To ask how much you spend on your DC’s clothes.

[Del29]

I have two children - a boy and a girl so hand me downs can’t happen. They’ve grown lots in the last year. They literally need everything! T-shirts, leggings, jumpers, shorts, jeans, jumpers, hoodies.

I’ve ordered a few bits this week from different websites as stock isn’t great everywhere. A mix of H&M, Matalan, Asda and next! Totalling around £300-£350 and it’s not like I’ve got massive piles of new clothes from that amount of money 🤦🤦 they did literally need everything down to pants and socks plus some croc type shoes for garden play.

It’s not like this will see them out for the whole year. It’s mainly clothes suitable for spring and summer!

So yeah how much do you spend? How do you save money on clothes?

They are 10&6 so not like they are teenagers!

Both will need shoes before long too.

Before covid I’d just go shopping and buy them bits and bobs throughout the year and never really noticed the costs adding up.

teen and 10 year old. I spend incl school clothes probably about £200 each. We shop at h&m, Sainsbury's, eBay. Some stuff on thrifting pages (I also thrift a lot of clothes they don't wear anymore). We aren't brand whores so that keeps cost down. I have friends who get everything from expensive 'it brands' and they are spending a fortune.

DS1 is fussy about clothing in a sensory way although nothing extreme, I don't have to buy anything specialised. Trousers are a bit of a nightmare for him, but he tends to be OK with joggers as long as they don't have zips. So I can get those second hand. I don't tend to use ebay these days, I use vinted more often or FB marketplace or just ask around local friends with older/taller children. Car boot sales are normally good as well although less so for older kids' stuff. And of course no car boot sales running right now.

Then he will wear short-sleeved t-shirts and hoodies. Actually this makes him a bit simpler because he won't wear shorts or long-sleeved t-shirts, so he can just wear the same clothes all year round, whereas DS2 I still dress differently according to the seasons.

Socks I have found sports socks work well for him which is great because I can get them cheap from Decathlon.

I have a boy and two girls (so the youngest does get hand me downs but she was a surprise baby so I'd given away everything aged 2 and under and had to buy new!)

They've all grown and all gone up a shoe size.

Thankfully expensive items like coats still fit.

I've shopped around (online) and have gone for basics - tracksuit bottoms / leggings / cotton tops and t-shirts. New pair of trainers for all 3, new pair of school shoes each for older two (x5 pairs and wellies for little one). Plus some uniform bits..... Spent about £350 but won't need to buy much else this year. Maybe a few £2.99 summer dresses for older girl when H&M have them in stock and wellies for older two at some point....

Older 2 will be mainly in uniform I hope until the summer anyway.

It is expensive and I pass down clothes to my nieces and nephews when we are done, so hopefully I ease someone else's expenses along the way.

Whatever half a dozen pairs of joggers/leggings, a few pairs of shorts, half a dozen t shirts, a couple of long sleeve t shirts, a couple of fleeces, two multipacks of pjs and a multipack of socks and pants each costs from Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and maybe M&S for some of it costs. Plus a thin waterproof and some sandals each (not that I’ve bought those yet). They get another few multipacks of warmer tops, a winter coat and wellies come the autumn. Plus obviously school uniform. Shoes are replaced as and when needed. I don’t add it up - they need it and I can afford it. I try not to buy too much stuff though or anything very expensive, it’s just a waste and doesn’t get worn enough.

My daughter is 1.

I spent 140 pounds on summer/spring clothes plus shoes but like PP have suggested, I got majority of that in bundles from ebay.

I also buy multipacks if I can from the supermarkets/online shops.

I have found george at asda to be the best value for children clothes personally.

I went a bit nuts when she was first born, until I realised how quickly she outgrew everything and how much money I was wasting!

I don't think what you've spent is particularly outrageous, it is a bit shocking when you realise how much things are though!

I ordered a few t shirts from next and leggings and sandals from sainsburys this morning and spent £45, whoops!

Thanks all. Last year I bought a lot of their clothes from primark. Wish they sold stuff online. Don’t fancy it when they open either as it’ll be busy busy for sure!

I’m finding stock levels aren’t great at the minute. Asda website literally had nothing suitable when I looked but I know it went to store I could get a lot but nearest big Asda is 17 miles away!

£150 a month for three children aged 9 and under. Includes shoes and coats.
I don’t think that’s excessive and it does seem to get spent! They wear everything

OP that doesn’t sound too bad for two DC for Spring and Summer.

Every month when the child benefit comes in (140) we buy ds and dd what they need and a few bits for ourselves. Kids about 50 each and dh and I abou 20 each. Dd is a baby though so needs a whole new wardrobe every 3 months (if we are lucky!). Ds is 2.5 and also outgrow stuff quickly

@TheGracefulwhale you're brave to admit that on here lol

Honestly, hundreds.

But I way overbuy. DD us a baby and has 24 dresses in 0-3 months. It's madness

You're right op, it just adds up. For ds (7)over a year we'll probably buy
Footwear- school shoes £45, walking boots £25, wellies £15, sandles £15, trainers, £40 ( he'll get through two pairs)=£ 140
Coat £40, summer waterproof £20, hoodie £15=£75
Uniform- 2xtrouser £15, polos £10, 2xjumpers £30, PE kit £30=£85
Couple of pairs of joggers £10, some jeans £30 ish? So £40
Tops, couple of packs long sleeved and a couple of packs of the shirts, £40 ish
Some shorts, Christmas jumper, party shirt, onesie, underwear, swimming costume etc it probably comes to £400-450 a year. A bit less than that for dd as I seem to do better by way of eBay bundles for her!

[quote cherrybunx0]@TheGracefulwhale you're brave to admit that on here lol[/quote]
Don't get me wrong, we also buy dc lots through the month, but doing one big order when the child benefit comes in makes life easier and we know we've got everything we need.

Thanks all. I know it’ll be more again soon. By summer they will potentially need swimwear as last years unlikely to fit, some extra summer shoes etc. Then it’ll be new uniform again! Tjen winter clothes... Thankfully the uniform they had in September is still okay apart from DS needing new shorts. Their feet don’t grow as fast as they do luckily 🤣

I don’t think that’s it’s a huge amount either, certainly not for two.

We did two big shops a year when younger and now older and they grow less tend to do one big one with all the basics and then they pick up extras during the year they like. Don’t buy clothes for Christmas as see them as essentials.

I don’t think I ever realised how much it costs before as I was buying it in small parts here and there and never added up the costs! When I just had DS I was terrible for buying clothes. I’d be in Asda or Sainsburys every week! The outfits aren’t as cute now they are older so I have some self control. 🤣

I prob spend £30 on each of them every months or so. I typically pick things up in smaller chunks, so jumpers when it starts to get colder, short sleeve tees come spring. I’m also very lucky that their grandparents over impulse purchase new trainers of wellies of whatever for them. It’s very much appreciated. Add in school uniform twice a years too through growth or destruction! I love Asda for t-shirts and jumpers, Next for the jogger multipacks and H&M for jeans. Trainers usually picked up on sale direct from Nike. Always M&S for uniform.

@Del29 you need a friend with an older child!

I pass on any clothes that aren't falling apart, and we had mainly hand-me-downs until they were 11/12.

If yours go so quickly that would help with at least the basics! And things like wellies, winter coats and swimsuits which often get little wear.

I spend about the same as OP although I have more dc (5 aged between 6 and 14). Mine mostly have hand me downs topped up with multipacks of basic asda clothes and a few things from ebay. They always get a character t shirt for Christmas and sometimes their birthday too. I try and buy boden coats on eBay for £5-10 each as I think dc look really smart in a boden coat.

[quote ZarkingBell]@Del29 you need a friend with an older child!

I pass on any clothes that aren't falling apart, and we had mainly hand-me-downs until they were 11/12.

If yours go so quickly that would help with at least the basics! And things like wellies, winter coats and swimsuits which often get little wear.[/quote]
Haha yes I do! But I don’t have many close friends with children older than mine! All younger!

I do pass on clothes though!

My dc9 has outgrown everything so I’ve probably spent around £150

Dc2 - has literally shot up 3 inches since bloody Christmas so I’ve spent around £100.

That’s not including shoes. Both need new trainers. Both had some new school bits as they have outgrown all their stuff from last year, and as shops have been shut I haven’t been able to grab a bit here and there.

I’m going to have a massive clear out in a couple of weekends and ebay/Facebook most of it as the charity shops aren’t open yet. I’ll just do bundles for a buy it now price on eBay, Facebook can be hit and miss around here.

I've just bought ds two pairs of trousers for £55 online. He did badly need them.

DS is 12. His current set of clothes were

Pants - £10
Socks £10
Jeans £39
T shirts £ 35
Trainers £12
Sweaters £42
Coat £40
Pjs £20.
Snow boots £18. So about £228. Mostly H&M, Sainsbury's I buy multi packs of t-shirts, undies etc wherever I can.

School uniform cost about the same, so £450 in total. Will hopefully last him a year.

Mine are teens now and I probably spend less as they get some clothes for Christmas and they no longer outgrow things but clothes in general are more expensive per item, gone are the days where I could get loads in the sale for not much money. Luckily they are not bothered about expensive brands. I tend to buy things when they need them now rather than buying a whole summer or winter wardrobe.