am sick and tired of this. What is wrong with everyone?

[thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat]

I've had enough. I'm packing us all off to live in Yemen. I want to get the world and knock its head \link{http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/5071222.stm\together}

Must admit my reaction to this is 'whatever'...

Last week I got round to buying summer clothes for the my 2yo twins. I spent just over £50. For each I bought 7 tee shirts, 7 trouser/shorts. I spent about £65 for their winter stuff including coats (Asda £7.99 each). I cannot bring myself to indulge in such profligate use of my hard earn cash. The only thing I will spend more than £10 on is their shoes. The boys don't care what they wear and long may it remain so. The best thing is that they always look smart

Betty - am sorry to say that from now on, in the nicest possible way of course, I will be tittering in the toothpaste isle at Tesco thinking of your poor Aunt...

betty the builder - it was probably also quite a suprise that the price doesn't have several 0s after it, and several more if you go back the next day.

Betty-my Zambian friend's younger sisters went to the corner shop to buy some butter for us but came back empty handed because there was more than one kind to choose from. They nearly fainted when we took them to ASDA

actually Thewoman...can i come with you?!! (I love the book Hideous Kinky but not the film. Though quite happy for Kate Winslet to play me :))

Well today I bought a t-shirt for 2 year old ds at John Lewis for £26. However it was a mistake. It was next to the £7 / £8 ones, I didn't check price tag and I was in a hurry. Didn't notice at the checkout either (because buying multiple items).

Wouldn't have bought it if seen the price tag...however now I've got it home I think I'll keep it rather than return it [guilt ridden spend thrift emoticon]

Ooh HMC I would definitely return it. I have been thinking about this and I reckon I definitely spend over £400/year on DS's clothes.

£200 on shoes/trainers/wellies/slippers/sandals
£100 on school uniform PE shorts/t-shirt/trousers/shorts/sweatshirts/polo shirts/school fleece.
And I am sure I must spend another £100 on pants/socks/pyjamas/coats/vests/dressing gown/swimming trunks/sun hat/casual clothes.

Actually it is the school uniform bit that is the worst. He wrecks it so quickly I am spending a fortune on it.

Although I don't think that there's anything shocking about spending a fortune on children's clothes if you can afford it, I do know of a few mums who organise birthday parties with goody backpacks filled with toys. books etc at castles and locations where you would normally book for if you were having a wedding. This is for a 2 year old!!!

What are you going to give your ds/dd when he/she is 18?!!! Children will grow up more spoilt, not knowing the value of money and will want bigger better things.

I am trying to calculate how much I spend as I doubt I would get near £400 for both dts but then the shoes are the most expensive thing really.

I suppose if people have the money to waste on dressing little Chantelle in Gucci then they will. The children will end up brats if they aren't shown the value of money though and while some adults might spend £200 on a coat that will last years it obviously wouldn't work for kiddie wear!

We are on a low income but not benefits and I have become an expert in finding really good bargains and sometimes buy next years summer/winter/whenever clothes in the sales.

If you want to get really annoyed then watch Footballers Cribs which I saw first time at my friend's house and then you will see a horrendous waste of money. Tat.

I am quite sure I spend over £400 a year on kids clothes, actually with 2 I shoudl be spending £800 a year, about £60 a month. possibly not, but then I don't keep track and I am proud to say it is FAR less than I spend on myself thank you very much :) My kids have to make do with one pretty party dress, I get as many as I want :)

I do buy Monsoon (2 girls) BUT we go in at the start of teh sales and they choose an outfit each. They get one proviso it must be washable :) Actually we often go into Monsoon window shopping for fun, playing with all the fab clothes :) We also get GAP sale stuff. Otherwise it is ASDA and TESCO. I am lucky though I have 2 tiny girls so clothes that are slightly big one year, fit the next, then fit the other one for a 3rd year so they do get good wear. The Monsoon outfits we bought at Christmas will still be going strong this winter and probably fit in 2007!! I also sell the good stuff on ebay and make back enough to start again!!

Some mums spend loads but I shop for my kids at H&M. My younger kids get clothes worn by the older ones. WOrks fine. My dd1 is wearing her clothes from alast year again as they were a size bigger. My kids do wear shoes passed down for school as the slides wreak the rubber type soles. They do have a pair of new shoes when they need though. Two weeks ago I had to get 3 pairs of summer shoes - couldn't believe the cost!!!

£400 pa?! That's about 8 quid a week!

I thought I was a bit extravagant because I've just been tidying ds's room & his chest of drawers is chock full - I don't think I've spent more than £150 on ds this year, including shoes.

OK, maybe one 'posh' outfit a year (ds = Monsoon jacket - cream linen, washes amazingly well, about £30; dd = Mamas & Papas purple frock, sale price £14) but everything else is cheap'n'cheerful - it's for running about in, getting covered in crud, & growing out of in 3 months!

& when you consider you can get shirts/trousers from Asda for a couple of quid...very odd.

Must be the Beckhams spending £zillions on all 3 boys & bumping up the averages!