School Clothes Shopping

**Cricketlegs** · 07-30-2007, 05:26 PM

It is that time of year again campers!

How much do you spend--and that includes shoes--eek!

My situation is this--

Emily is in college. She doesn't need clothes so I spent around $300 for comfort, sheets,curtains, chair, matress pad and storage for the new dorm room.

I already forked out for her Nikes a month ago and she said she doesn't need school supplies. She also gets $200 a month from me and her Dad(we are divorced)or $100 from us both.

Her contacts for the year are in--her Dad did that and I just forked out $200 for a new cell phone--hers was old and REALLY needed replacing.

All I have left for her is to get her hair done before she goes back to Tech--Whew!

Sarah will be a 6th grader. I was thinking of $200 and then the cost of a good quality tennis shoe. While she is only 11 she is in the 6th grade and clothes will be more important as she is becoming a young lady and there are "CH CH CH CHANGES" taking place!

She is also growing like a weed and is already over 5'5 so I hestitate to go shopping to soon. I want then to still FIT.

I need to get her good shoes as she has an ingrown toenail problem that reoccures. Life is too short for uncomfortable shoes and bad panties!

Her school supplies were purchased through the scholl for $45 last term and we have her lunch box and book bag.

She needs a hair trim.

School starts Sept 4th

Whitney is my step dd is 17 who lives out of state with her mom. She works but will be here next Saturday.

Since she works her mom now makes her pay for all her clothes and HBand A!--don't get me started! Her Mom won't help with her college either--I am scared spitless!

Dh and I will also give her $200 for clothes and I am willing to also buy her shoes if she needs them--I have no idea.

I was just wondering, what do you budget out for your kiddos for back to school?

**i.m.cheap** · 07-30-2007, 06:10 PM

After paying all the fees at enrollment ($135 for 6th grade), buying the long list of supplies required, and a pair of shoes for P.E. and a backpack, there will not be any money left in our budget for clothes. I am hoping that the Goodwill has a back to school sale. They usually do a $1.00 day, where all donated clothing is $1.00. I have $25 earmarked in the budget for that, since all three of us need clothes.

**baxjul** · 07-30-2007, 06:13 PM

I usually spend around $250.00 for everything. Then extra for her dance classes, around $68/month.

**YankeeMom** · 07-30-2007, 06:17 PM

Um, I generally spend less than $300 for all four. That includes their school supplies, clothes, & shoes. Lucky me, my older girls love to shop at the thrift store for clothes. None of them are hugely brand-conscious. My older one likes stuff from Hot Topic but she buys that herself with birthday or babysitting money.

**Libby** · 07-30-2007, 07:34 PM

When I was younger I remember only getting the bare necessities....basic school supplies that we didnt already have stockpiled

plus a pair of pants and a new top or two plus new runners. Once school actually started in Sept around Oct we'd go shopping again for the winter...this was my parents way to ensure Id really want the clothes I was getting b/c I needed and not wanted.

I think they did this to try to teach us the value of a dollar plus they had 3 kids starting school each Sept and there just wasnt enough in the family budget for these things.

Dont forget all the doctor and dentist appointments done in mid to late Aug before school started plus hair cuts

Now that I think about this more and more - parents truly ARE smart!

**halloweenfreak** · 07-30-2007, 08:25 PM

i bought all coopers clothes on clearance last year. all the way up to size 10 and he's only 5! i did buy him some new shoes since his feet jumped up 2 sizes, and i bought him a new backpack, but ltd had those for like 4.95 so that was a steal for a transformers backback. all we need now are some crayons and glue and such since he had some stuff left over from last year and i bought some of the stuff when staples had their 1 cent sale. spent a grand total of 26 cents on school supplies so far!

**Jskell911** · 07-30-2007, 09:10 PM

Jaycen only needed 3 pair of pants and a pair of sneakers. So including supplies we spent less than $100. It's still very warm so he'll end up starting school in shorts, which are all in new condition anyway. Plus his Bday is in October and he always gets clothes then.

**lisettelovebug** · 07-30-2007, 10:12 PM

Luckily my 9 year old ds doesn't really care what he wears. So I've gotten him a few pants on clearance this summer and some shirts. I went thru his clothes this afternoon and he has more shirts than I thought he did and at least 3 pairs of pants sans holes or grass stain. So I think he will be set for a while. At the beginning of summer I got him some really nice sketchers (on sale for $20) and they still look good so we will probably wait til Christmas time to get him new ones. I've gotten most of his shirts for less than $5 each and pants less than $10 (sometimes even $5), and a really nice jacket on clearance for $10. He needs a haircut (he always does - and I don't have the time and patience to do it anymore... dh doesn't like it when I just use the clippers and it's all one length - and I don't have the time to spend doing it diff't)... so he will end up getting it cut this week and will probably need another cut by September. He needs new glass ($300 glasses we got in May 2006 are all scratched up and bent) but the insurance will cover at least some of that - have to look into.
I've gotten some spiral notebooks for 10 cents and glue sticks for 10 cents and notebook paper for 30 cents. He will probably need some composition notebooks, folders and some other stuff.
I'd say clothes cost about $100 (including clearance clothes that will be too big) and supplies will be about $10.
Lisette

**Missourimom** · 07-31-2007, 12:20 AM

We'll give the older girls $100.00 each. If they want more than that, they can buy it with their money as they both work and have a closet full of clothes. Our youngest will get a few outfits from Walmart to hold her over until the cooler weather and at that point, I'll shop for warmer clothing at Kohls when they have a good sale.

They each get a good pair of shoes. Usually around $60.00 each (this is one thing we don't skimp on.) Shoes are expected to last the full year. We will buy sports shoes and clothing on as needed basis, but we don't spend money just to spend it because the media bombards us telling us we're "supposed" to spend money because it's Back to School Time.

They will also each get a book bag. We bought the older girls nice ones that were normally 60.00 at half price. Nikki's will be bought at Target.

They each get new underwear, socks and two bras for the older girls.

They'll get their hair cut and school supplies.....that are on the list and nothing more (except for stock ups at home.)

One of our larger expenses this year will be calculators for Juniors. They've been warned.....if they lose them, they'll replace them.

**Palooka** · 07-31-2007, 01:00 AM

I did not read all the reply's but I feel lucky here. My kids dad's, yes plural.

are the best and their families. I don't really spend much, but school supplies and nice shoes. I got good grandma's in the family that will spend a ton on my kids back to school clothes and the nice name brands. I just fill in the basics. Otherwise I would not have the money for a lot of kids clothes and demand.

I kiss my lucky stars for that one.

**Grayce** · 07-31-2007, 01:53 AM

I don't really go out an buy a bunch of new clothes for school. My son will get some clothes for winter. I will go through his clothes and see what he needs but not until later in the fall. When he first goes back to school he will still be wearing summer stuff. I will have to buy him indoor shoes and a new package of pencil crayons. He pretty well has everything else from last year as far as school supplies goes. My teenager has a job and she buys most of her own clothes. I will buy her some shoes.

**Daisygirl** · 07-31-2007, 06:53 AM

Hooray for Granny and Grandpa! My mom and dad bought the girls their school supplies, just took the list to Walmart and went to town! They also got them some new clothes. I got a bunch of great stuff for Rachel at a yard sale so she is completely set except for shoes. I'll probably spend around $20-30 on those. Chloe's stuff from last year still fits, so she is ok til we see some good stuff on sale. I bought her new running shoes at the end of the school year so they are great and still fit. We will go to the Claires outlet and spend about $10 each on accessories. Then they need backpacks and lunchboxes. I figure less than $100 for everything they need.

**jamie79** · 07-31-2007, 08:01 AM

Well it depends on each year. This year neither one needs much. Ods is going off to college. We did spend $$$ to get the stuff for his dorm room. As far as clothes, he needs some new underwear and socks, a couple shirts and pairs of jeans.
Yds need new underwear and socks and jeans and a pair of sneakers.
Both their backpacks are in good condition. we have lunchboxes that havent been used so no need there.
Supplies have already been bought. I have a rubbermaid thing that I always have supplies in so I just fill in.

**pepper1** · 07-31-2007, 01:51 PM

My parents buy there clothes and I have bought there backpacks I just need to still buy everything else

**sdrjeolsen** · 07-31-2007, 02:09 PM

We don't do back to school clothes. I give each of the kids a 275.00 clothing allowance at the beginning of the year (for dd#2, I split it half in Jan and half in Aug.) Then I let them use it as they see fit. They have learned to make great choices, especially my son after he spent it all within the first 2 months and I might add not all on clothes. But that was his decision and so his consequence was to wear what he had or to do some work for a little spare cash when he needed new shoes and a winter coat. I think it was as hard on me as it was on him I wanted to jump in and save him, but he quickly learned to budget his money and not spend it on other things. It just took that one time and now he shops sales and tells me about his great finds and how he stretched his money. That is a huge thing for him, as he aparently thought money grew on trees. He would only buy full priced name brand clothing, if it was on clearance or sale, then forget it. Just last week he found a virtually new Abercrombie hoodie for 3.00 at the thrift store. He would had turned his nose up at it when I was forking out the money.