Back to School Wardrobe Budget

[Taja]

It sounds as though you have a good idea of what you're doing now.

The only thing I would add is, if the children's mother is in the picture, coordinate the items needed/wanted with her to minimize duplication. If she isn't--or the relationship is too strained--completely ignore this!

Personally, I would stick to basic separates that they can mix, match and layer through the fall and into early winter. Add a few trendy (and inexpensive) accessories--particularly for the girl--and you'll be set until the next growth spurt without going overboard.

 

[SaraJayne]

My younger dd who is 3 wardrobe is all from TCP. They had there basic jeans on sale for 10.00 this week than another 30% off. She got tons of cute stuff for around 170.00. That was 8 complete outfits not all jeans she got a couple of skirts with leggings. That also included a pair of sneakers,backpack and sweatshirt. She also got a pair of more fancy jeans.

My older dd I think I spent 100.00 so far at TCP and then another 100.00 at Justice. She also has around 8 outfits,backpack and sweatshirt to start with. I will buy more beacuse our winter months are long. But they should be good for a bit.

Why does a 3 year old need back to school clothes?

 

[mom2val]

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[SaraJayne]

Probable because she has outgrown all the clothes from the previous fall/winter. Whether she goes to preschool, daycare or stays at home she'll still need clothes that fit.

Call me crazy, but I didn't call them "back to school" clothes until they actually went to school. Before that, they were just new clothes.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

LOL -- sure you can: they are kids, they play in dirt and wipe their hands on their clothes without thinking. They also grow, which is why I refuse to spend a ton of money on clothes that are going to go down playground slides, get marker on them, and be outgrown before the end of the season.

The other day I stopped into K-mart and picked up 4 playclothes pieces on clearance for my 4 yo for a total of $6.23. Even if DD rips them the first time they are worn, at that price I won't be crying over it. Naturally I spend a bit more on things for her teen brother, but not that much more; he is growing at an insane rate.

It makes perfect sense to pay more for adult clothing/shoes than for kids' items, especially if you don't have other children to hand the clothes down to. If adults maintain their weight, then good clothing can be worn for years; that will never be true of clothes purchased for a given child.

I don't pay top dollar for my daughters or sons for that matter play clothes. I thought this thread was about school clothes not play clothes. I have bought DD's play clothes at Wal-Mart, Target and Childrens Place. But as I said, I have no problem spending more money at places like Justice and American Eagle for my kids school clothes. If people want to buy resale, more power to you, thats not my cup of tea.

We've purposely chosen to live in a less affluent area so that isn't a problem. We are affluent ourselves, but I'm trying very hard not to give my kids affluenza. I figure their chances of having their parents income is pretty small, and I've watched a lot of friends flounder when they can't afford the lifestyle to which they've grown accustomed living with their parents.

Thats your choice. All the top rated school districts around here are in affluent areas. We purposely moved to this area 4 years ago to put our kids in a better school district.
The kids wanting name brand clothes have nothing to do with our district in particular. The kids in the district we moved from wore the $100 tennis shoes, Justice, 77 kids, Abercrombie and American Eagle to name a few.

My part-time job is "play money". Its our vacation money, going out to eat money and clothes and shoes money.

There's alot more to spoiling kids than buying them name brand clothing, IMOP! We keep our kids grounded and take trips back to where DH and I grew up quite often. They know we worked hard to get where we are. And DH and I work hard to hopefully see them become twice the success DH and I are.

 

[MrsPete]

So how much should we be spending? Any input is greatly appreciated.

When my girls were younger like your kids, I didn't start out with a dollar figure so much as a firm idea of WHAT they needed. The two things I always pay attention to are JEANS and TENNIS SHOES. Pretty much, my kids always had plenty of shirts, sweatshirts, and dresses -- I bought things "ahead" at yard sales/consignment stores -- so as long as I made sure they had the jeans and tennis shoes, they'd have their minimum needs met. Usually I'll buy them 2-3 new shirts -- trendy things just so they'll have something new for school and picture day.

If I didn't buy ANYTHING, they'd be okay. They manage to get dressed every day during the summer, and although about half their shorts wouldn't meet school dress code, the other half are fine for school. I think back-to-school clothes are less a big deal than they were when I was a student. Back then we had so little that it was all worn out, and we got all new stuff in the fall; whereas today kids tend to "get" bit by bit all year long.

We don't get cold weather here 'til at least October, so if jeans aren't a good price, I won't buy them NOW. Ditto for jackets. I don't think either of my kids have ever worn out a coat -- we just don't wear them enough to accompolish that task.

I buy used kids' clothes; they have already shrunk or faded if they are going to.

Yep, also if a kid ruined a $1 shirt with food or paint, I didn't have to get upset.

(she tends to be hard on jeans and over the summer most of them end up as cut-offs, anyway.)

A tip: When the jeans are still new, turn them INSIDE OUT and iron patches (any color -- they aren't going to show) on the INSIDE of the knees. It'll make them last longer. The patches are $1.19 for two at Walmart, and if you have a small child you can cut one patch in half to do both knees.

Labels are really important to SOME kids, but IMO it's best to start them off young in understanding that a clothing budget exists and must be adhered to, assuming that such a budget does exist.

Wise words. If you buy too much when they're small, you're going to be in for it when they become teens . . . and then they'll be unable to manage it themselves when they're earning an entry-level salary. MUCH BETTER to teach them moderation from a young age.

I spend a ton of money on my kids clothes . We live in a school district with alot of affluent families. But that aside, I buy all my clothes at White House Black Market, Cache and Loft so I cant expect my kids to get clothes from Target and Wal-Mart.

Sure you can! You're an adult. You don't outgrow your clothes every year, you don't climb trees and crawl through playground tunnels, and you don't change your affinity for colors/styles every other month. Kids don't automatically get adult priviledges. It's good for them to see that adults have more freedoms, more luxuries -- it gives them a reason to want to grow up and work hard to earn those same things.

I told her I'd buy Uggs for her bd if she really wants them, but that's all she'll be getting. All the sudden, the Bearpaws are just fine.

I've used a similar technique: If I'm willing to pay for Bearpaws, I'll offer to pay that price towards Uggs . . . and the child has to pay the rest. But if I look at the two brands and determine that they're equal . . . unless it's for a Christmas/birthday present, I'm only willing to buy the less expensive brand.

I've been doing that for years, and I'm glad to see that my girls have become teens who appreciate what they're given, and who have a good sense of value when it comes to buying clothes.

Why does a 3 year old need back to school clothes?

I've noticed that young moms tend to say, "I just dropped my kid off at school", when in reality the kid is 3 and is in day care. I don't quite get it.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

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Sure you can! You're an adult. Kids don't automatically get adult priviledges. It's good for them to see that adults have more freedoms, more luxuries -- it gives them a reason to want to grow up and work hard to earn those same things. day care. .

And if I choose to buy my kids expensive clothes then that is my choice also. There are many ways people on here waste money IMOP. That is their choice. As I said I work for our play money and one of those items are my kids wardrobe.

Yea I understand peoples reasoning , kids grow, new clothes need to be bought. Well as far as my clothes, styles change and I do buy myself new clothes each season also.

As I said whats good for one person isn't whats good for another.
I make money for some of my kids wardrobes by taking their used clothes to consignment shops. There's one here where I live. She's very particular but pays top dollar.

 

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

Not that I disagree with you about "affluenza" but why would you say your children will have less that you? I thought the whole purpose of educating them and providing for my children was to assure that at some point they have what we have (or hopefully more). Sorry this is off topic.

I don't really think that you can ever assure that your children will be as well off as you, or better off, once they are adults it is up to them...

 

[gk90]

clothes budget for DD: $540
That's for private high school uniform including a blazer for $144. I hadn't added it up until this thread and just got a nasty shock!
However I won't need to spend anything like that next year. 2 years from now she'll need a different blazer and skirt and new shoes so that's another $240
The $540 also includes $120 for gym uniform that's supposed to be good for 4 years.

clothes budget for DS: $20
That's for private middle school uniform. Thanks to hand-me-downs from DD (unisex blazer), cousins and older kids at the school (there's a uniform closet with donations of gently used items) All I had to buy for him was a couple pairs of khaki pants (found them at the thrift shop) and socks!

 

[My2Pixies]

I will be buying dd1 (8yo) a new pair of tennis shoes for PE ($30-40). Other than that she will be wearing her summer clothing until the weather turns, probably in October. I have scoured thrift stores for nice jeans and long sleeve shirts already for the past year so she's set with the exception of a good sweater. I will be shopping the BTS/fall sales for that.

 

[crisi]

Thats your choice. All the top rated school districts around here are in affluent areas. We purposely moved to this area 4 years ago to put our kids in a better school district.
The kids wanting name brand clothes have nothing to do with our district in particular. The kids in the district we moved from wore the $100 tennis shoes, Justice, 77 kids, Abercrombie and American Eagle to name a few.

My part-time job is "play money". Its our vacation money, going out to eat money and clothes and shoes money.

There's alot more to spoiling kids than buying them name brand clothing, IMOP! We keep our kids grounded and take trips back to where DH and I grew up quite often. They know we worked hard to get where we are. And DH and I work hard to hopefully see them become twice the success DH and I are.

That's sort of the point - its a choice. But it is one of those hidden costs of choosing to live a certain place or send your kids to a certain school that not everyone thinks through and doesn't understand that its part of the choice. For us, it was very much a choice to live in a place with both racial and socio economic diversity. We could live in a house with the same floorplan from the same builder two miles from here and have a different experience with teenage girls carrying Dooney purses - but that wasn't what we wanted.

You can also choose to skip the issue by sending your kids private to a school where they wear uniforms (or the public schools that have gone uniform).

 

[MrsPete]

And if I choose to buy my kids expensive clothes then that is my choice also. There are many ways people on here waste money IMOP. That is their choice. As I said I work for our play money and one of those items are my kids wardrobe.

Sure, it's your choice, but that's not how you presented it. You said that you have no choice but to buy them expensive clothes because that's what you do for yourself -- and that's a cop-out. Make your choice, spend on what you value . . . but once you've decided, own it!

I don't really think that you can ever assure that your children will be as well off as you, or better off, once they are adults it is up to them...

I know where Crisi is coming from: She's had the advantage of good economic years, and she's had some luck in getting to where she is today -- will her children, facing different obstacles, be able to do as well financially? We'd like to think that hard work = success, but it's not always entirely within our own control.

Personally, I think our girls will do as well as we have. My husband and I both came from humble beginnings -- well, abject poverty for me -- and we had to work very hard to get to where we are, BUT at the same time, I have to acknowledge that we caught some breaks along the way: He got a good job immediately after college. I was hired as a teacher so fast that I actually had to be termed a sub at first (because my teaching degree had to go through the state and had to reach me in the mail). We have enjoyed the benefits of a good housing market and had a good, solid decade with our stocks growing strongly. We're comfortable because we made good decisions AND because the world cooperated with us. Equally important, we have enjoyed good health and have had no problem physically working -- everyone doesn't get that simple blessing. Now things are rougher, but we already have a paid-for house and savings -- but truthfully we built that security before the current economic climate. We're able to put our girls through college without loans, which will be a big leg-up for them -- we're trying to set them up for success -- but they won't enjoy the same economic climate that we had when we were just starting out.

Speaking only for my husband and myself, we chose years ago to give our children much less materially than we could afford to give them -- though they are far, far from depived. They have much more than either of us had as children. In doing so, we've encouraged them to be careful consumers and to value what they have. We're very satisfied with our choices.

 

[NotUrsula]

I don't pay top dollar for my daughters or sons for that matter play clothes. I thought this thread was about school clothes not play clothes. I have bought DD's play clothes at Wal-Mart, Target and Childrens Place. But as I said, I have no problem spending more money at places like Justice and American Eagle for my kids school clothes. If people want to buy resale, more power to you, thats not my cup of tea.

All of the wear-and-tear situations that I described apply to school clothes. Do your children not play outdoors at recess; use markers in class, or eat in the school cafeteria? (My kids wear uniforms to school, thank goodness, but I buy those used, too, when I can, because they still rip the back pockets, blow out the knees and get marker on their shirts.)

...
The kids wanting name brand clothes have nothing to do with our district in particular. The kids in the district we moved from wore the $100 tennis shoes, Justice, 77 kids, Abercrombie and American Eagle to name a few.

My part-time job is "play money". Its our vacation money, going out to eat money and clothes and shoes money.

There's alot more to spoiling kids than buying them name brand clothing, IMOP! We keep our kids grounded and take trips back to where DH and I grew up quite often. They know we worked hard to get where we are. And DH and I work hard to hopefully see them become twice the success DH and I are.

With all due respect, the point that Crisi and I are trying to make is that it shouldn't matter what brands other kids wear, and what she and I are trying to do is to get our children to understand and internalize that. Keeping up with the Joneses this way isn't limited to affluent neighborhoods, you know ... in fact, the most brand-conscious kids I've ever known are the poorest ones I've ever known, because in their world the only wealth that matters is the kind that other people can see, and that attitude is one of the key factors that contributes to generational poverty. I want my kids to understand that having money in the bank where no one can see it is a heck of a lot smarter and more important than having money on your back or your feet where everyone can.

We live primarily on DH's salary, but I work FT, and I would never describe any part of my salary as "play money". Money is money, and it has equal worth no matter where it comes from. I work hard for it, and I want my kids to know that it is not to be thrown away without thinking, even though we don't technically *need* my salary to live comfortably.

The problem that a lot of young adults today have is that they become accustomed to having their wants provided for to an extent that they are unprepared for the necessary deprivations that accompany the "starving student" period of their lives, when they first live independently. If they don't learn to make these choices as children, how are they going to handle deciding whether to spend their money on the electric bill vs. the "right" shoes? I spend a lot of time around folks who are in their first post-college job, and the vast majority of them are about ready to drown in consumer debt, because they have not learned to live with the fact that a first job doesn't give them the income for a lifestyle that two forty-somethings have had over 20 years to work up to.

 

[MrsPete]

The problem that a lot of young adults today have is that they become accustomed to having their wants provided for to an extent that they are unprepared for the necessary deprivations that accompany the "starving student" period of their lives, when they first live independently.

More than that, too many young adults don't grasp that their wants are wants -- having always had them, never having learned to wait or do without, they perceive luxuries as needs.

 

[wvjules]

Wow, I feel like I'm spending too much on DD.

I'd say we will spend between $500 and $750. She will get very little to actually start the school year since it will still be hot outside (except she needs jeans). But when fall comes its pretty much a whole new wardrobe. Then when spring/summer come around again it is more shopping. I feel fortunate that I can spend that kind of money on school clothes now. That hasn't always been the case. I guess I'm making up for the leaner years.

She's also a name-brand gal and those don't come cheap.

I spend a ton of money on my kids clothes . We live in a school district with alot of affluent families. But that aside, I buy all my clothes at White House Black Market, Cache and Loft so I cant expect my kids to get clothes from Target and Wal-Mart.

Same here.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

I've noticed that young moms tend to say, "I just dropped my kid off at school", when in reality the kid is 3 and is in day care. I don't quite get it.

Both of my kids went to 5 day preschool (half-day) at age 2. It was not daycare. My youngest will be 3 in Sept. goes back to school next week.

I didn't buy her any back-to-school clothes since we live in FL and can get away w/wearing summer clothes year-round.

My oldest is starting Kindergarten. I still didn't buy her anything for back-to-school since her summer stuff still fits. I buy about 95% of her clothes from the awesome local church thrift store anyways...all awesome labels, all between 50 cents and $3. Gotta love that!

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I try to buy as little as possible. I still end up spending around 200 each on clothes (mainly tops) for the beginning of school. They sill have shorts, jeans and all of that so I can wait a few months and buy these later a little at a time.

We are going shopping tomorrow and Saturday and I am already dreading it.

 

[NotUrsula]

FWIW, both my kids have heard us refer to daycare as "school" since they were about 2 months old.

Daycare is "school".
Grade school is "big school".
High school is "that REALLY big school."



(Really, we just did it because it's simpler to get the child used to the idea that kids always go to "school" when their parents go to work; at that age ours never knew that NOT going was an option for some kids.)

However, I don't buy "back to school" clothes for them at that age. The only "BTS" clothes I really buy are things that are ONLY worn to school and never worn during the summer, such as uniform pieces, socks and closed shoes, and only when the ones from last spring don't fit anymore or are for a different school.

 

[fakereadhed]

This year I only have a first grader(one is graduated, the other is in online school) and I'm not buying much. He had a growth spurt at the beginning of summer, so bought all new t-shirts, polos, pants, shorts, and shoes then. I bought one new pair of jeans and plan on only buying some long sleeved ts to go under the short sleeved ones for winter. I will also let him pick out one new outfit for the first day. I saw a backpack he would really like, but honestly last year's looks like new and most kids at his school don't use backpacks.

I would love to buy him all new stuff but that would be silly. Really doesn't need new stuff!

 

[wish*i*was*in*the*vi]

I can't get the quote function to work but NotUrsula said: We live primarily on DH's salary, but I work FT, and I would never describe any part of my salary as "play money". Money is money, and it has equal worth no matter where it comes from. I work hard for it, and I want my kids to know that it is not to be thrown away without thinking, even though we don't technically *need* my salary to live comfortably.


Same here. And I can't imagine working 2 jobs just for "play money". I remember the days of working 2 jobs just to make ends meet and those days weren't fun. We just bought a Mercedes and I wouldn't even consider it until I made sure that if I lost my job for whatever reason I wouldn't have to find another one just to make the payment. Just because my check doesn't keep us out of the poorhouse doesn't mean I don't work hard for my paycheck.
We also live below our means in a neighborhood with a socioeconomic and racial diversity as Crisi put it. My children also attend public school and the school they attend is an excellent school because it receives alot of government funding due to the low income of 99% of the families of the children that attend the school. We live in this area by choice. The teachers are excellent at this school and I work less than 2 minutes away. We could move to a "fancier" neighborhood and pay $10,000 a year in property taxes, but it's a conscious choice.