No new clothes for a year?

[Beezle2]

I would not do this. What is the point? If you buy stuff when an you need it and get a good deal why no buy it then rather than wait for all of you stuff to get shabby and then have to get something right then?

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Oh, we would be very far from shabby. I am very picky about how my kids look when they leave the house. We dress nice I thought it went without saying that we wouldn't end up looking like hobos before we got done, lol. I wouldn't let that happen, what I'm saying is I think we have enough stuff to dress like decent folk for a year.

And if I work it right I will hit all the end of the year summer clearance next year to stock up for our Disney trip at the same time I'm doing back to school shopping. I'm noticing it's a your milage may vary thing like someone else said. If I had kids growing like weeds or kids who are tough on clothes it might not work.

 

[Beezle2]

I was just talking today about how I havnt purchased a new pair of shoes in 3 yrs and no new clothes in 2 yrs. financially, I could easily afford it.. but I just have no need

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No shoes lol, I love shoes I could almost do that for myself (not the kids) but I always need a couple pair of running shoes every year.

 

[Beezle2]

Thank you for posting about St Vinnies Dig and Save, I did a search to find out more about it, since I try to buy the kids stuff at thrift stores....Personally I would LOVE to go a year without buying anything new, I use freecycle a lot and get clothes that way..I might have to try a few months at a time first though, granted I still have clothes from high school, which was almost 10 yrs ago so i KNOW i have plenty and i have been purging a lot of stuff..thanks for a neat idea!

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Well color me jealous I just adore the Dig and Save. I used to come up there to do some work and whenever I had time I would make a day of it there. They do have a half off day but be prepared for crazy busy. I always asked the people working which were the newest bins, and if your tall like I am be sure and get all the way to the bottom of the (huge) boxes, most people are too short or get tired before they get to the bottom and I have found really fabulous stuff there. Have fun

 

[Beezle2]

I agree...what is the point? Doesn't it make more sense to have a frugal clothes buying strategy in general all year round, every year, i.e. buy things on clearance, end of season, etc. rather than a one year moratorium? Also, if your kid loses his mittens you aren't supposed to buy new mittens? Your dd was invited to a dance but can't buy a new dress? I guess I'm missing something.

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The point "for me" is I do all that. I buy on clearance, end of season, Goodwill, rewards programs and after doing all that AND reselling all the things she has out grown from last year I usually break even or pretty close. I would call that a frugal system, no? At this point right now in "my" life after just buying school clothes, I think I can go until next years back to school shopping to buy anything else. I guess we are mostly talking about my 8 year old here. DH, myself, and the 17 year old (who has her own job and can buy what she wants, and I guess I should say I bought her back to school clothes too) really have enough stuff. DD8 always looks nice and she has dresses, and dress shoes, and tights, and a nice wool coat. Those things are important to me.

And I don't know about your house but in our closet we have a basket of winter hats, a basket or gloves, and a basket of scarfs. They seem to multiply in there or something, lol

 

[beansmom]

I agree...what is the point? Doesn't it make more sense to have a frugal clothes buying strategy in general all year round, every year, i.e. buy things on clearance, end of season, etc. rather than a one year moratorium? Also, if your kid loses his mittens you aren't supposed to buy new mittens? Your dd was invited to a dance but can't buy a new dress? I guess I'm missing something.

The point IS that lots of people (me included) buy new clothes when they really don't need them. We shop recreationally and often don't wear them more than once or twice a year. Some people buy for every season whether they need clothes are not.

I believe THAT is the point.

 

[apnep]

I have to throw away DH's clothes too before he will go buy new. I made him come shopping with me last week it has been a year since the last time. Bought two new pairs of Docker shorts because he on only had one pair of good shorts in drawer. The five other pairs have holes and paint and other various stains. LOL.

This is my DH too! I haaaaaaaaate his wardrobe but he refuses to let me get him new clothes. I finally was able to get him new jeans this past Christmas. He asked for 501s. And this summer, before our Disney trip, I told him I wasn't going to be seen with him in his ugly shorts from the 80's so I bought him a whole new set of Docker shorts and threw out his old ones before he got home. I ended up really liking his new shorts, but most of the time, I have to tell him, "I got it on clearance for $5" so that he'll keep it! LOL!

 

[NMW]

No way...my sons, 14 & almost 12, grow too fast. For example all the jeans that i bought my 14 yr old last year are now way too short/small. Last year I bought him dress pants, shirt, tie and shoes for winter ball. NONE of it fit him, except the tie of course, by the spring ball. I was most upset about the shoes...I had a hard time finding dress shoes and spent $100 at Macys on them. He went from a mens 9 1/2 to a mens 11 in just a couple months! The worst part is that my husband wears a 10 1/2 and our son was not able to wear his shoes for anything...he just skipped right over that size. Very frustrating.

He needs dress clothes for football this year and I am already betting that his dress clothes from the spring wont fit him. The only saving grace is that hopefully some of this stuff will fit my 12 yr old soon. I also have to hope that my 14 yr olds feet stop growing!

 

[hsmamato2]

I think that too,then someone grows out of some needed thing,and I have to go get more....but I do know we currently have more than we actually NEED,so we are not buying any more clothes for quite a while here. I bought great shoes/sandals etc on clearance over the summer,in sizes for the kids to grow into also,the only thing they might need is winter boots,I throw away all the coupons and sale things we don't need. The best way to save money is to NOT spend it on items we don't need

 

[hsmamato2]

No way...my sons, 14 & almost 12, grow too fast. For example all the jeans that i bought my 14 yr old last year are now way too short/small. Last year I bought him dress pants, shirt, tie and shoes for winter ball. \ The only saving grace is that hopefully some of this stuff will fit my 12 yr old soon. I also have to hope that my 14 yr olds feet stop growing!

sweet,the best thing is the stuff will fit your younger kiddo,

 

[cats mom]

The point IS that lots of people (me included) buy new clothes when they really don't need them. We shop recreationally and often don't wear them more than once or twice a year. Some people buy for every season whether they need clothes are not.

I believe THAT is the point.

Hmm, I believe you're talking about me now.
Although, anytime I want to feel better about MY shopping habits, I take a peek in my SIL's closet. Her DH uses their regular master closet, and she uses the one she had specially designed when they built their house. It's massive! It runs the entire length of their garage, is filled to overflowing, and I bet at least half the stuff in there still has tags attched.

Hey, maybe if I lose enough weight I could "shop" in SIL's closet without spending any money. Would that count?

I'm sure everyone in my family has enough clothes to make it through a year without buying new, but because it's not a challenge I care to take on, I'm going to answer no. I think I will try to be a bit more conscientious about what I do buy though.
Thanks OP.

 

[allison443]

The point IS that lots of people (me included) buy new clothes when they really don't need them. We shop recreationally and often don't wear them more than once or twice a year. Some people buy for every season whether they need clothes are not.

I believe THAT is the point.

What! You are going to get kicked off the Budget Board with that crazy talk!!

 

[disneychrista]

I could do this, as long as I could still buy new undies, socks and shoes. I hae to buy new sneakers every 6 months (they are all I wear).

 

[allison443]

The point IS that lots of people (me included) buy new clothes when they really don't need them. We shop recreationally and often don't wear them more than once or twice a year. Some people buy for every season whether they need clothes are not.

I believe THAT is the point.

I get this, but I just think it would be more budget-wise to permanently change this mindset you mentioned above, rather than just not buy anything for a year and then resume this, kwim?

 

[beansmom]

I get this, but I just think it would be more budget-wise to permanently change this mindset you mentioned above, rather than just not buy anything for a year and then resume this, kwim?

well, yeah...sometimes, tho...ya see just the CUTEST thing and you just gotta have it! I have lost over 150 pounds in the last few years and buying clothes is a new joy for me. So...it's time to rein it in.

 

[Lynn_A]

I just try to stay away from the stores and the sales ads. It's hard to do, but when it comes down to a new sweater or saving money for Disney, I can 'usually' control myself.

 

[MoniqueU]

I have basically done this for my oldest and youngest via their choices not mine and one is 13 the other 17. The youngest starts Jr high with the same sneakers she ended sixth grade with. I asked her if she wanted some new ones and she said no she was set. I got her new socks/bras/undies and she won't touch the new jeans I bought her she likes the old as well as the hollister shirts we got off ebay in a lot. I offered to take her more back to school shopping and she is just not into it. I did also get her a new back pack.

Oldest DS wears a uniform and as far as I know wears the same size as last year (better check LOL) I had to ask him and practically beg him tl let me get him some new shoes. I also wanted to get him a letterman jacket and he doesn't want one. I will probably have to fight him to get him a new hoodie.

So basically very little for those two.

My oldest DD though no way, she is a clothes horse and would go into withdrawals. We could I am sure make it a year without new clothes for her but she wouldn't like it.

Reminds me I better get the oldest and youngest to try their stuff on that they havent worn in awhile to make sure that the stuff still fits, the last thing I need is a surprise on the first day of school that nothing fits, esepcially for DS that you have to wait for stuff to get here through the internet store.

 

[gymboqueenkaylee]

If I would have been asked this last year at this time I could have said yes. But, my daughter finally hit a growth spurt so right now, probably not. I wished we would be able to do that. It would be awesome! I could probably go until the next season with weight loss it's hard. You can only put a belt on your pants for so long!

 

[Colleen27]

My husband and I could. The 12 year old, maybe, depending on if/when he hit a growth spurt. But not the 9 year old or the 2 year old; they're still moving up through sizes too quickly.

 

[SandrA9810]

I hate buying new clothes, new clothes means that I've gained weight. So as long as I'm only wearing my old clothes, it means I haven't put on that much weight.

I have bought more clothes than normal this year though. A couple pairs of pants and 2 overalls. The pants were because of work, and the two overalls because they were a few dollars each at the Goodwill store.

I guess I'm not that rough on my clothes. I don't get tears, or have jeans that wear thin, or fade out. I don't do anything special, and I don't exactly take extreme care with them either. I just buy stuff here and there as I think I need it or it's on extreme clearance. I bought a lot of stuff working at Disney because I could get it so cheap. And it was more of a want it because it looks cool rather than needing it.

 

[MrsPete]

The point IS that lots of people (me included) buy new clothes when they really don't need them. We shop recreationally and often don't wear them more than once or twice a year. Some people buy for every season whether they need clothes are not.

I believe THAT is the point.

That is exactly the point. If you have more clothes than you need, or if you're spending too much money on clothing, or if your clothes are so packed into your closet that you can't get to them . . . then you have a problem, and this one-year plan could be a good idea.

On the other hand, if you don't have any of these problems, then the one-year thing wouldn't do you any good.