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?

I don't think the amount is excessive for what you got - especially as the school stuff is pricey. Even given they wear school uniform, it is not a lot given play dates, birthday parties, weekends and holidays.
I also liked getting my things all together, rather than spend week ends in shops which I avoid.
However, I always buy a size up in things like coats, hoodies, rain macs and school blazers. So they lasted 2, seasons. I understand you replacing socks as my children walk around the house with theirs and my son would forget his on when going outside, or get lost so often replaced.
I would sell school blazers and sports gear to lower years. Also sell good items second-hand and put funds forward. Rest to charity bins.

@endlesssighing I’m so glad it’s not just me 😂

Pyjamas from husbands old T-shirts. Fuck me its 2022. I bet it’s an age 14 tshirt that he’s only just grown out of, too.

When people are talking about what percentile their child was born on and how it relates to how fast they grow out of clothes, I'd never thought about it like that before. I thought it didn't really matter once they were a couple of years old.

My youngest was born on the 0.8 centile but now at 6 he's clearly the tallest boy in his class. Spring born too so not the eldest in the class. You've got me thinking that he should be smaller!

@RussianSpy101 - I have just ordered Ds some Petite Bateau Pajamas, they are lovely and I don’t care they cost more than £2.20 and aren’t made from old pants.

Does anyone ever just see something pretty that they think their DC would like and then just buy it? Without thinking whether it will fit them for 3 years (?!?).

I love buying my kids things, new and second hand. Sometimes I buy DD a dress that she doesn't 'need' because it's pretty. Or DS trainers because they look cool (even though he has four other pairs).

@LadyCleathStuart

Does anyone ever just see something pretty that they think their DC would like and then just buy it? Without thinking whether it will fit them for 3 years (?!?).

I love buying my kids things, new and second hand. Sometimes I buy DD a dress that she doesn't 'need' because it's pretty. Or DS trainers because they look cool (even though he has four other pairs).

Not on this thread apparently! Two jumpers, two pairs of trousers and 4 t shirts ONLY. One pair of pyjamas if you're lucky. Any more than that is a big waste of money. They must be from primark or bought in the sale. Bonus points for the primark sale. Also all children should be wearing clothes that don't fit 2/3rds of the time, so that their clothing last for 3 years.

@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.

I've let DD1 have input from a young age (3 or 4-ish?) as she has been very particular about what she will wear from the moment she was able to express an opinion. I realised it was a waste of money if I didn't involve her, as if she doesn't like it, it just won't get worn. Thankfully DD2 doesn't have such strong feelings about clothes, and is happy with whatever is passed on or bought. I do occasionally buy her a cheap T-shirt or similar that she spotted and loves though, as it is rare she picks something out and I feel it's important to have a few things that are just for her (rather than only DD1's cast offs!). You need to get in there early with the sales, otherwise as you say, it's slim pickings.

Personally, I would hate to wear clothes that are too tight/short or clearly too large, so wouldn't make my DCs either. I'm also amazed a PP thinks that buying an average amount of new cheaper-branded clothes will make the DC spoilt and lead to unrealistic expectations later on. Really...?

Do you sell on the old clothes? Or maybe buy second hand

@RussianSpy101 @endlesssighing we should go for a drink 🤣🤣

@LadyCleathStuart

Does anyone ever just see something pretty that they think their DC would like and then just buy it? Without thinking whether it will fit them for 3 years (?!?).

I love buying my kids things, new and second hand. Sometimes I buy DD a dress that she doesn't 'need' because it's pretty. Or DS trainers because they look cool (even though he has four other pairs).

I wouldn't buy my child another pair of trainers just because they look cool if they already had 4 other pairs, no! That seems extravagant to me. But I do often buy a couple of nice t-shirts or perhaps a dress because it looks nice.

@LadyCleathStuart yes I do!! 🤣 I love when I see something I know they will love...whether they need it or not!

I wouldn’t buy multiple pairs of trainers, firstly it seems a bit wasteful and secondly I have enough trouble keeping the hallway tidy with 5 peoples shoes in anyway!!
But yes, I’ll sometimes buy a sparkly top I know they’ll like, for example. Although now they’re at school they don’t get as much chance to wear their normal clothes, so I try not to buy too much as it sits in their drawers unworn.

And to add… I couldn’t afford multiple pairs of trainers for 3 children, alongside the other shoes they need (school shoes, PE shoes, dance shoes, winter boots etc), but I still don’t think I would even if I could.

@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...

@apprenticewage
I never said I spend nothing on children's clothes! On the contrary, I spend far too much and buy good quality clothes that I like when I do buy them things, which is why I like them to get value for money from them and wear them for more than a month or two!

Do people really buy clothes for small children that actually fit them at the time they buy them? It just sounds like madness to me.

Mine do wear a lot of hand-me-downs but I don't feel the need to get three years out of those! I do then pass them on to others afterwards though. Quite a lot of my youngest child's clothes have been worn by 3 children previously. Good quality children's things don't really wear out quickly. (Well, except trousers after the age of about 6 which all seen to go through on the knees in this house...)

And, despite your disbelief, I would say my children always look pretty well dressed - I'm quite a particular person and like them to look nice!

Sorry, that sounds really badly worded but you probably know what I mean.

If you buy everything at once then yes it's going to seem very very expensive.
So stop doing that and only buy things as she actually needs them.

There must things she ends up never wearing because they are the wrong season but you bought them anyway.

@ivebeentotheyear3000

I see the point about her not needing it all in one go, but I tend to buy all at once and then just get it out gradually as she outgrows that item in the size below.

She is on 50th centile for everything so pretty much outgrows sizes at the age designed. So she's in a size for a full year and requires both summer and winter clothes in each size.

Perhaps buy a bigger size next time. That way clothes will last 2-3 years. Children don't need to go through every single clothes size

@LadyCleathStuart me!!
My DC have several pairs of trainers that “go” with different outfits. My DD usually has 2/3 pairs of sandals in the summer- white, tan & black, again to match different outfits. The horror! They also have clothes that I bought just because I liked them. And I buy them in their actual size.

@WhatIfWhatIf it sounds like madness to buy your children the correct size clothing? Did you really mean to say that? So if your son fits in age 6 clothes, you don’t buy him size 6 clothes?

@DockOTheBay you’re allowed 2 pairs of pyjamas if you share them with your cousin and they used to be your uncles when he was 10.

Dock six pairs of pyjamas for two seasons?!!!
Short sleeved do spring/summer and long sleeved do autumn/winter surely. Different sizes. Pj's can be washed and dried in a day if need be. Don't think my DC ever had a choice of five or six pairs. There were two or three on rotation max.

[quote RussianSpy101]@LadyCleathStuart me!!
My DC have several pairs of trainers that “go” with different outfits. My DD usually has 2/3 pairs of sandals in the summer- white, tan & black, again to match different outfits. The horror! They also have clothes that I bought just because I liked them. And I buy them in their actual size.[/quote]
Exactly different shoes for different outfits. Same as DH and I, we have loads of shoes why shouldn't the DC be the same.

I won't mention how many pairs of (mostly sparkly and totally not practial) shoes DD has!

There’s a bit of an assumption on here that people are deliberately being tight by spending as little on clothes as possible. I would think that in most cases it comes from necessity.

Exactly different shoes for different outfits. Same as DH and I, we have loads of shoes why shouldn't the DC be the same

Because children grow..... presumably you and your DH wear your shoes for several years.