How much do you spend on kids clothes?

Chaya - posted on 07/25/2012

It depends on how old your children are, If they are young enough not to care, then buy cheap stuff. When my daughter started getting an allowance, I required her to buy some clothes herself. My point was to teach her to budget. Now she buys most of her clothes herself.
After your kids get to a point they are much less rough on clothes, that's the time to buy higher quality, especially if you're handing them down.

Valerie - posted on 07/18/2012

Everytime I go to the mall, I end up spoiling my kids to death. For my eleven year old daughter, Charlotte, I spend around $200 for her. For my seven year old son, Lorenzo, I spend maybe $50-$100 for him. For my youngest four year old daughter, Christine, I spend the same as I do for Lorenzo, but usually under $50. I do not shop at the el-cheapo stores, consignments, The Salvation Army, or the Good Will which is why I end up with such large totals. I'd prefer a $40 great quality blouse from Abercrombie over a cheap price and quality shirt from Walmart any day.

Tracy - posted on 03/03/2011

I have been on both ends of things when it came to buying clothes. Ive got 4 girls, and I have had some clothes make it down from the 1st one to the last 1. OshKosh,Gap and Tommy Hilfiger jeans have had the best that last. You pay more for them, but when making it through that many kids, its worth the $40 you pay for them.
I usually buy 2nd hand either from a thrift store or a consignment shop. I also used to buy off ebay, sometimes after all the shipping it wasnt really worth it. Buying an item for $4, and by the time it gets to my house its $25 it could still be a good deal, but not the savings I planned on.
The cheap stuff doesnt always make it past one kid. I also think this, I hardly ever buy new jeans, they seem to get shuffled around. A new shirt always looks good paired with a pair of not so new jeans.
if you can find good used clothes at a decent price, thats what I always do. I never buy brand new first, i always look 2nd hand or consighnment first.
my kids are hardest on shoes!lol

Loni - posted on 03/03/2011

I spend about $150 on all 3 boys

Che' - posted on 03/03/2011

I am a single mom and I have been unemployed since last October.... I am making an attempt at a new career and a new resource for myself and others for used childrens items….MyUniformExchange.com... its brand new and I would like to invite you all to check it out and list for free while its new. You can buy, sell or swap used children’s items and uniforms..... I am doing my best to help myself and hopefully help others in the process.... the website is MyUniformExchange.com.... Feel free to pass this info along, and if you have any questions just email me - info@MyUniformExchange.com
Che' Loessberg

Kristi - posted on 01/13/2011

I love buying used clothing... it's a treasure hunt and when they're little the kids don't care. I try to only buy new if I can be reaonably sure it wasn't mass produced in some sweat shop in a poor country without fair trade. I like knowing that reusing clothing is green too. Kids don't care if they wear new or used and I try to instill good values in my children. This doesn't include a mindset that excludes secondhand goods. That's just good parenting in my opinion.

Tiffany - posted on 12/21/2010

Children grow so quick, that it's better to just get cheaper play clothes in my opinion. I hit the discount racks...I mostly shop at Kohls, Childrens Place and Walmart for my daughter. It all depends on the item of clothing though too. If you think it'll last, get it so it will fit for awhile. I also make her clothes stretch...I don't buy her a new wardrobe for winter, just some winter tights to put under her jeans and then I put a long sleeve shirt with a short sleeve shirt over it. Make it stretch where you can. If you have any friends with kids, take hand me downs. I have TONS of them from my SIL and when I'm done, I'll pass them on to someone else. We have clothing that has gone through 6 girls that is still in like new condition.

Amber - posted on 12/20/2010

yeah I have two boys and 1 girl and i could easily spend wayyy too much shopping for my girl. haha sometimes, actually often I do but I am a sucker for the little vintage dresses that i find at thrift stores. I pair them with leggings from gap and cute shoes.

Cathy - posted on 12/20/2010

All I can say is I spend TOO much. I love designer clothes. I have 3 boys and only 1 girl and she has been shopping with me since she was 3 and now that she is 10 she has very good taste.

Lindsay - posted on 12/20/2010

I probably spend way to much but I don't believe in buying used. My daughterr only wears the good stuff, Gymboree is 75% of her wardrobe the other 25% is Crazy 8, Children's Place, Old Navy, Carter's (pajamas) and Janie and Jack. If you sign up for emails you will get coupons, and Gymboree and Crazy 8 will several times a year have their sales where you spend $50 and you get a coupon for your next visit that will give you $25 off your $50 purchase.
If you are good about shopping the sales and end of season clearance you can have the expensive stuff for what you would spend shopping at Target.

Amber - posted on 12/20/2010

my family usually buys all the kids really nice clothes, from gap and what not. but with how easily kids ruin or stain their clothes I get them from thrift stores or kids consignment stores. You can find some really nice things there for a reasonable, very cheap price. I feel better about not breaking the bank on things i know will end up getting ruined or they will grow out of too fast.

Coleen - posted on 12/19/2010

I did not mean to offend you, I do buy quality, just not from the stores. Many do not see that it is possible so I was just providing information. sorry :o(

Jerri - posted on 12/19/2010

I have 5 kids and I am lucky I have family members with kids a little older than my children. My kids have handmedowns and they dont mind. Alot are name brands that we couldnt afford if we wanted too. Its nice to have a big family who shares. We are very blessed..

Amy - posted on 12/19/2010

To Colleen, for the record, I was a SAHM up until 5 months ago...I still believe that the initial investment of quality clothes is worth it if you have multiple children. Of course you can find the good stuff at thrift stores and resale shops. I believe you get what you pay for.

Coleen - posted on 12/19/2010

I would rather be at home with my children than working to afford high end clothing and never see my kids. Children would rather have their mom around than nice clothes. Once when my boys were toddlers, I bought matching multicolored striped sweaters from TJ Max for about $15.00 each. That was alot for me but I thought it would be cute for Christmas pictures. Well that was about how long they lasted!! I am a great stain getter outer, but some spaghetti sauce on the cream colored stripe ruined one of the sweaters and I was certainly glad I had not bought them at $30 each. If you buy something for 50 cents to 3 dollars than who cares if it is ruined. That said, I spend $50 at Salvation Army last weekend buying alot of clothing, most of it was marked down to 49 cents because it was the end of the week color tag sale!! Shirts and jeans from old navy, gap, and abecrombie. I got much for the boys who are 11 and 13, some for myself and I even sneek a few things into my husbands wardrobe too. Found some brand new items and a great sheet set for one of the beds. If your child wets or poops in their clothes and you wash it, is it not clean enough to wear again? if so than when you wash something second hand it really is clean, wash it twice if you want. I do smell things to see if they have a mold odor because this is something I will not buy. Also, vinegar is a good antibacterial cleaner. I frequently use it for softening clothes too!!

Alexis - posted on 12/18/2010

AT this age just the cheap stuff, they out grow it sooo fast. If its a special occasion then buy something special otherwise I would go cheap. I pay as low as $2 for a shirt and $5 for an outfit. The most I have ever spent was $20 on a pair of shoes.

Rebekah - posted on 12/18/2010

I buy second hand for play clothes, kids grow so fast they hardly can wear them out, we pass around clothes a lot in our family, I also buy off season for the next year, and splurge for special occasion outfits. ebay is a great source, consignment shops, thrift stores, and other moms!! :-)

Maria - posted on 12/18/2010

But like Amy i look forward to handing the clothes down to whether it be to my future daughters ( if i get blessed with more) or to my daughter's baby girl!!

Maria - posted on 12/18/2010

Yea dont get me wrong even tho im into Juicy couture Burburry and coach i do go to the Goodwill stores and try to catch a good deal!! i found a lil beautiful jacket for my baby when she was three months and it worked great!! i dont think there is anything wrong with hand me down eithers my mom gave me all my baby clothes and now my baby wears them!! i love fancy but beat believe i love a good deal too!! if it looks good then it works no matter where it was bought from ♥

Amy - posted on 12/18/2010

I always buy quality so that more than 1 kiddo can wear the clothes...I have had the best experience with Hanna Andersson, Gymboree, LL Bean and Lands End. These brands hold their shape and color the best. I have 3 kids of my own and got hand me downs from my niece and nephew. These clothes went through 5 kids, who by the way are now ages 30, 24, 20, 14 and 10. Even after all 5 kids and all those years went through those clothes, the clothes were still in good shape and I passed them on to another family! I think spending a little more can definitely be worth it!

Karen - posted on 12/18/2010

My daughter wears Carters, Baby Gap, Old Navy, Oshkosh and Children's Place, all from the thrift store. I just got her an Old Navy shirt with cardigan combo that has polar bears on it, still has tags, for $1. I'm sorry for all you people with thrift store phobias, because you just can't beat this.
I scored a ton of Christmas clothing that looks brand new. One of the pieces is a Carters red and white snowflake jump suit with a red lace tutu attached to the pants. I just pulled the tag off, its never been worn.

Julianne - posted on 12/17/2010

umm i buy all my clothes at the thrift store. with the exception of bras underwear and socks..that stuff i buy new... i pay a dollar an item...and i can get really nice stuff there too...For gabby, i can get a grocery bag for 3$ usually ten-fifteen items..

Laural - posted on 12/17/2010

I used to work in retail, so I know the seasonal cycles and when to get the best deals. So, I buy mostly the higher end clothes at 80 to 85 percent off retail. Our girls were micro preemies and we were given grim news at their births; but they survived and are thriving now. I guess that makes me want to dress them extra nice, since we have been so blessed with them being okay. And I can't have any more chidlren, so I want to have tons of fun with the two miracles we did get.

Shanna - posted on 12/17/2010

I live in the US and try to pay less than $4-5 per item. I do the majority of my shopping at second hand stores and I also have a tall boy who grows out of his clothes seemingly daily! I sometimes find great deals at the end of season %75 off racks in the stores. Coupons have not been that much help as it does not seem to matter if the clothes are "high quality" or just store brand. He plays hard and grows quickly! I usually spend about $20-30 when he moves up a size.

Natalie - posted on 12/17/2010

I buy all of my 2 boy's (2.5 yrs and 7 months) clothes second-hand at garage sales and Mom 2 Mom sales (think giant garage sale with many moms in one place at the same time). The first year was the most expensive, because they change sizes so quickly, but I could also reuse all those clothes for the second child. I spent about $80-$100 for the whole year, and that includes things like misc. toys, blankets, and a few things I bought new like some clearance deals and presents. I have spent about $40 on the 12-24mo. clothing, and about $20 on the 3T clothing that I have stocked up on so far.

I am lucky in that I have 2 boys so I can reuse the clothing for the younger child. If I ever have a girl, I'll have to rebuy for nearly everything :)

Nicole - posted on 12/17/2010

I was lucky enough to have friends and family who had recently had boys....So the clothes we have are hand-be-downs and I love it! we will go get a special outfit if I don't feel like he doesn't have anything nice enough or just want to see him in something new...but I usually go to carters or walmart and pay like $5 or less per item

Dana - posted on 12/16/2010

I don't think there is any thing wrong with buying 2nd hand clothes or having your children wearing hand me downs. My kids always look nice !

Linda - posted on 12/16/2010

i totally agree with christine - i live in australia and find a pair of shorts from best and less are not even worth the money usually around $15 to $20 (unless on sale), i am not sure about some second hand clothes (like christine). i like my kids to look nice so i think the really cheap stuff looks awful and find i am frustrated by finding good quality well priced clothes - might be time i looked to USA websites as the dollar is pretty good these days.

Dana - posted on 12/16/2010

I am cheap, cheap, cheap when it comes to my kids' clothes. They get a lot of hand me downs and garage sale stuff. When I buy new, it's usually on sale. My kids are hard on clothes and always seem to stain them up so why spend big bucks on them ??

Iysha - posted on 12/16/2010

I shop at yard sales and friends hand me downs. lol. We dont have a lot of $ so we really only buy clothing for our daughter for xmas or birthdays and then we buy from the clearance rack for the opposite season. ex: it's december so we buy things that will fit her in May-September. At Babies R Us last year, I got lots of clothing items for no more than a few dollars a piece. The nicer clothing my daughter has comes from gifts or hand-me-downs that have never been worn. So, to answer your question, I would buy the cheaper stuff.

I think like if it's winter and your kid is going to need a jacket, get one or two that can go with all of the clothing they already have and have that be name brand. Or a pair of sandals in the summer be a name brand if they are going to be wearing them like everyday.

Carol - posted on 12/16/2010

i mostly buy second-hand clothes, its amazing what brand names you can get if you are careful ans a bargan hunter. I only buy brand new on Birthdays or at Christmastime. Clothes are expensive i go to Wal-Mart or Giant Tiger.

Maria - posted on 12/15/2010

right now i just buy clothes from wal mart and Target but i really havent had to buy any yet cuz i got a ton from from babyshowers. and i kno this sounds ridiculous but she is my only baby ( right now) and my first baby and she is a girl and i am going crazy !! i want to buy everything name brand im talkin about burburry and juicy couture!!! of course these brands are like $$$$$ top notch we are definitely not rich i just want her to have the best of everything!! but realistically we buy clothes that are inexpensive but good quality i think thats the best way to go if you are on a budget.

JANET - posted on 12/15/2010

i shop at 2nd hand stores and tag sales but have been known to go shopping for sale itiems at other stores and realy enjoy recieving clothes other kids out grew

Morgan - posted on 12/15/2010

I dont buy used clothes at all, just my thing I guess

I dont mind spending money on my daughters clothes but I LOVE carters you can get super cute outfits for about 10 bucks (top and pants) I dont mind spending 30-40 on an outfit for christmas pictures or somthing like that :)

I probaly spend about 100-150 on clothes a month, but my hubby has an amazing job, I could go cheaper if I had too

Natasha - posted on 12/15/2010

yeah i agree with sara hopkins. per article of clothing i buy fro my duaghter is normally 5 to 10 bucks, depending on what it is exactly. i also love going to thrift stores. those are always fun.

Charity - posted on 12/15/2010

I live in the states, and have two daughters. I got tired of paying a lot on jeans, just so my oldest could put a hole in them (not cheap jeans either). I was asked to go to a goodwill store with a friend, and found nice expensive jeans for just a dollar during their dollar days. I get other clothes as well. They get washed before my kids wear them. I like that I save thousands on clothes for my kids, especially when they will out grow them in a year or less. Then they get passed down to family members kids.

April - posted on 12/15/2010

Too much but I can't resist cute kids clothes!!! :-) I usually look for sales at Target or Children's Place also has great sales as well as Zulily.com. They have great items and when you register they will send email updates on what is currently on sale. I have gotten some STEALS from this site.

Desiree - posted on 12/15/2010

i hit up the thrift stores first when they hit their growth spurts- usually arc. items there are like one to five dollars apiece- nicer clothes (if the ones at the thrift store aren't in good condition to begin with) come from walmart. for my 9 yr old, we usually do kohl's and wait for coupons in the mail. but for my toddlers, who grow all the time and can't take care of even brand new clothes- thrift stores work best for me- just be sure to wash them all before putting the kids in em :P

Nikki - posted on 12/15/2010

I live in New York and $20 an item seems really high.. I shop a lot at Target and Khols and most items are around $4 an item.. I dont like to spend a lot of money on clothes bc they grow out of them so quickly.. Good luck!

JANET - posted on 12/15/2010

depends if its play my chloe plays hard and she stains every thing so i might buy cheap stuff but then i find name brand on sale and its priced around the same as no name brand. i would like to see about a clothing swap it would save so much and only stuff in good shape sounds good in print

Michelle - posted on 12/15/2010

I hardly ever spend over $2.99 for items. I am in America and go to a place called "The Childrens place" I only buy when it is REALLY cheap because they out grow the clothes too fast. That includes dressier clothes. I have some awesome cargo pants and NICE sweaters. Their stuff is usually anywhere from $18 to $30 per piece but at the end of season they REALLY mark it down. Try there and see if they will mail to Australia. Clothes are nice and durable too! :)

Emily - posted on 12/15/2010

I am addicted to ebay. My 2 year old and 11 month old both get alot of stuff from ebay, target, kmart, big w and best and less. I often get the cheap $5 stuff, it means that if it gets dirty or ruined I am not so worried about it. I havent spent any more than $20 on a piece of clothing for either of my girls, and they have some pretty nice clothing. There is nothing wrong with second hand clothing, as long as you wash it once you get it.

Janis - posted on 12/14/2010

My husband and shop for clothes at WalMart for stuff like pajamas, outdoor wear, and every day clothes. Wal Mart seems to have the cheapest for clothing and I figure since my daughter is just going to get her clothes stained or grow out of them anyway, I just buy her about seven outfits or so and let it go at that. My daughter is petite so it takes her a while to grow out of clothes. I do agree that $20 an item is pricey for clothes. I pay about $4-$6 for play clothes and pajamas and will pay more for nicer clothes for special occassions.

Franshell - posted on 12/14/2010

try www.carters.com, they have great stuff for the kids and they arent that expensive! $20 a piece seems like too much!!

Tamara - posted on 12/14/2010

I'm from BC Canada, and I shop at Wal-mart and they have great prices. Boys shirts can be as low as $6/shirt, pants are more in the $10 range if you buy separate. If I were to buy an outfit it would be around $20-$25 depending if there was a cartoon character on it.

Jennifer - posted on 12/14/2010

For every day wear and tear around clothes, I buy at the second hand stores. Many are brand new, barley warn. Boys pants are different story. Then I have that much more for the best shoes, boots, accessories, and of course I mix the second hand with some really great new pieces and no one knows the wiser!

Maggie - posted on 12/14/2010

I am incredibly lucky. I haven't had to buy any clothes for my daughter since the day that she was born. My sisters-in law both keep the clothes that their girls have out grown (they both have girls who are two years older than my daughter) and hand them down to me. It also helps that my Becky stays in clothes for a long time. She was in 3-6 month clothes until she was 11 months old. She just turned 2 and she is now into 12-18 month stuff. Once in a while I will be out and see something that I really like I will get it but Only from second hand shops or if it is on a wicked good sale (like $4 CND or less). If I am looking for something specific I will go to Once Upon A Child, Value Village or Walmart. I love second hand shops (even for me and my husband!) I think all told I will spend about $50-$60 CND per size.

Nadia - posted on 12/14/2010

I get either second hand clothes off of ebay, if I really like them, or I have the luck of going in when Big W is having sales on their baby clothes. =D It's awesome. That and family members buy her clothes. Although my MIL buys second hand ones that DD never wears, because they're ... old. Like, I don't know. Old school with stupid patterns and collars and stuff. I don't like them, but I'm sure someone will if I give them back to a charity. Haha.

Jenni - posted on 12/12/2010

I've coped flak.. but always behind my back, for buying second hand but you have all made me feel 100% better. Thank you all

Shannon - posted on 12/12/2010

i dont think kids should start off in name brand clothes. It sets them up to be high maintenance abouit it later in life. Wait til they are old enough to understand "brand name" and old enough to get a job to buy it...or christmas gifts lol. Spend and exctra 5 or 10$ for a holiday outfit but no more then that. Kids dont even care....its the parents wanting to dress the kids well, nothing more.