Sale! Sale! Sale!

[gardenswithkids]

Summer clearance and back-to-school sales with fabulous deals seem to be everywhere I turn. It’s highly tempting to overspend in the name of “savings”. I got some great deals on some beautiful clothes–that I don’t need.

As a stay-at-home mom, it’s often difficult to figure out what clothes I "need’. One of the things I miss most about working is the occassion to dress nice. I like wearing dresses, skirts and high heels, yet jeans and t-shirts could suffice for most everything I do. When it comes to wardrobe, the advice to dress for your lifestyle leaves me wishing that I had more places to go so I could dress up more. The phrase “all dressed up with no place to go” comes to my mind.

In general, I tend to spend more money on my children’s clothes rather than my own. When a child out-grows clothes or puts holes in the knees, it’s obvious that the child needs something to wear. Children’s clothes are typically less expensive too–I can usually buy an entire child’s outfit for less than the price of one article of women’s clothing. (That doesn’t hold true as the child gets older.) Plus, many children’s clothes are just so darn cute!

My favorites stores have great sales right now–both for children and adults. I just spent a lot of money on some new clothes for me–stuff I’ve eyed since spring, when they cost way more money than I could justify spending on myself. Now I want to shop for my children too–except I should sort through what they already have for fall first, and I don’t want to do that.

I really like shopping and nice clothes. I’m shallower than I’d like to be when it comes to my appearance and my children’s appearance. I like my children dressed nice since I look at them most of the day–and my husband and children have to look at me too. I don’t want to “let myself go”, (which I did in the past when I first started staying home with my children, spending virtually nothing on new clothes, hair and beauty products.) If I’m going to let myself go anyplace now, I like to go someplace where I can dress up nice. I haven’t quite figured out the proper balance of simply taking care of oneself that lies between vanity and letting oneself go.

 

[als10062008]

That’s good self-recognition and growth on your part. When you mentioned, “I got some great deals on some beautiful clothes–that I don’t need.” Perhaps set up part of your budget to get back to school items for a goods drive that gets the donations to children in need. Good for you on recognizing the line between vanity and letting oneself go - I think that’s something we all struggle with.

 

[gardenswithkids]

…set up part of your budget … Good for you on recognizing the line between vanity and letting oneself go - I think that’s something we all struggle with.

Part of the problem is I don’t have a budget for clothes.
What do other people’s clothing budgets look like?

I’m curious if other families typically spend on clothes, if you don’t mind sharing. I rarely pay full retail prices. I usually just get what we need (sometimes new, sometimes used, sometimes hand-me-downs from friends) or what I think we need, plus a little more for special occassions. I don’t mind used clothing if it’s in good condition, but when I compare our closets to quanity other people have given us from their old used clothes, we don’t have nearly as much. The price I spend on my clothes now, (both individual pieces, total cost and dry cleaning) is less than I spent when I was single, but I’m not single any longer–I have seven children.

Reality is the kids and I don’t really need much. I don’t work outside the home. Child in Catholic highschool wears a uniform and I homeschool our other children. Most of our activities surround children’s activities. My husband dresses for work in an office with well dressed professionals, including attractive professional women (<-- I used to look like that.)

I think we dress well, but my children and I don’t have that many clothes. (I usually go for quality over quantity and we wear what we own.) Yet I feel both excitement and guilt everytime I buy something. I like looking nice. I like my children to look nice. I wish I had more places to go where I could dress up. Most of the time it doesn’t matter what we look like, but if I wore the type of clothes that I enjoy wearing, I’d look over-dressed.

 

[maria29]

My wardrobe budget is fairly low. And I only really buy for myself and my ds who is 4. I’d say maybe $400 a year.

The best deals for us for our ds is when Gymboree has their Gymbucks promotion. I do those about twice a year usually when the season is ending. For me I proably don’t spend above twenty dollars on an outfit. I did splurge this year and buy some new jeans from GAP because they’re the only ones that fit me, since I’m curvy.

I do work, but I can wear jeans to work and pretty much anything I want as long as it doesn’t have a logo or is sleeveless so I didn’t have to buy much to change my wardrobe.

 

[gardenswithkids]

My wardrobe budget is fairly low. And I only really buy for myself and my ds who is 4. I’d say maybe $400 a year.

The best deals for us for our ds is when Gymboree has their Gymbucks promotion. …

Thanks for sharing. I need to do some additional research on the budget question. A budget would help me.

I honestly have a hard time determining what’s appropriate given my lifestyle. For years, most of my wardrobe purchases have been maternity and nursing clothes. My wardrobe needs have changed as I’m neither nursing nor pregnant, and I recently lost weight. My figure is (somewhat) back to where it was years ago when I struggled most with vanity and where I like the way clothes look on me. I have to watch that I don’t fall into the same old traps–and that I don’t pass the problem down to my children.

Gymbucks are a huge trap for me–spend money to get them, spend more money to redeem them. Everytime I step in that store I find more great stuff that I want to buy. It’s the Gymboree back to school sale–with an additional coupon I received in the mail–that’s tempting me to buy clothes my children probably don’t need, (although one child does need some jeans without holes in the knees.) I do better just staying out of that store–such cute stuff!!

 

[SDMom]

Thanks for sharing. I need to do some additional research on the budget question. A budget would help me.

I honestly have a hard time determining what’s appropriate given my lifestyle. For years, most of my wardrobe purchases have been maternity and nursing clothes. My wardrobe needs have changed as I’m neither nursing nor pregnant, and I recently lost weight. My figure is (somewhat) back to where it was years ago when I struggled most with vanity and where I like the way clothes look on me. I have to watch that I don’t fall into the same old traps–and that I don’t pass the problem down to my children.

I am completely in your shoes when it comes to (my) wardrobe! I am a SAHM, so … like you said, most of what I do can be done in a T-shirt & jeans. I took some “me” time the other day, and I actually let my hair down and curled the ends (I normally just have my hair in a pony-tail when I’m watching the kids), and my husband mentioned, “wow, you look nice … where are you going?” I wasn’t going anywhere special, just to the nearby Borders, but I feel like I haven’t “dressed up” in so long!!! It felt good to look nice (or at least better than I do when I’m just home, cleaning the house, watching the kiddies, or running every day errands).

And yes – in the past 5 years, a majority of the clothes I bought were either maternity or nursing clothes! My husband made a comment that I love being pregnant because I get to go shopping often! Now that I’m neither pregnant or nursing, I haven’t bought new clothes in a while. There just isn’t a need.

I am lucky because I have 2 boys. My oldest gets hand-me-downs from his older cousin (1 yr older). My youngest gets his older brother’s clothes, some of which came from his older cousin! So you can tell we don’t spend much on clothes!!! I love it! The only time I really do spend $ on clothes is if DS1 had a growth spurt and you could tell he’d really outgrown his clothes. I normally shop at Children’s Place – the other day I got my older son 4 shirts and 2 pairs of shorts, for less than $20 total! The clothes had gone on clearance and were marked an extra 50% off, which came to $2.49/piece. A majority of their clothes I get on sale, and I love getting bargains at Children’s Place. I guess it’s safe to assume I rarely, if ever, pay retail for stuff. Ah, but DS1 will be starting montessori pre-school in the Fall and we will be spending $$$ on his school uniforms. I’m not worried, though. God will provide.

As far as the budget is concerned … DH & I have a set amount of $ allotted for the week, which includes the kids “needs” as well as $ allotted for me. Do you have a budget? Or just spend as needed/wanted? It took a while for DH & I to get used to the whole “budget” idea. It was hard in the beginning, but now (after 5 years of marriage!), it is getting better. Still a work in progress, that’s for sure!

 

[MomaMary8]

Summer clearance and back-to-school sales with fabulous deals seem to be everywhere I turn. It’s highly tempting to overspend in the name of “savings”. I got some great deals on some beautiful clothes–that I don’t need.

As a stay-at-home mom, it’s often difficult to figure out what clothes I "need’. One of the things I miss most about working is the occassion to dress nice. I like wearing dresses, skirts and high heels, yet jeans and t-shirts could suffice for most everything I do. When it comes to wardrobe, the advice to dress for your lifestyle leaves me wishing that I had more places to go so I could dress up more. The phrase “all dressed up with no place to go” comes to my mind.

In general, I tend to spend more money on my children’s clothes rather than my own. When a child out-grows clothes or puts holes in the knees, it’s obvious that the child needs something to wear. Children’s clothes are typically less expensive too–I can usually buy an entire child’s outfit for less than the price of one article of women’s clothing. (That doesn’t hold true as the child gets older.) Plus, many children’s clothes are just so darn cute!

My favorites stores have great sales right now–both for children and adults. I just spent a lot of money on some new clothes for me–stuff I’ve eyed since spring, when they cost way more money than I could justify spending on myself. Now I want to shop for my children too–except I should sort through what they already have for fall first, and I don’t want to do that.

I really like shopping and nice clothes. I’m shallower than I’d like to be when it comes to my appearance and my children’s appearance. I like my children dressed nice since I look at them most of the day–and my husband and children have to look at me too. I don’t want to “let myself go”, (which I did in the past when I first started staying home with my children, spending virtually nothing on new clothes, hair and beauty products.) If I’m going to let myself go anyplace now, I like to go someplace where I can dress up nice. I haven’t quite figured out the proper balance of simply taking care of oneself that lies between vanity and letting oneself go.

that is a hard balance! I agree. As a SAHM of 8, I struggle as well. I go from pregnant, to nursing to thin again to back to pregnant. Its seems to be a 2-3 year cycle and hard to maintain a decent wardrobe. I hate hording clothes that I “might” wear again. I feel selfish hanging on to the sweater that will fit after breastfeeding, but only if I’m not pregnant once cooler weather comes around.

For this reason of my ever changing figure, I try to buy the same color scheme and go with classic styles rather than fasion style. I know the colors that work on me and even if the original piece that the top was bought to wear with is no longer fitting or in good condition, I have other pieces to put with it.

I think we need to keep ourselves looking nice. Our bodies are temples and we must display them in a nice manner. That’s not being vain. Vain is having 30 pairs of new shoes a year! Show respect for yourself by dressing well. Simple nice clothing will not look vain if done well.

The trap I fall into is what I think others are thinking of us. As a large family, I know there are disparaging looks/comments if I have even one child poorly dressed. ie: “they have too many, they can’t even dress them well.” so I feel like I struggle trying to “prove” large families aren’t always poor, sloppy and out of control. I should not let others dictate my standards of dress

 

[gardenswithkids]

…I actually let my hair down and curled the ends (I normally just have my hair in a pony-tail when I’m watching the kids)…

I’m wearing a ponytail right now. That’s usually my cue to get my hair cut, but it’s summer. \ I usually wear jeans or denim capris, but I put on a summer dress today with my ponytail.

…I am lucky because I have 2 boys…

When I had only boys, I didn’t give too much thought to what my children wore. My boys would wear the same clothes seven days a week if I didn’t make them change. My younger children are girls. Buying girl clothes is simply more fun for me-the girls appreciate pretty clothes and I do too. My girls want to change their clothes several times a day, and they love playing dress up. I do too. Maybe I’m going through my second childhood–this might just be a more socially acceptable, age appropriate version of me wanting to play dress up.

…Do you have a budget? Or just spend as needed/wanted? It took a while for DH & I to get used to the whole “budget” idea. …

We had a tight budget for several years, but not lately. Both my husband and I are frugal for the most part—even with clothing, I shop for quality bargains (which is why these sales are so very tempting. ) After years of carefully watching our spending, it became sort of second nature and we no longer needed to carefully budget to live within our means—except for the looming education expenses ahead next fall as my oldest starts college while another attends a private high school. The cost of clothes is just a drop in the bucket compared to that–and it doesn’t seem quite “fair” to spend such huge sums of money on our older children while the rest of us dress primarily in hand-me-downs.

 

[gardenswithkids]

that is a hard balance! I agree. As a SAHM of 8, I struggle as well. I go from pregnant, to nursing to thin again to back to pregnant. Its seems to be a 2-3 year cycle and hard to maintain a decent wardrobe. I hate hording clothes that I “might” wear again. I feel selfish hanging on to the sweater that will fit after breastfeeding, but only if I’m not pregnant once cooler weather comes around.

For this reason of my ever changing figure, I try to buy the same color scheme and go with classic styles rather than fasion style. I know the colors that work on me and even if the original piece that the top was bought to wear with is no longer fitting or in good condition, I have other pieces to put with it.

I think we need to keep ourselves looking nice. Our bodies are temples and we must display them in a nice manner. That’s not being vain. Vain is having 30 pairs of new shoes a year! Show respect for yourself by dressing well. Simple nice clothing will not look vain if done well.

The trap I fall into is what I think others are thinking of us. As a large family, I know there are disparaging looks/comments if I have even one child poorly dressed. ie: “they have too many, they can’t even dress them well.” so I feel like I struggle trying to “prove” large families aren’t always poor, sloppy and out of control. I should not let others dictate my standards of dress

Thank you for your post and your observations.

Yes to your comments of worrying about what others think of me and my family. It’s hard not to notice a group this large, and when we go out people do make comments about my children. The worry about what people think is double edged: I worry what some will think if we don’t look pulled together*-and* I worry that others might think we overspend. Obviously, we can’t please everyone. While I need to gaurd against overspending, I can dress myself and my children in ways that please me. Frankly, I don’t find wearing jeans and t-shirts all the time very pleasing.

I read a book from the library about closet organization–and test in the book showed my clothing style is a combination of classic and whimsical. The whimsical part must of me be why I enjoy children’s clothing so much. But I don’t want kitty-cats and ballerinas embroidered on* my* clothes–just my daughters. The clothes I buy for myself are primarily classics in colors that I like (and that look good on me) and that I can mix and match. In my mind, I calculate not only the cost of the item but the cost per wear. The clothes I bought recently for myself, I will likely wear for the next few years, (if I’m not pregnant or nursing.) The clothes I buy for my children, they wear and usually hand down to the next child. I enjoy seeing my children dressed well, so I’m not just doing this for other people.