Yearly Clothes Budget

**Kris10Leigh** · 07-31-2006, 08:35 AM

Re: Yearly Clothes Budget

I can't remember the last time I bought clothes for myself. Somehow I manage to get hand-me-downs that I actually like! I helped a friend move once and she gave me all of her cast offs. Another friend cleaned out her closet. My mom is housebound and she shops online only. When things don't fit her, rather than return them she gives them to me. Bad for her- good for me.

As for my kids, I probably spend around $100 for both of them in a year's time and I am rather proud of that! They are 4 and 6 years old and I shop exclusively at the thrift store for them. For the most part, I only buy name brand clothes for them. To get even more for my money, I go to the thrift store on holidays when everything in the store is 50% off. My kids look great and $1.50 is pricey in that store! LOL!

My husband gets clothes as needed. I'm not sure how much he spends, but it is minimal. He buys a shirt here, pants there.

**Ima saver** · 07-31-2006, 09:17 AM

Re: Yearly Clothes Budget

I buy clothes from QVC mostly, but I have cut way back. I tend to wear jeans and shorts out because I do a lot of walking. I probably spend $100 a year. When we get clothes, we usually give them to each other for christmas. My dh doesn't spend much either. He lost 40 pounds, so we did have to get him some new jeans and dress pants.

**sakigt** · 07-31-2006, 09:33 AM

Re: Yearly Clothes Budget

I dont have a budget, per se. My clothes money comes out of my fun money. Usually if I go out looking for a specific piece, I either cant find it, or cant find it for the price I want.

Instead, I go to Ross and Marshalls for clothes. You have to go to those places often, but youll find deals! I rotate two pairs of jeans throughout the week and wash them often. Theyre my favorite pairs so theres no need to buy more

**Ima saver** · 07-31-2006, 10:11 AM

Re: Yearly Clothes Budget

I don't work, so I don't need a lot of clothes. I have 2 or 3 pair of jeans and shorts that i wear all the time. My husband gets his work clothes and jeans from wal mart usually. We have no stores around where I live.

**Broken Arrow** · 07-31-2006, 10:14 AM

Re: Yearly Clothes Budget

$0, but I'm a guy so....

**kealina** · 07-31-2006, 10:25 AM

Re: Yearly Clothes Budget

i get a lot of hand-me-downs because my oldest sister and my SIL are both my size and both like to shop... also, i've had the occaional friend give me clothes, one in high school, another in college, and now another friend wants to clean out her closet and give me the extras...
plus i have yard sales which i love because i can get good clothes affordably secondhand...
i almost never buy retail unless it's clearanced, difficult to find at a yard sale, and i have store credit...
being very generous with the amount and including clothes, shoes, accessories, etc i would say maybe $100 a year? of course, i think it might be that high because i have been trying to add more "adult" pieces into my wardrobe since i graduated from college last year...

**getforfree** · 07-31-2006, 10:36 AM

Re: Yearly Clothes Budget

I spend around $200 a year on clothes for 2 kids. But I think, the later it's going to be better, because they won't grow as fast, and some clothes will last them for 2 seasons instead of 1. I have boy and a girl, so they mostly can't wear each other's clothes. I usually buy their clothes a year in advance when it's 75-90% off.

Most of my clothes are 7-8 yrs old and were bought by my parents when I was still in high school. Since my kids were born, I bought myself only like 5 pants and 7 shirts, and some shoes to replace my old ones. Dh has plenty of clothes, so I buy him only when I see something really cute at a really good price. Most of his clothes is less than 3 yrs old.

**Bookie** · 07-31-2006, 10:43 AM

Re: Yearly Clothes Budget

Clothing is a sore point with me. I'm of average height and very slender. More and more I find clothing in my sizes to be cut so generously (?) that I'm engulfed in fabric. What ever happened to tapered styles? A friend in the trade tells me the expansion accommodates the developing American waistline. She recommended I look in the young men's department, but that's not exactly the image I normally hope to project.

(Rant over)

Anyway, when I do find something I like that fits, I buy for the future. Currently, I'm set for shirts, slacks, and shorts for the next few years. Averaged out, I probably spend less than $150 annually on clothing.

Note that I'm semi-retired, and that brought a major change in my wardrobe spending. It also saved me a fortune in dry cleaning and professional laundry bills. Formal business attire is expensive to buy and ruinous to maintain.

**lrjohnson** · 07-31-2006, 11:00 AM

Re: Yearly Clothes Budget

Last year I spend $458.90; that includes $197.20 on a splurge for two pairs Dansko shoes (I fully expect these shoes to last me at least five years each if not much longer). Year before that $746.34. So I've made progress.

I hate shopping for clothes so I do a similar thing: run to one store, but some stuff, and call it good for a long time. I'm trying to use thrift stores, hand me downs, garage sales, and freecycle this year to break that pattern, and find more flattering, higher quality clothes for less. I've spent $97.52 so far in 2006; just counting when I've been on The Challenge, March forward, it's $27.30, and that includes a $10 shoe repair.

This was one area in which my spending did go up when my income went up. Since I disliked shopping I "threw money at the problem." When I was broke in 99, I spent $155.58. Much more reasonable.

**getforfree** · 07-31-2006, 11:11 AM

Re: Yearly Clothes Budget

I usually shop 2x a year for clothes. And for kids clothes, I shop a year ahead, sometimes a few years ahead. So, I make a list what clothes we need and wait for the special sale. Usually stores have good clearance in January-february for winter clearance, and August-september fpr summer clearance.

**shengmei** · 07-31-2006, 02:32 PM

Re: Yearly Clothes Budget

I spend $100 a year. I am not sure how much hubby spends.

Hubby insists on dressing nicely for work. Since he had been getting raises every single month for the last year I cannot complain.

I have to dress professionally for work also, so I have to be extremely careful. I usually buy clothes from the mall 75% off. I cannot buy used clothing because a lot of times the cleaning instructions are cut off by the owner.

**BCHGRL** · 07-31-2006, 02:49 PM

Re: Yearly Clothes Budget

My budget for work clothes is $80/mo. Otherwise, it comes out of my fun money.

**getforfree** · 07-31-2006, 05:33 PM

Re: Yearly Clothes Budget

I found page with some tips on buying kids clothes:
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/03/03aug25k.cfm http://www.stretcher.com/stories/03/03aug25k.cfm

**Dido** · 07-31-2006, 06:09 PM

Re: Yearly Clothes Budget

My budget is the same as yours, $50/month. That includes 3-4 pair of good quality running shoes at about $80 each because I do a lot of walking and am a bit overweight, and I figure a little preventive care by making sure I have lots of support will help avoid injury and related expenses later.

I do look around in thrift stores and buy there occasionally but have not had great luck with my clothing size. My S.O. who is a more average size routinely shops and finds LOTS of stuff at the thrift store.

Yearly Clothes Budget