How much do you spend on clothes for yourself and your family per year?

freyasmum

We've spent £1,593.66 on the four of us so far this year.

That's included 3 new winter coats and lots of pairs of new shoes (little boy who's growing quickly and first summer holiday) and a good few new summer clothes.

It also included a VERY expensive set of school clothes (£26 for a school skirt. And we're on our second replacement since school started last month :mad: )

We don't have LOADS of clothes and wear what we do have to death, so I don't think our spend is THAT bad. It will definitely be less next year though!

Smurphington

freyasmum wrote: »

We've spent £1,593.66 on the four of us so far this year.

That's included 3 new winter coats and lots of pairs of new shoes (little boy who's growing quickly and first summer holiday) and a good few new summer clothes.

It also included a VERY expensive set of school clothes (£26 for a school skirt. And we're on our second replacement since school started last month :mad: )

We don't have LOADS of clothes and wear what we do have to death, so I don't think our spend is THAT bad. It will definitely be less next year though!

My daughter starts school next year so I have that to look forward to

t14cy_t

im a big fan of jumble sales!!! went to one on Saturday and spent £9 in total. 6 items for me, 4 items for my mum and a pair of hunter wellies which are now on ebay as they are too small for my daughter. my oh spent £3 and got 5 items for himself which included a pair of Armani jeans! he also bought a gorgeous fruit cake whilst there as it was being held by a WI. really pleasant trip out in the autumn sun, and nice to have a natter with like minded people in the que!!

moneyistooshorttomention

To me - it's been very variable throughout my life.

For quite a few years I didnt have that many clothes (one double wardrobe and one chest of drawers was sufficient). Then the number of clothes went up to 2 chests of drawers and a small one and a wall-to-wall wardrobe and that's about what it is now.

The clothes themselves - my mother passed on quite a few items of clothing (so they last years - as she buys decent quality). There's only been a few charity shop buys - as, in the main, I find the clothes are not my taste and/or too worn.

I've spent very little money on clothes in the last few years (ie since moving to Wales). It's been down to a combination of it's been going on renovating the house/knowing I was a bit overweight and further weight came on since moving here/etc. So I'd really only spent what I absolutely had to and as cheaply as possible - as I'm not prepared to spend much at all on "temporary" clothing (ie clothing bought for a bigger size than my correct size).

Now I'm dieting on the one hand and will be having more stays back in my home city. So it's time to start shopping again - I've stocked-up with clothing as far as I can whilst still being a bit overweight and that bit of catch-up shopping has cost around £1,000. When the diet has been successfully concluded - then I shall be buying the more "fitted" clothing. With rather a lot of catch-up shopping still to do - as so many of my tops are too worn now/I need a new raincoat (had only bought a charity shop one as "temporary")/I need a new coat (ditto - charity shop), then the list I've made out comes to around £1,800.

When I've "caught up" I don't anticipate spending much at all on clothes from there on in - it'll just be replacements as things wear out (as my tastes are basically modern classic).

Now I'm older (gone into my 60's) then I feel it's time to stop "dressing like a student" in effect and I need to be elegant now in the way I dress - things like suitably-matched reasonable quality clothing made up into "outfits", rather than being 2 or 3 items of clothing that may match, but have been "slung together" - rather than made into an "outfit" per se.

So two things causing major expenditure at the moment - weight loss and transitioning to "elegant" dressing. I shouldnt think I'll spend more than an average £500 pa on clothing for "maintenance" purposes after that/very much doubt it would be more than £1,000pa for "maintenance".

To me - it's reasonable to spend more on clothes (and food) than many do - because I don't spend money on running a car/eating meat & fish/being generally "bad with money". So those are my personal priorities.

pollypenny

Hard to say. I usually buy in sales or using vouchers, like my recent purchase of two Marks sweaters with a 20% off voucher.

The only down side of retirement is that there's no excuse to buy dresses or smart clothes.

lessonlearned

pollypenny wrote: »

Hard to say. I usually buy in sales or using vouchers, like my recent purchase of two Marks sweaters with a 20% off voucher.

The only down side of retirement is that there's no excuse to buy dresses or smart clothes.

Who needs an excuse. :rotfl:

Funnily enough I went for years not even owning a dress, probably because I didn't like anything in the shops. But in the last couple of years I have started wearing them more often.

Towser

Well yes this has shocked me too because my bank account sorts out what I spend in categories and most years it's £2000 on clothing and grooming. This is for the whole family of four.

It has surprised me because I am a devoted chazzer shopper too. I am not even vaguely tempted to buy new too. I have not been as lucky as other chazzer shoppers as most stuff around here is between £5 and £10 per item. You can get some good quality stuff down the old charity shop.

My biggest spends are new undies and socks for the whole family and children's winter coats and school shoes because I don't want my kids to have the faintest whiff of second hand at school. I have found new M&S undies sometimes too keep the costs low.

I aim to buy good quality stuff for pounds and this is why I enjoy the hunt. I am using up and wearing out but 'weigh in' any clothing that does not fit, anymore mainly childrens. I receive money back for this.

I too am an aspirational shopper and have, the best for the least on anything, you can buy in a chazzer.

freyasmum

For some reason I can't quote on my phone, but honestly Smurfington, it can be obscene! Primary school is nowhere near as bad (though I recommend starting a little pot/bank account and transferring £10 a month in there so that when she starts school, you have the money there), at least round here. But
my daughter is now in senior school and if we had bought everything new from the school supplier (and then a few pens/pencils on top), then it would have cost over £450 to send her back to school this year _pale_

Rather, we opted to use her sports kit from last year (rather than the new one that the school brought out this year), we reused last year's blazer, and we only bought one skirt (I feel so ridiculous, but I honestly cannot describe my rage at £26 for a school skirt - it's not even one of those fancier kilt ones! I've had much better quality from Asda for less than a quarter of the price). She did have a Superdry school bag, but I'm reasoning that once it's done it's work as a school bag, it can be used when she travels.

I know kids from low income families can get help with uniform, but £450 is just unreal. So much for levelling the playing field!

/Rant

DigForVictory

rereading, I think we need two numbers - money spent on own clothes + or - significant other & money spent on family & ye gods the school uniforms & they keep On Growing.

I still grumble about the term where eldest started in last term's trous, gre til too mcuh sock was visible, had new trous bought, continued growing, had new socks bought, and unwillingly a second lot of trousers!

All in one term. Had he been the youngest, I think I might have sent him to school in tights. Instead middle & little brothers had a fleet of school uniform to grow into & when they all left that school the local charity shop called blessings down on us for donating still-with-use-in school uniform. (Blazers worn for about 3 minutes a day & promptly shucked off, etc!)

Hard_Up_Hester

We don't usually spend much, OH has work uniform provided, I have 3 hooks to hang my clothes on so that limits my consumption.
However OH was admitted to hospital on Wednesday, cue much rushing around to buy jammy bottoms for night time wear and lightweight trousers and joggers with tee shirts for daytime wear, I spent about £50.

Last month I spent £15, I bought tee shirts and socks for my grand daughters, just to help DD out.