Thread: Fluff: When do you buy clothes for your kids?

So far I do buy T new clothes about twice a year. Not really tied to "school" but more to the seasons. As it gets colder, I usually try to stock up on cold weather clothes, and then I assess and buy anything I need to as it starts getting warmer. I get longer use out of shorts and t shirts, so I didn't buy a ton of those (because who cares if they are a little shorter this year than last year) but I do have to buy new long pants and long sleeved shirts every year because he has always grown so much. As a matter of fact, I bought some 4T pants in early spring 2012 and they are already noticeably too short for him, he's already in size 5s. He's a tall, lanky kid who seems to shoot up the most in the summer time every year, so that always means new clothes in the fall. I wouldn't do it just to do it though, it's because he needs it.

Originally Posted by kris_w

I buy when when they need it. Those studies saying people spend like $400/kid for "back to school" baffle me.

All I bought for school this year was new backpacks and runners. Oh and I did buy my 7yo son pants because he literally didn't have a single pair without holes in the knees.

I do buy up a size if I stumble across a great sale though.

OVER FOR US-Did you know Sears will replace pants (for the kid they were bought for) if this issue happens with an item purchased from them?

My girls wear uniforms to school, but if they didn't I'd definitely buy them a few new outfits for the start of school. Just a tradition I loved as a kid and wouldn't mind doing with my girls.

I actually don't buy my girls many new clothes at all. Alana gets hand-me-downs from a good friend and an older cousin, and my MIL loves to buy them dresses and shoes. I usually buy them 1-2 pair of pants when it starts to get cool, a new jacket every other year, 2-3 bathing suits at the beginning of Spring, and a few other pieces here and there as something comes up (like every year Alana gets a new bright colored shirt for her Spring concert, etc.).

I'm with both the "buy as they need" and for some items, buying at the end of season. (For example, I LOVE scoring a kid's nice winter coat -- "in season" that would be $70 - $90 -- for $12 at the end of season! I buy a size larger and hope that I'm close.)

Shoes, however, I've been horrible at predicting what size. There have been years where they wore the same size for 9 months and then slammed with changing sizes twice in one season alone. Argh.

LOVE LOVE LOVE hand-me-downs. Some friends and I exchange regularly. It's terrific!

The "back-to-school" shopping for us is mainly supplies due to the deep discounts on pencils, crayons, paper, etc. The older ones enjoy picking out a special backpack and/or notebook (typically again based on need.)

Lillie -- thank you for the reminder on Sears. I need to go reread their warranty policy again!

Originally Posted by MissyJ

Lillie -- thank you for the reminder on Sears. I need to go reread their warranty policy again!

Would you believe I found out about it because some woman was bragging about clothing all four of her boys on the one wardrobe purchase on a thrifty forum? It still makes me nauseous thinking about it.

And I guess they caught on that people were abusing it. Sorry!
Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more

Originally Posted by wlillie

Would you believe I found out about it because some woman was bragging about clothing all four of her boys on the one wardrobe purchase on a thrifty forum? It still makes me nauseous thinking about it.

And I guess they caught on that people were abusing it. Sorry!
Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more

Sears Canada still has this. And it specifically states that it will continue to replace the clothing as long as it still fits ANY child in the household. You have to buy it in store though, and keep your receipt so it wont work for me And they dont count rips or tears as wear. My sister got denied when her son ripped his pants on barbed wire.

Wow. That's a very very friendly policy! I wonder if their CA website is better than their US one. Half the orders I've made online get cancelled because the stuff is "out of stock". Though I love shopping in their stores.

Do you guys not have the rewards card that can pull up the purchase for you?

I do back to school and buying throughout the year. We always did back to school when I was younger, and I just kept it going. It's exciting to have new things for the school year to start. The kids love going to the store and picking out their 'first day outfit'.
I don't go crazy with money though. This year I spent probly 175 on clothes. But the school supplies cost me over 200 bucks. They each needed FIVE two inch binders, that alone was 50 bucks! Crazy...

Originally Posted by MissyJ

LOVE LOVE LOVE hand-me-downs. Some friends and I exchange regularly. It's terrific!

Whats fun is when you hand stuff down and then get it back. My youngest wasn't really planned so I gave all my stuff away after my 3rd son to my niece... she used it for her 2 boys and is now passing it back to me. It is fun when I go through a bag of stuff she gives me and I can recognize some of the things I gave her.

DD starts kindy next Tues and all the school has requested is a backpack that can hold a library book (check) and a pair of runners with non-marking soles. I haven't bought her any new clothes because I just hit the motherload of all motherloads at my neighbour's garage sale last month for school clothes. Plus, I love love love my trusted consignment stores. Why buy new when you can buy something a fraction of the cost that's broken in, pre-shrunk and that DD still treats like brand new?

So the only thing I have to buy is the shoes. She will need some bigger outdoor shoes for Sparks too. Her uniform arrived the other day. Pretty cute.