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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

668 replies

ivebeentotheyear3000 · 05/02/2022 05:34

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?

OP posts:
Xds1453 · 05/02/2022 19:17

I buy things in a size up and my child wears them oversized -I like that look anyway and they last longer. I also buy loads in the sales so a summer wardrobe I buy most of it at the end of summer for next year in bigger sizes , same for winter. I also buy Clarks or start rite shoes in the clearance. I also buy lots of clothes in bigger sizes from one of my favourite shops when they have sales on.

DockOTheBay · 05/02/2022 19:35

@firstimemamma

That's so much money! We spent about £50 every time ds goes up a clothes size I think. He's just moved up to 4-5 years.
Are you sure? Pants, socks, tops, trousers, jumpers, jeans, swimming trunks, coat. Does he only have one of each? Even in Asda/Primark a coat costs £15. A pack of 5 pants is £5 but presumably he has more than 5 pairs!? That's half of your estimate gone already.
Shitandhills · 05/02/2022 19:37

Why is everyone banging on about £80 per month? If OP spends £600 per year that's £50 per month. Have I missed something?

DockOTheBay · 05/02/2022 19:42

@apprenticewage

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'm on a few Facebook groups about (pricey organic) kids clothes and you do regularly see people buying clothes 3 sizes too big for "growing room". If your kids dress is almost at their ankles and you have to roll the sleeves up 3 times, it doesn't fit and it looks stupid.
Christmas1988 · 05/02/2022 19:43

Ballet uniform £75 what an earth does she wear!?? RV leather ballet slippers £15.99, ballet socks £2, regulation leotard RV £8.95,RV leggings £10 at most, exam wrap £10.

DockOTheBay · 05/02/2022 19:45

Do clothes from primark actually last for 2 summers and then are in good enough condition to pass on second hand?

apprenticewage · 05/02/2022 19:49

@DockOTheBay no they don't

But I can confirm that Boden clothing definitely does and SOME H&M and next clothing too!!

SomeOwlsCoo · 05/02/2022 19:51

We've had primark clothes that have lasted 2 years, been passed down to dc2 and lasted another 2 years. Then been put away for DN.
We've had things from Next which haven't lasted a year before the seams fall apart Hmm

It seems to be rather hit and miss.

DockOTheBay · 05/02/2022 19:53

[quote apprenticewage]@DockOTheBay no they don't

But I can confirm that Boden clothing definitely does and SOME H&M and next clothing too!! [/quote]
I didn't think so.
We buy quite a bit of Frugi, I have had stuff that I bought second hand, fitted both my daughters and then was in good enough condition to sell on (cheap!) But if the aim is saving money then a wardrobe of clothes from Frugi and Boden will definitely be more than £600 😂

DontKeepTheFaith · 05/02/2022 19:57

That’s just bizarre.

I just bought bits as and when required. No child grows out of absolutely everything at the same time. That is excessive and unnecessary but if you have the money, it’s yours to spend.

firstimemamma · 05/02/2022 19:59

He has 4 tops, 2 jumpers, some t-shirts, pants, vests, socks, jogging bottoms and a couple of pairs of smart trousers. He doesn't have jeans. His nursery polo shirts and gymnastics club t-shirt still fit in 3-4 years so no need to replace those. He got given some tops and t-shirts for Christmas so that helped. Everything we bought is second hand or sainsburys with the jumpers from next. Also I didn't factor shoes into the equation and his most recent pair were nearly £40 from Clark's. Shoes are a pain!

@DockOTheBay

firstimemamma · 05/02/2022 20:00

@DockOTheBay actually probably more like £70 than £50 as I just remembered he needed new PJs too.

DockOTheBay · 05/02/2022 20:02

Coat? Wellies? Swimwear?
When he goes up a size in nursery stuff there will be that too. £50 each time he goes up a size would include that.

Chichimcgee · 05/02/2022 20:07

Coat? Wellies? Swimwear?

Do most kids go up a size like clockwork on their birthday?

Supermarkets have clothes for a couple of quid, shoes for a fiver. Buying second hand bundles works out even cheaper. I think you could spend £50 on a new wardrobe. Could easily spend £600 as well.
I think most people fall somewhere in between a decent coat and shoes, some cheaper bits and second hand bits as and when needed.

ScrollingLeaves · 05/02/2022 20:10

I think your list sounds reasonable but it seems a lot of money because of buying it in one go. Probably others end up spending close to this overall but don’t realise if it is a few items at a time.

As children grow out of clothes so quickly, they can end up in charity shops almost as good as new and sometimes they are expensive brands too. So you might find things like jackets, sweaters, shirts there if you kept an eye out regularly ( if you have the time). Ebay can be very good too.

Svara · 05/02/2022 20:13

You don't need to buy every size. From about age four every second size works fine except for trousers until about age 8. So buy 4, 6, 8..

Buy second hand

MiniCooperLover · 05/02/2022 20:15

That looks a bit ridiculous to be honest. My DS is 10 and skinny so still wears 7-8 pants. He wears 8-9 trousers but they're getting a bit short and 9 T-shirt's that are fine. I haven't bought anything new in about a year as I haven't needed to. Shoes haven't changed in about a year as he's a slow grower. Surely you don't just change everything at once?

DockOTheBay · 05/02/2022 20:16

@Chichimcgee

Coat? Wellies? Swimwear?

Do most kids go up a size like clockwork on their birthday?

Supermarkets have clothes for a couple of quid, shoes for a fiver. Buying second hand bundles works out even cheaper. I think you could spend £50 on a new wardrobe. Could easily spend £600 as well.
I think most people fall somewhere in between a decent coat and shoes, some cheaper bits and second hand bits as and when needed.

No but the PP said they spend £50 on each new size. I don't think that's realistic. They spent £50 recently but that wasn't everything in the new size. I don't think they should/would buy it all at once, but throughout the year all the new size of clothing, whether you buy it at once or gradually, would definitely come to more than £50.
Chichimcgee · 05/02/2022 20:17

Am I the only one who thinks things like socks last forever as soon as you’re in junior sizes Grin

Bakewelltart987 · 05/02/2022 20:24

600 a year on clothes seems pretty standard to me.

Svara · 05/02/2022 20:24

@Chichimcgee

Am I the only one who thinks things like socks last forever as soon as you’re in junior sizes Grin
Yes, a 4-7 lasted DS from about age 10 and he's still wearing them at age 15 (in an 8 shoe so I'll get the next size when he needs more). They still wear out of course.
firstimemamma · 05/02/2022 20:30

@DockOTheBay I did say about £50 which I then corrected to £70. I also said in my last post that footwear didn't count. His coat is £15 from sainsburys, wellies £10 can't remember where from and his swimwear has lasted him forever. I think we got a couple of pairs of trunks in a sale so they were only £4 each. His nursery shirts are £7 and I honestly think they'll last him until when he finishes nursery, although I then appreciate he'll be in school uniform. However you dress it up the total is still under £100 and that was the point I was trying to make - £600 just seems like so much to me. Sorry for wording it clumsily! Smile

sweetbutapshyco · 05/02/2022 23:09

I am genuinely confused as to why do you spend so much on clothes she will outgrow of? Mine is on 75 percentile for height. I buy second hand, as for us some clothes are worn only for a few months. Although it helps that she is a skinny one so dresses especially for a couple of years as they can first be worn as dresses and then as tops. Apart from undergarments, three to four going out clothes and shoes every thing is second hand. And I tend to sell them as well. Clothes from good shop have a good resale value.

OfstedOffred · 05/02/2022 23:10

I think this is loads of clothes for a child in uniform 5 days a week.

I usually get more than a year out of things. Shorts and teeshirts especially, shorts DS can wear for years!!

My kids get tons of hand me downs from family.

I find that by buying seasonally not all at once you can get longer out of things.
Eg I can buy winter stuff in november, if se get 16 months out of it we get two winters out of it then can usually manage through to the next winter when we can do the same again.

SausageSoupSaturday · 05/02/2022 23:48

@apprenticewage

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 🤣🤣🤣
Yup that's my kids 😂 rolled up legs and sleeves!