brands ahead in the end of season sales (so they can be passed onto DD2) plus a few odd items as needed throughout the year and things I see second hand either at nearly new sales (when operating!) or Ebay. A quick tot up comes to around £600 for regular clothes including coats and other outer wear, and another £100 ‐ 150 for school uniform. I don't spend a lot (comparatively) on uniform as much will get stained and not make it to DD2. Shoes are £200‐250/yr, as DDs need school shoes, wellies, trainers, and plimsoles just for school, plus trainers, wellies, sandals, Crocs, and sometimes Winter boots at home. I buy the Crocs and Winter boots (and sometimes sandals) second hand.
So that's £900‐1000 in total for DD1.

4yo DD2 gets mostly hand me downs, but we probably spend another £250/yr where items haven't survived DD1's wear, DD1 didn't need an item (eg due to weather that year) but DD2 now does, or just something that I know DD2 would love. Thankfully DD2 currently loves getting all DD1's old things, but I am very conscious this may change at some point! Also with only 2 years between them, at some point DD2 will need size up clothes before DD1 has outgrown them, so costs will increase. We are already at the point where many clothes get moved straight from one wardrobe the other with no need to store in between.

I've found quite a few of the 'good' brands make it through both DCs still in good condition, so I sell these on which gets put towards the next size of clothes.