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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:
Gregsprinkles · 06/02/2022 22:25

She can't possibly grow out of everything at the same time, no sizes/brands are consistent. My DS (11) is still in some pants and swimming trunks that are age 6-7. He finds it really funny. He also has other items ranging from age 9-12. His elder brother had an amazing gilet that lasted from 10-13 (now perfectly fine for younger DS). It was Joules in the sale, the only item I ever bought from there, v impressed with how it lasted!

Gregsprinkles · 06/02/2022 22:27

Often get shoes and trainers from eBay - great items, barely worn - geox etc

WhatIfWhatIf · 06/02/2022 22:37

My children usually wear their clothes for two or three years. A year growing into it, a year when it fits, and a year when it's perhaps a bit on the small side but fine really!

apprenticewage · 06/02/2022 22:42

My children usually wear their clothes for two or three years. A year growing into it, a year when it fits, and a year when it's perhaps a bit on the small side but fine really!

Ffs...it gets worse 🤣🤣 @RussianSpy101 I don't know about you but I'm getting out of here!

liveforsummer · 07/02/2022 07:13

@apprenticewage

My children usually wear their clothes for two or three years. A year growing into it, a year when it fits, and a year when it's perhaps a bit on the small side but fine really!

Ffs...it gets worse 🤣🤣 @RussianSpy101 I don't know about you but I'm getting out of here!

What's wrong with that? A bit in the small side doesn't mean half way up arms and legs or struggling to fasten it means a little bit smaller than the optimum for that still has a bit of room. Most things look fine over a range of sizes and fits
daisypond · 07/02/2022 07:25

@apprenticewage
Why are you laughing?

apprenticewage · 07/02/2022 07:55

@daisypond because of the general claims of spending nothing to clothe children a also claiming that those second hand clothes could last 3 years...one year rolled up, one year fitting and another year on the small side. The visions I am seeing are...interesting...

murakamilove · 07/02/2022 07:57

Second hand - Vinted, eBay, Facebook marketplace & you could cut to a third of this amount. Also swapping? What do you do with her old stuff?

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 07/02/2022 08:02

While I'm all for second hand bundles, sales etc... what age do you let your children have an input in what they wear? Most of the stuff on the sales rails whenever I look tends to be either age inappropriate, not to DDs taste or the wrong sizes. With the odd gem. Preschool age was easier.

feb21 · 07/02/2022 08:09

because of the general claims of spending nothing to clothe children a also claiming that those second hand clothes could last 3 years...one year rolled up, one year fitting and another year on the small side. The visions I am seeing are...interesting...

It became a bit of a competition at our prep school as far as blazers were concerned (most of the year 8s had blazers coming half way up their arms as it wasn't worth replacing in their last year). Blazers in the second hand shop were set upon like the first day of the John Lewis clearance sale.

My son must have caught the sleeve of his blazer so it looked a bit like those hanging down fringes you get on the sleeves of suede jackets. I was ashamed enough to buy him a new one (nothing in the second hand shop in his size) when the deputy head suggested he borrowed a friend's blazer for his 13 plus interview.

roseotter · 07/02/2022 08:17

£600 for a wardrobe including school uniform & ballet kit isn’t too bad overall but buying everything at once doesn’t really make sense because their bodies don’t grow gradually & evenly all over…. Shoes especially! We have my DC’s feet measured regularly and he often jumps 2-3 shoe sizes in one go after a big growth spurt. And doesn’t the time of year make it hard to do? So if you’re replacing everything now, surely the summer clothing options are pretty limited and vice versa?

CharacterForming · 07/02/2022 08:20

Yes there's a limit to what you can achieve by second hand clothes and stretching over a couple of years, although if you have more than one child it's easier. But OTOH I think that the OP has been optimistic about what you need to spend on shoes: they really do need to be bought in one fell swoop (seasonality aside) and because I liked to buy them fitted from a shoe shop and to get two pairs of school shoes, I'd normally end up spending significantly more than a hundred quid on school shoes, trainers, party shoes, boots, wellies, plimsolls, dance shoes and sandals.

cptartapp · 07/02/2022 08:21

£40 on pyjamas!!!

liveforsummer · 07/02/2022 08:23

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

While I'm all for second hand bundles, sales etc... what age do you let your children have an input in what they wear? Most of the stuff on the sales rails whenever I look tends to be either age inappropriate, not to DDs taste or the wrong sizes. With the odd gem. Preschool age was easier.
Dd is 12 and her latest obsession is Vinted
liveforsummer · 07/02/2022 08:24

Oh and dd who is 8 gets the things she wants but I would not be able to afford new. She's really in to clothes including those for her hobby that come at a ridiculous price

BertieBotts · 07/02/2022 08:31

My kids have started to get opinionated on what they wear by about 3 but here's the thing, I know them and I know their preferences! So it's not difficult to buy clothes that I know they will like. DS1 when he got to about ten started to be trickier so I tend to give him total control now but even he gets second hand stuff as I show him the pictures and ask him. I might even buy a big bundle and ask what he wants to keep out of it then donate the rest or put it on vinted or marketplace. If the bundle is €20 and he keeps four items then it's still cheaper than buying new. DS2 is scared of buttons so I wouldn't buy him a bundle of shirts and jeans.

BertieBotts · 07/02/2022 08:37

Shoes wise we don't have school uniform as live abroad but I don't think children need so many pairs of shoes. DS1 has everyday shoes and shoes for school sport. (I wouldn't mind buying him more, but he doesn't want them or wear them). DS2 has everyday shoes, indoor shoes for nursery, wellies, winter shoes and sandals. Obviously the winter shoes and sandals don't need to be replaced unless it's the season for them, so I wait in case he has a growth spurt.

CharacterForming · 07/02/2022 08:41

Past the age of 10 I agree that their personal tastes come into it more with sale and charity shop purchases but yes I normally know their preferences.

As teen DD got older I'd WhatsApp her a photo if I happened to see something promising in a charity shop while I was out without her.

Dnaltocs · 07/02/2022 08:56

That’s a lot of money for a child. Think you may be settings her expectations too high for later life.
Not realistic every growth surge. Perhaps as others have suggested buy much bigger and less frequently.

DockOTheBay · 07/02/2022 09:35

@cptartapp

£40 on pyjamas!!!
Not a single pair Hmm

3 pairs of long sleeved PJs and 3 pairs of short sleeved PJs can easily cost £40. Well, it could easily cost £100 depending where you shop.

Surely you buy a few sizes up, receive thongs from bigger friends, gifts and aren't they mostly in school uniform?
I don't have any friends with older children. I would never ask someone to give my 5 year old clothes as a gift, how boring! and School uniform is included on the list that OP posted - do you not need to pay for your kids school uniform?

DockOTheBay · 07/02/2022 09:37

because of the general claims of spending nothing to clothe children a also claiming that those second hand clothes could last 3 years...one year rolled up, one year fitting and another year on the small side. The visions I am seeing are...interesting...
Haha yes! I wonder how many of the parents would be happy to wear clothes which were obviously too big or too small?

endlesssighing · 07/02/2022 10:22

@Dnaltocs

That’s a lot of money for a child. Think you may be settings her expectations too high for later life. Not realistic every growth surge. Perhaps as others have suggested buy much bigger and less frequently.
Yes darling, I know where you became an entitled little princess. Mummy bought you clothes from next rather than thrifting them.
endlesssighing · 07/02/2022 10:25

@Mollymoostoo

I sew and make PJ'S out of DH's old t shirts. I also shop in the sales and buy the next size up. But like most people I just replace as she grows out of things. Also in-laws always get clothes for Christmas, so like a winter coat, nice jeans and jumpers etc.
You make pyjamas out of your husbands old t-shirts? Of course you do.

I’ve heard it all now.

I beat everyone.

I spend £3.99 on mine for the year on January 1st I just buy a roll of durable refuse sacks and cut arm holes in them. They usually last a month each and they already come with a string to fasten them in. Bargain.

apprenticewage · 07/02/2022 10:27

I just let mine run around naked...they're grand!!🙄

Hobbes39 · 07/02/2022 11:07

I totally get the people saying it's strange to buy it all at once - I buy only when needed. Coats etc we usually get 2 winters out of, but honestly those of you who buy when needed have you REALLY added up what you spend every year as I expect a lot spend at least the £600 the OP does, just not all at once. The shoes for example - My eldest NEEDS:
black indoor school shoes
Black outdoor school shoes
Everyday trainers
Football boots
Wellies/ snow boots
Sandals/ summer shoes of some sort.

For us, this easily comes to more than £100 as for at least 2 of those I buy properly fitted shoes as they spend so much time wearing them and annoyingly my children have wide toes and narrow heels so don't fit cheap standard supermarket plimsoles etc.

Sports kits for various things like football and karate etc they might last 2 years too as I buy big, but they aren't always easy to get the right thing 2nd hand, when you need them - so again saying buy 2nd hand is all very well but if no one is selling your clubs kit in the right size at the right time, you have to buy new.

I don't think if you haven't got older siblings / friends kids etc that it's unrealistic to say you spend that much at all.. 🤷🏼‍♀️