To spend £600 every time my daughter goes up a clothes size?

[ivebeentotheyear3000]

Every time my daughter goes up a clothes size I end up spending about £600. DH thinks this is a ridiculous amount to spend but I don't really see how I could do it for much cheaper!? I buy from a variety of places but generally Asda, H&M, Tu, Matslan - nowhere really expensive.

Vests £10
Knickers £10
Socks £10
Tights £20
Jeans £30
Leggings £20
Shorts £20
Short sleeved tops £25
Long sleeved tops £25
Dresses £50
Fleece £15
Hoodie £15
Tracksuit £20
Winter coat £25
Summer waterproof £15
Pyjamas £40
Ballet uniform £75
School uniform £75
Trainers, shoes, wellies, sandals, slippers £100
Swimsuit £10

AIBU? How much do others spend and if less, how do you save money?

Not surprised your DH thinks this is a huge amount on child's clothing. It isn't an issue if you can afford it and are paying for it yourself.

It seems awfully wasteful for the planet. So many clothes are clogging up landfills. But I suppose the clothing is already made so in a way it doesn't make a difference. But I would think that in a country where you wear school uniforms, you wouldn't have to purchase so many different clothes.

My daughters 14 year 10. She's still wearing her year 7 skirts and I've just replaced her blazer due to wear but in the same size. Shirts I replace yearly. The rest as needed. They need less changing as the get older but it costs more! When she was little as with DS things were change only when too small and not all at once.

Buy gradually! They don't grow out of everything at once because some things are more forgiving and some clothes like coats once you get to about 3-4 you can go up a size so it lasts longer. Pants lasted years as I had skinny kids (in clearing our old house dd still had 7-8 knickers she fitted into as an adult!) By school aged clothes lasted at least two summers or winters

Weird how on Mumsnet we have all these so called high earners but if someone spends a few hundred pounds on their child it sparks such debate. That's not a dig at anyone, I know it's better for the environment to under consume and buy second hand but I don't think less £80 pcm is that excessive. I'm definitely going to make an effort to buy less though, there's some great tips on this thread.

Also remember growth spurts mean you might go up 2 sizes one year do buying ahead isn't always cost effective

If no one buys new clothes, how can secondhand children’s clothes be available? For various reasons, used clothes may not be an option for some families.

@qualitygirl
I just can't do it! My husband is always trying to get me to spend on myself. He tried to get me to buy a £1500 bag the other day, but I'd just feel stupid wearing it. I only looked at it because I thought it would be about £50 I hadn't realised it was a branded bag

@Ericaequites

If no one buys new clothes, how can secondhand children’s clothes be available? For various reasons, used clothes may not be an option for some families.

Why wouldn’t second hand children’s clothes be an option for some families?

I don't think less £80 pcm is that excessive.
I don't think the total spend is wildly OTT either but the OP doesn't seem to be spending monthly. Her post implies that she is spending £600 in one go replacing everything at the same time rather than spreading the cost, taking advantage of sales and expecting to get more than one year out of some items. It's highly unlikely that socks, vests, dresses, leggings and a coat all stop fitting at exactly the same time.

I save money by cutting off trousers for shorts. I wouldn't buy many actual shorts

How old is she?
Seems weird that socks and leggings wouldn’t last longer and surely she doesn’t go up a shoe size each year?

@LoisWilkersonslastnerve

Weird how on Mumsnet we have all these so called high earners but if someone spends a few hundred pounds on their child it sparks such debate. That's not a dig at anyone, I know it's better for the environment to under consume and buy second hand but I don't think less £80 pcm is that excessive. I'm definitely going to make an effort to buy less though, there's some great tips on this thread.

I think £80 a month on clothing for one child is a huge amount! We all have different priorities though and I know what we spend on food is huge compared to some so I don’t say that in a judgemental way it’s just for me, I wouldn’t spend anywhere near that

I buy a couple of sizes big for everything apart from shoes. So e.g. winter coats last 2 or 3 years. School uniform same. E.g. for 8th birthday dress I'd buy either 8-10 or 9-10. Same for the coat. There is absolutely no need to buy all at once every year! That is a huge expense.

£80 per month on one child’s clothes! Are you having a laugh?!
Sounds even worse when you break it down like that - that’s pure madness

Weird how on Mumsnet we have all these so called high earners but if someone spends a few hundred pounds on their child it sparks such debate.

It does seem that on mumsnet people earn either 500k a day or survive on 5p a day, there’s not much in between!

If you buy all at once you can also end up wasting loads. For example I replaced all DDs shorts and t shirts before summer, but she actually wore dresses the whole time so I really didn't need to get them!

I buy second hand bundles online. You can usually get a few pairs of trousers, t shirts and jumpers for around £20 + p&p.

On the rare occasions we do buy new clothes for DC, we buy them big.

Only things we always buy new are socks, shoes and pants.

@SkankingMopoke

Sorry, I had quoted Mostlyjustrunning admitting their £38/yr spend was actually for their younger child. The quote didn't post for some reason.

Yes i am very lucky to have access to free second hand clothes - youngest child is dc4, I have friends with older kids, our community has a very good “free stuff” group plus I have a relative who works somewhere with lost property and we occasionally get jackets. I wrote a follow up post saying exactly what you said about different things work in different circumstances

I can't imagine this...I just replace things as and when. I've never consciously thought, right they've gone up a size, I must buy a whole new wardrobe worth of clothes.

Bizarre approach!
Most kids grow up before they grow out.
My Y6 used to wear her Y4 primary skirts and gingham dresses because as she aged she loved them being above the knee. Then well above the knee 🤣

Doesn’t everyone’s child have that random age 6-7 item that their 10yo still wears?

I don’t think it’s odd to spend £600 in a year on clothes, if you can afford.

I do think it’s bloody odd to buy a new swimsuit cos feet have grown though 🤣

And socks don’t come in one shoe size 🤷🏻‍♀️

All I can see in my head is little 4 yr olds wearing floor length hoodies and the mothers stating...oh fantastic plenty of growing room 🤣🤣🤣

I second 2ndhand I have lots of pre-loved things and I sell literally everything I don't give anything away so try to make my money back.

I also buy ahead in the sales aswell I go to next and Asda and Sainsbury's and buy things cheap and put them away - it's just about being savvy I guess.

I work on 4 pairs of pyjamas, a coat, uniform for school and then maybe 4-5 weekend outfits
I've learnt the kids don't need 10-20 different combinations when they are in uniform or pyjamas all week - when I first had my daughter I used to buy loads but I don't now it's just not necessary

£80 maybe doesn’t sound too hideous if you have one child… I have three. That would be £240 per month on clothes! Insanity. Sadly very little can be handed down in our house as the two oldest are the same clothes and shoe size (not twins) and the youngest is a different sex.
I think I probably spend about £100 a month (for all 3) if averaged out over the year. Biggest expense is shoes.

I suppose the upside of this method is I bet OP's DD's wardrobe and drawers are significantly tidier and more organised than mine 😆