Today’s question is from Stephanie:
I am curious what an “average” clothing budget might be per person. Is there a figure of how much one should allot for clothing on a per-person basis? For example, I have a figure for food ($40/per person/per week) but what about clothes?
Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.
Erica says
I am so surprised!! How is it possible that people can live on such a small budget.. WOW. I get $250 a month of clothing budget and my two kids $100 a month.. and this seems not enough
Chrissy says
I was sitting here reading these and actually looking around like I was in the twilight zone. 30 dollars a month? 200 a YEAR for coats and shoes and work clothing? Am I insane, or where the heck do these women shop? I haven’t bought clothing items since before November- I have been running on the same 4 sweaters and jackets, layering, etc. I am going shopping tomorrow and budgeted 500, and thought that was not enough for a new wardrobe so I was googling how much an average person spends….guess I need to re think my spending.
Dee says
Lol. I agree. I have two teenagers now plus a 9 year old. I guess when my kids were tiny I could spend less. But just to get jeans that fit my son I’ve spent roughly $300 in the last six months. He’s skinny and growing. Very hard to find 26 x 30 jeans online let alone get them as a hand me down item. I just need him to get to a 28 waste! The 30 length are already starting to look short. I think they do make 28/32. Then he has flat feet and A knee condition, so tennis shoes plus inserts cost me about $150. And then there are the soccer cleats. I am hopeful that his foot has stopped growing. Thankfully my oldest daughter could make a paper bag look good.
Nicoe says
I’ve been online all day looking for help with this and everywhere I look all I see is 7$ pant 3$ shirts im like WHERE?? 12$ shoes? this must just be in the house clothing.
Beth says
Thank goodness for your post! I was reading these other figures and feeling really bad about my budget! I am budgeting $300.00 a month for 4 people. I live in NY where we have to buy for all 4 seasons!
Susan says
I wonder what comments would be made in 2015 (2 years later)!
Rob says
I’m a little late commenting on this, but better late then never. I don’t have an exact budget for clothing, but it is a very small amount. Once a year my church does a clothing drive, everything is free and you can take as much or as little as you need. There is usually some name brand very nice items so I will stock up then. I have two girls who are 4yrs. apart so when the oldest out grows hers I will pass them on to a friend, who has a daughter in between mine, and when her daughter outgrows them my youngest is ready for them. It is a good feeling to help out another family and my friend also sends more clothes back then what I sent. My children are also the only grands on both sides so we get help from family. (my sister is an awesome goodwill shopper) And my sisters and I will swap clothes often. As for shoes and undergarments… those have always been added into the birthday and Christmas budgets. My children are both in school 2nd and 6th grade and they think Goodwill is the best store ever, they are just thankful that they have clothes to wear.
Melissa L says
For kids clothing I buy Lands End stuff at the end of the season. If they ever rip or fray you can have them replaced, without question. I usually pay less than $10 for a pair of pants and with a young son, I don’t have to worry about holes in the knees anymore. Tops I pay about $6 or for a polo $8. Just shop for winter clothes around March and summer clothes in September.
Budgeting is one part of the equation, but buying things that last is the other part of good home economics.
Anne says
We don’t have a specific budget, but we spend $200 or so per year (on average) for my husband and myself. This includes pricier items like winter coats and the hiking boots he wears on his trek between the train station and his workplace.
We spend about $400 or so per year for our son. Winter clothes are more of a challenge than summer – not only are the items themselves more expensive, but long sleeved shirts look sloppier when too big and skimpier when too small as opposed to short sleeved items, so his winter shirt wardrobe is harder to buy ahead of time than the summer.
Amy B says
we have budgeted $40/month for my husband, myself and our 9 month old daughter. We have been blessed with TONS of new clothes for her by grandparents, so I have picked up odds and ends for her at garage sales and our children’s consignment shop.
I like new clothes, and probably about once a month I will buy a new shirt/pants/shoes on clearance. I have to make my husband spend money on clothes 🙂
The most we spend is on business casual clothes for him and shoes (we are both runners, so good shoes are important to us!)
Alyssa says
I think its a good idea to set aside some money for clothes each month, even if you don’t use it on a monthly basis, at least $10/month per person, if you can afford it. You never know when a kid is going to get a nasty stain you can’t get out, a hole in his pants, grass stains, loses his sweatshirt etc. My boys feet are growing so fast and shoes can be expensive. If you find great deals at Goodwill or someone gifts you some hand-me-downs, then you can put the extra saved money toward another goal or keep saving for a true clothing emergency. I look forward to having a new top or replacing an item that’s worn every so often. I lost 25lbs last year, so I’ve had to gradually replace almost all of my clothes….Thanking God for a great Goodwill nearby!
Tammy says
I put about $20 a month for our clothing budget for 6 of us. I budget $100 a week for groceries. We have a limited income an shop sales and consignment shops and lawn sales.
Shannon says
How on earth do you only spend $100 per week on food for 6? We also have 6 (2 adults/4 children) and our food budget is about $300 per week. What state do you live in (I’ve heard that makes a big difference)? We live in California.
Becky Watkins says
There are two of us. I work outside the home and my husband’s work has a laundry service. I don’t craft or decorate my house. My artistic expression is on my outfits. So my budget is a little higher than I would like: $30/month for two adults.
Carley says
We put $50 a month towards clothing. It is my hubby and I and our little 17 month old with one on the way. We are blessed with hand me downs as well. I tend to shop at thrift stores, garage sales and consignment shops for myself – I am a SAHM. My hubby gets some of his clothes like at JC Penny, etc for his work.
Amy Moore says
I would say we spend over 2,000 a year on clothes. I budget 100/month under “children” and I use most of that for clothes for my 2 children. I buy Gymboree and BabyGap on clearance, in larger sizes for my children. We get few hand me downs. Some months I hardly spend anything because the clearance sales aren’t great, and some months, like January, I spend 150 dollars because so much is on sale. I get 125 a month in “fun” money and I buy clothes out of that for myself. I am a SAHM so I usually buy workout clothes and a few tops. My husband gets the same amount of money, but does not use it on clothes,lol. We buy his winter work clothes the day after Xmas at Banana Republic and he buys 200 dollars worth of clothes at Kohls in the Spring with a 30% off coupon. I love buying clothes, I could easily spend 300 dollars a month on myself if our budget allowed.
Erin says
This seems to vary a lot from family to family. For us, I budget $50 a month for me. I don’t work, but even as a stay at home mom its important to me to still look cute. BUT, it fits into our budget and should our financial situation change, it would probably be one of the first budget cuts. As for my husband and two year old, we don’t really budget. When my husband feels he needs to replace some clothes, he usually works an extra shift and uses some of that money to go out and buy what he needs. Our two year old also gets clothes as needed. Sometimes we get hand-me-downs from friends or clothing gifts from family, but most of the time, we buy her what she needs. I usually buy a spring/summer and a fall/winter wardrobe. I stick to 10 simple mix and match outfits which I try to buy inexpensively. I buy her shoes as she out grows them. The money usually comes from a budget surplus… like those extra shifts hubby works. We try to spend far less than we earn, so when needs like this crop up, its not difficult to take care of. I would estimate we spend $200 a year on the kiddo and $200 on the hubby. (again, should money become tight, there would probably be some drastic budget cuts in this category) Hope that helps!
Laura says
As many have posted, I think it is really family and function specific. My husband is disabled so we live solely on my income. Since he has a severe back injury, shoe quality is huge for him. We budget $100/yr for his shoes. The rest of the family clothing budget is combined.
We utilize multiple resources to stay within our means. Our monthly budget (minus hubby’s shoes) is about $20/month total. We have 4 seasons so I go through both our kids clothes quarterly. I have found that the older my kids get, the more gently used their clothes are since they grow so quickly and have fewer accidents/stains. I will often ask families at church with older children if they would mind letting me know when they plan to get rid of clothes that will be the next size for my kids. I always offer to pay for them also.
We have found over the years that it is best for us to pass on our clothes to those who need them once we are done. It is amazing how God provides a needy recipient. Likewise, how often we have received a call or email about a bag full of clothes that just happen to be the size my son or daughter needs.
Many have posted about thrift stores. The ones in our area are not good. I often find that I do better shopping the clearance sales at Belk, Khol’s, and other large retailers. I was able to get my daughter a London Fog winter coat last February for less than $10. That coat will last her 2-3 years. I also got her gorgeous church dresses for $3 – $6 each at Belk.
Since our kids grow so quickly, we also limit their wardrobe. They each have 5 school outfits, 2 church outfits, and 2-3 play outfits. This makes it easier when they outgrow an entire size before the seasons even change….
Rhonda says
Depends on how much wiggle room you have in your budget and if you have growing kids/changing sizes. I guarantee we don’t spend $100/yr on clothes each including new underwear & socks. Definitely let others know you’d love hand me downs.
You may also check what your buying for food if your budget is tight? My grocery budget is $65/wk for 3 people and I buy fresh necessities, maybe $25 each week then maybe monthly use what’s left to stock up on sales so we always have plenty.
Sabrina@theunlikelyhomemaker says
I allot $10 per week for our clothing budget. This is for everyone (myself, husband, 3 growing kids). This gives me about $40 a month. After two months, that money rolls over into our “fun” money. I rarely buy for myself ( I follow smallnotebook.org, she has great wardrobe tips), and my husband’s shirts last forever. With 3 growing kids, I’ve learned to buy no more than one size up, because it’s turned out to be a waste of money if a growth spurt hits during the wrong season, and I buy excellent quality items at a thrift store. I only shop brand names, because the quality is really worth the money full price.
My son is 4, and I have probably spent $30 total on his clothes from birth until now (doesn’t include gift cards for holidays and b-days). My daughter is 2, and she currently owns 2 pairs of jeans, and several good quality shirts. We aren’t going to need to use our clothing budget money for quite a while. And when my kids do need clothes, they will get minimal clothes (less laundry to do!!).
So, I guess to better answer your question, you first need to decide where you are shopping. If it’s a thrift store, your budget is going to be a whole lot lower than, say Target. And if you are a higher-end consumer, a little bit higher 🙂
Ellen says
It has been so interesting to read the comments on this one!
We are a family of four (soon 5!) and budget $50/month for clothes. Some months we don’t use it and it gets channeled into other things or set aside to boost the next month if I know a bigger clothing expense is coming.
We have help with clothes, though. My husband is in law enforcement and has a provided uniform. I am a SAHM and so don’t have to keep up a professional uniform, just a few good pieces for speaking engagements and church, etc. We get very good discounted shoes through our orthotics shop, which is actually covered by our insurance, incredibly. We have been given a lot of hand-me-downs for our girls, which I welcome with delight! I primarily shop for the oldest during garage sale season and have essentially dressed her that way for years (hooray for an annual community sale in a high end neighbourhood!). I supplement with clothes from a favourite consignment shop and occasional sale racks.
I rarely buy my own clothes used… not for lack of trying. I’m quite tall and find that a real restriction however, I wear favourite clothes for years and generally buy from favourite stores on clearance, so that works well. I have had a lot of luck with used maternity clothes, which is helpful because they are s expensive.
I think clothes budgets are a lot about ‘can’ and ‘want’. If we HAD to, we could probably spend almost nothing this year on clothes, given my garage sale stockpile in the basement. Or I could spend more, because I do like stylish clothes. $50/month seems to be a good balance for us, but that could change at any time.
Laura Jane @ Super Sweet Life says
This totally depends on your situation. Things like changing sizes, colder weather, and dress requirements for your job can make a huge impact on how much you need to spend. I think my husband and I spend on average about $70/month for all clothing, but our goal hasn’t been necessarily to spend as little as possible.
Holly says
We budget $100/month for our family of four. We have two daughters, 7 and 4, so our youngest wears primarily hand-me-downs, but not exclusively. I am a SAHM and my husband dresses pretty casually for work, so we don’t have to buy suits or other professional clothing. We don’t split the budget per person each month – just use what is there to buy for whoever needs clothing at the time. Some months we are over $100 and some months under – we just make sure it evens out over the year.
Emily M says
We budget $50 a month for our family of 6. I also participate in 2 kids consignment sales and my earnings (usually $150-200 per sale) go towards clothes for the kids. I always buy a year ahead for my kids and I spent an average $3 -$4 per item. So, $900-1,000 per year which of course includes shoes for all of us. We all dress nice, but simply and don’t have a ton of clothes. Probably an average of 10 outfits per person.
Jc says
We don’t have a budget per se. I shop either used at consignment for my son or clearance. I will go once in the spring and once in the fall. I can usually get a seasons worth of clothes with shoes and a winter coat for $100. But I shop several years ahead. He is 5 an I’m working on his size 7-8 wardrobe. All clothes get passed along to his 2 younger brothers. They haven’t needed anything new yet. My mom always gets them clothes for Christmas and birthdays which is a big help. I buy a new pair of shoes once a year and my husband gets 2-3. We usually use the money we get for birthday or anniversary. We don’t shop much. We will get some clothes every couple of years. Under farmers when needed. We shop second Hand for a lot of our clothes. So I’d say we spend 500 at the most every year. We have simple wardrobes.
Frances says
Another advantage of homeschooling is a very reduced clothing budget! We have a few nice outfits for church and outside activities but don’t need near the clothes of most people because we stay home more. We have very stained outfits for playing in the creek so the children don’t ruin their nice clothes. We LOVE hand-me-downs and shop a second-hand clothing store for other items we need (except underwear and socks). Spend less than $300/year for family of 7.
Meredith says
That’s a hard question. We save $25 a paycheck (every two weeks) total. It just accumulates until we need it. It seems to be a good number that works for our family of three. My husband works in food and is constantly walking on the factory floor in his business clothes. So, I buy a lot of pants it seems. The Grandma’s are always finding something on sale for my daughter and I rarely buy stuff because I dress simple and my styles can go from season to season. However, there always comes a time when you need clothing….shoes mostly. Today is a great example. The backside of my jeans ripped at Target (uber embarassing) and I had too many stops to make before I made it to pick up my daughter. I wouldn’t normally spend 22 dollars on jeans but was so glad I had the money in our savings to pick them up (I used my grocery cash and swapped when I got home).
Charity says
We don’t budget any amounts for clothing, just because our money is tight. We have four littles, soon to be five. Two girls, two boys, in that order, so clothing/shoes gets passed down to the next one in line. I only need to buy things for the oldest child of each gender. We pay our bills first. If I see there’s going to be a yard sale nearby then I see if we have any loose change and check out the sale, always buying a season/size ahead. Buying ahead really doesn’t leave anyone needing anything. If oldest boy needs the next size up in shoes then I look in the top of the closet for what we have. We’re pretty minimalist and basic when it comes to clothing. Our children have a pair of play shoes, and going out shoes, that’s it. Same for my husband and myself, with the exception of a dressy pair that I have (had them since we married). My husband is issued a uniform for work and he wears the pants pretty much all the time. I sew things for the children (especially my girls from things I have on hand and repurposing items and mend everyone’s clothing when needed. I guess we just make do. But God always provides! 🙂
Michelle says
We save money for my clothing by following a capsule wardrobe plan. Everything goes with everything and can be worn different ways using accessories. My husband has a uniform-style wardrobe, largely because it can be hard to find clothes that fit his frame so we stock up on what fits. Because of his job, for him that means he mostly wears khakis, polos and button up shirts. Then we replace worn items when they hit rock bottom sales and use coupons. We buy as many as we can find in his size. This has worked for us because he projects a consistent professional image, his clothes fit comfortably and he feels a little spoiled to wear the brands he likes.
Alison says
We budget $780 per year for a family of 4.
HeatherHH says
I think in a lot of ways that would be more variable than food. There are the standard choices of whether to buy expensive name-brand items or cheaper items, just like with food. However, you can also buy used clothes. If you have older siblings, cousins, or other sources for a lot of hand-me-downs, your costs per person will be less than someone with 1 boy and 1 girl and no such sources. Any special clothes needed for work? Most people don’t receive gifts that do much to impact the food budget, but many people will receive gifts of clothing. Does clothing include shoes (it does for us) and any special needs there? Does your family have modesty standards that make it more difficult to find suitable clothing for older girls and women?
Personally, we probably spend about $90 per month for our family of 9, a nice even $10 per month per person, though the distribution is not very even. That does include shoes and expensive bras that I need to keep me from having backaches. Our clothing budget is elevated a bit because of modesty standards keeping us from being able to find a lot of the girls’ stuff and mine used and cheap. Also, we don’t get much in the way of clothing as gifts.
amber says
I don’t have a certain amount of money set aside for clothes. We are lucky and get hand me downs from church friends. I have two girls so, once the oldest one outgrows something I pack it away for the younger one. There is a three year size gap between them but, for us it is worth storing them for a few years. When I comes time to buy clothes I usually only have to buy shoes, underwear and socks for them (which I buy new). If there is something they need like a few pairs of jeans I will shop at yard sales and thrift stores before going to the store. If I had to guess I would say I spend $75 on both my children’s clothing for the year.
Amber says
It really matters what part of the country you live in, and what type of lifestyle you have. Also, does looking fashionable matter to you or do you simply want to wear clean clothes? Some friends of mine are creeped out by the thought of buying secondhand apparel. To each his own.
In my case, other than underthings and a few secondhand maternity clothes, I haven’t bought anything new this year and honestly I feel like I look frumpy. I’ve been given clothes from friends but the quality and fit aren’t great. Our budget has been really tight. When we did officially budget for clothes, it was $50/month for two people, but my husband would typically spend twice that amount on his clothes and shoes any given month out of necessity. I shop EBay in advance for the clothes he usually needs, and that has helped a lot to build up a small reserve of the special sizes he wears.
Again though, I feel like I’m always giving myself the short end of the stick, sacrificing my appearance and potential social circle of friends, and wonder if our marriage would appreciate any extra dollars I invested into clothing.
Deborah says
I felt frumpy for awhile. I recently started shopping garage sales for clothes (I live in a really good garage sale area–I know not everybody does) and buying lots of stylish clothes for approx. one dollar a piece. I feel so much better about myself and people keep complementing my clothes. I know this isnt an option for everyone but I have had a lot of fun looking better for hardly any money! (the other day I bought my mom a pair of pants that were new with an 88 dollar price tag for .33 cents. You cant beat that!)
Jen says
I don’t really have a figure, I buy something when absolutely necessary and then try to get it for as cheap as possible while not buying total junk. I have bought more than a few Wal-mart pieces that have fallen apart after 4 or 5 wears so I think I have finally learned my lesson on this!
Vanessa says
I agree that it depends on each person’s circumstances. We haven’t had a clothes budget in the past, but this year we have been much more careful about our grocery budget and have started shopping with cash and I am hoping to put any extra that we don’t use into a clothing/unexpected needs budget.
We are hoping to put $30 each/year aside for my husband and I. We are fortunate that my husband’s job provides uniforms so that his regular clothes don’t get worn too quickly. My husband and I ask for clothing or gift cards for birthdays and Christmas. I am a stay at home mom and usually what I receive in gifts is plenty for my needs.
For our older son (7) we are hoping to keep his clothing budget to $50 and our younger son at $30. Our older son is in school and we usually have to buy him a few shirts and a pair of jeans and sometimes a new pair of sneakers at the start of a new school year. Both of our children have received secondhand clothing from friends and family and clothes and shoes from grandparents for birthdays and Christmas. Our younger son (4) has been able to make do with secondhand clothing from his brother.
As they get older or if they have any big growth spurts I’m sure this will change, but for now this is the budget that we can get by with and can afford.
Uma Selvam says
We each have $50 per month for personal spending which includes clothing. We both are professionals and work outside. So, I’d prefer to spend on high quality clothes whenever there is a sale.
Currently I have enough clothes in my closet. So, I’m not buying any clothing in the last 3 months and not planning to buy anything for the next 6 months. So, I’m having around $200 left in my budget.
Having a budget for personal spending helps me look for deals also enjoy the luxuries like going to spa, pedicure/manicure (never did it; planning to do it when i really need a break), and good haircut. I’m also eyeing on an expensive flat iron I’m waiting to buy when I see a sale.
Hope it helps.
Amy says
We budget $45 a month for our family of 6. I currently have over $800 in that category so I guess it is probably more than we need! 🙂 I love rummaging and thrifting so that helps a lot. The closets are overflowing at the moment and I really need to get rid of some of it.
Victoria says
This is probably something that is different for every family, thinking about needs, growth stages, work outside the home, etc. In our budget we set aside $20 a month per person and let that amount build until we need it. That way when one of us needs some new clothes, shoes, or under garments we have money already set aside as to not blow our entire budget. Usually most of our shopping needs fall around the winter clearence or back to school sales so we are getting more for our money!
Kathryn says
We budget $30 a month, then use money from Christmas and birthday presents. It has worked out well for our family of 4 (soon to be 5). I buy the kids clothes from Gymboree when they are on super sale (about $5 and less). They don’t need many if the clothes are good quality and I like them. I used to buy mostly from yard sales, but found that I usually didn’t put them in those items as much. Most of the $30 goes to my husband and I. His shoes are a special size and EXPENSIVE! I buy undergarments and used some on maternity clothes as of late.
Helena @ LivingGreenDayByDay says
To those that have clothes a decade or more older! Whoohoo! Thanks for making me feel better about the shirt I’m wearing today which is a shirt I bought with my own money from a part time job back in 1996 when I was in high school. Whoohoo!
Anitra says
My husband and I decided several years ago that the two of us rarely NEED more clothing, we just WANT it (we joke that he can hardly walk through a department store without wanting a new dress shirt or a new tie) – so we got rid of our clothing budget and slightly increased our individual allowances – our “fun money”.
We have a set amount budgeted for our kids each month, but while most of it goes to clothes, any left over is for fun stuff, too.
Sarah says
Reading through all the comments makes it ever so clear that a clothing budget (or any other budget category) can vary drastically by family. It’s important to assess your family’s clothing needs and budget and come up with plan that works for you. But for what it’s worth, here’s what we do in my house. It’s just me and my husband, no kids. Both of us have jobs outside the home requiring business casual attire. We budget $40 a month for clothing, including work and casual clothes, underwear, shoes etc. We greatly supplement our wardrobes with holiday and birthday gifts/money. It’s not a big clothing budget for us but does allow us to replace worn out items when needed. I’m trying to move towards buying higher quality clasic pieces to replace the clothes I’ve been wearing since my college years.
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Coupons says
It really does depend on the person. All of these tips are fantastic. Since I’m single and I wear scrubs to work (and really don’t wear out my clothes, I just get tired of them), I include clothes as part of my “fun” money. I do love going to Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc and getting good deals on clothes. I don’t remember the last time I spent above $10 for a dress. But since it comes out of my fun money envelope, I don’t know that I’ve really kept track of how much I spend on clothes.
Krysten says
We spend maybe $25 per person per year, but we get hand-me-downs for the baby, I shop thrift stores/garage sales for my son, and my DH & I just don’t need much.
Ashleigh @ Thankfully Thrifty says
I agree with those saying that it’s hard to answer. Totally depends on your lifestyle. My hubby has a job that allows him to wear jeans and a collared shirt each day, and I am a SAHM. Between the two of us, we allot $30/month for clothes (together), and we have probably $150 sitting in the envelope right now. That’s pretty normal… we let it accumulate until someone needs new jeans or I desperately need maternity clothes, etc. As for our little one, we have been blessed with soo soo many hand-me-downs, so I really don’t worry about budgeting for her.
HTK says
My work situation recently changed so while I WAS spending about $300 per year on clothes for me for work (I had to wear suits almost every day and even buying them on sale sometimes at $30-50 for one suit, they still add up!). Plus with having kids, nursing/pumping, etc. my weight fluctuated day by day, week by week so I literally could wear one size suit today and then it not fit tomorrow. So I had 5 days worth of suits but in several sizes, and I went through pantyhose like crazy esp. w/ 2 little kids even if I changed out of them as soon as I got home from work! Now that I work from home more, I have spent $0 in the last year on clothing for me. I needed new underwear a month or so ago , but I didn’t buy any…I just went to my closet where I had stashed away some clearance/great deal undies I bought over a year ago.
Hubby goes through about $100 per year and that includes socks, undies, sneakers, etc. He goes through jeans quickly so I usually get him one or two pairs of Levi’s (his favorite kind) for Christmas so I count that under the Christmas budget, not clothing budget.
I spend around $200 per year for my older daughter, including winter coat, socks, good arch support shoes, etc. but I spend only money on shoes on my younger daughter as she gets all the hand me downs and sometimes new things as gifts from grandparents cuz they feel bad she “never has new stuff to wear”. Trust me, my 2 year old doesn’t know the difference, but yet the grandparents “feel bad”. I wonder how long kids don’t mind getting hand me downs for? Until they are teenagers at least?
Momof5 says
It’s all in the presentation, HTK. I have friends whose children “refuse” hand-me-downs, but I say to my kids, “Are you really big enough to wear that? Oh, that was your sister’s very favorite! She will be so jealous you can fit into it!” The older kids get into the spirit of things – in fact, my middle daughter has claimed a space in the youngest’s closet to hang things she has outgrown but that are still too big for her sister . . . just so the little sister can look forward to wearing them 🙂
Brenda says
My three teenage girls still love hand-me-downs from their stylish older cousin. It’s less out of their pocket if they can find something that works from her.
I’ve enjoyed reading all of the responses. I’ve been blessed to be a SAHM for 15 years. Although I love my sweats, they’re getting quite ragged, and sometimes a girl needs some nicer clothes. I’ll reecho many others and say that it depends on your stage of life. It’s interesting that I just had this discussion with one of my teens. I remember when they were little thinking that $100/year was plenty to spend on a toddler with the vast number of hand-me-downs we received. Now we spend closer to $500/person/year. My teens get $450/year as a clothing allowance for all things including sports paraphernalia. They can choose to spend it on clothes or not. One chooses not.
Kate says
I don’t have any specific numbers for you, but I’d suggest taking a weekend or two to investigate as many different clothing stores in your area as possible, especially secondhand stores (both non-profit and for-profit). Bring a note book and jot down whether or not each store carries items you would be happy to buy and if so note approximate prices. As someone who’s lived in 4 different states over the past decade, I can tell you there is enormous variation in the quality of secondhand stores and their prices (even among branches of the same multi-state chain). Some places I’ve been able to buy almost all my clothing secondhand for considerably less than I would have paid for new (and it still looked great); others the only local thrift stores are dirty and disorganized with low-quality items. Some consignment stores are quite inexpensive; others have similar prices to the mall.
Of course you also have to consider that generally speaking the quality of new clothing has PLUMMETED over the past decade, especially among the less-expensive brands. (I read a recent book on this topic and it confirmed my personal observation.) Depending on what your local options are, it might be worth paying the same or higher price for a used but truly vintage piece than for a similar brand-new item that will wear out more quickly.
The Prudent Homemaker says
It depends on so many things. If you need to cut more, it can be done.
For example, I don’t spend $40 per person a week for food. I spend less than $3 per person per week on food. We have $100 a month for food for 9 people.
So, like others have stated, our amounts for clothing are going to be much less than others who have more money, who have teenagers, or who work outside the home. Also, I like in a place with very mild winter weather, and where we only get 2-4″ of rain a YEAR. I don’t need much in the way of cold weather clothing, jackets, boots of any kind, or umbrellas. If I lived in a cold place, my clothing needs would be higher.
We have an irregular income, too. I don’t budget for clothing at all.
We pay bills first.
If there is leftover we buy food.
If there is a clothing need, we purchase it when we have the money. If we know something is coming up (bigger shoes for the oldest child, for example) we will save up for it.
Last year, the only item we bought for my husband was shoes.
I bought no shoes for myself at all last year.
I think you need to look at what you have to work with, after other items are paid, and then make it work with what you have. If you have only $5 per month for 3 people, then you can set that aside and wait until there’sa neighborhood garage sale, and look for needed clothing items with that.
Whatever you decide, make sure it works with what YOU have coming in. You can’t insist on a higher clothing budget if you don’t have it. You just have to be creative.
Miriam says
We budget $8/week. I have to have specialty shoes which cost ~$60/70 a pair, and have to replace my sneakers about once every year or 18 mo (I have 2 pr. dress shoes: brown and black, and wear them till they are run into the ground). We get a lot of hand-me-downs for our girls, but sometimes I do have to go buy (consignment or 2nd-hand). ALL clothes and shoes come out of this budget except for DH’s jeans and work shoes that he wears for work – those come out of his work budget.
If the budget is tight, or the paycheck small, clothing is one area that gets cut first. I am wearing shirts that my parents gave me for Christmas back in the early 2000’s… granted, they are about thread-bare, but they still work for around the house (I’m a SAHM). Probably by next winter I’ll need to update my winter wardrobe a bit, which will be nice. 🙂
Lana says
We have budgeted $150 a month for 15 years or more. At the beginning we had a family f 7 but kids grew up and went out on their own and clothing got more expensive over the years so it evened out. Now we are empty nesters and I have not changed the amount. I do buy things for the grandchildren from that budget from time to time. I know this sounds like a lot of money to many of you but we only buy very good shoes because of difficult feet and we do not buy used clothing because the fabric softeners and fragrances in the fabric drives me nuts.
HTK says
Just a tip on getting those nasty fabric softeners and detergents from used clothing (this is what I do as we have detergent allergies in my family):
Wash the clothing in super hot water (120 degrees or more) and add 1 cup vinegar to it instead of any laundry detergent. You can also had a few spoonfuls of baking soda if there are stains on it. Do a double rinse cycle and you are good to go. Clothes come out smelling like nothing (which is a good thing in our case–it means the detergents and softeners have come out). If they still have some scent to them, wash them one more time in the super hot water with 1 cup vinegar for normal size load.
Lana says
Thanks for the tips but I have tried all those things and many others and have never been able to take away the ‘itchies’. We finally decided that used clothing is a big waste of money for us.
michelle says
I agree…we also use dye and perfume free detergents. I shop rummage sales in the summer for our kiddos and some of those smells no matter what you do Don’t come out!! I have had success with hanging on the clothes line and letting the due or a good rain storm take out the smell. But even after all that some times that still doesn’t help.
For me it’s better to get a great clearance at Target or Old Navy. However I have been greatly disappointed with ON’s quality….it’s getting cheap and doesn’t hold up 🙁
Rachael says
One thing that has really helped my clothing budget is signing up for rewards programs. Kohl’s often sends me $10 gift cards, which work great for kids’ clothes. JCPenney and Victoria’s Secret also have great programs like this.
Erin says
Your question made me wonder what we have actually spent on clothing over the last year. We don’t set aside the same amount every month; we just think about what we need and put that in the budget if it fits. In 2012 we spent $2860 on clothing for my husband, myself, and our two girls (ages 3 years and 8 months). That’s about $230 a month.
About a third of that went to business suits for my husband. We also purchased some maternity clothing and then, basically, a new wardrobe for me when I lost weight. I’m guessing that in 2013 we’ll spend around $2000. Every family is different and every year is different, but that’s what our family can afford, and something we enjoy.
Tina says
My budget is $1200 per year for a family of 4 (2 adults, 9 year old, 13 year old). My 13 year old also requests clothing items for birthdays/christmas and chooses to use some of her allowance on “want” items as she loves fashion 🙂
CourtneyCooksIt says
I budget $30 a month for clothing. We’re lucky, my husbands job give him a $100 boot allowance (he manages a warehouse where boots are required) and they usually give them 4-6 shirts per year. That covers a lot of his expenses. Our parents are always shopping for our daughter…I pick up clothes on clearance and in 2nd hand shops for her. I shop in sizes 1-2 sizes bigger; I actually don’t know if I’ve ever bought her clothes full price, but she’s only 2. I don’t buy too much for myself…I’m pretty well outfitted. Some months we spend no money on clothes at all. I let the $ roll over, so when Old Navy does their big jean sale I pick up 2-3 pairs for the husband for 1/2 price. I should also mention that I do get money from my grandparents for my birthday every year and I usually spend that on nice clothing for myself…
$30 doesn’t sound like much, but if you’re not shopping much than it goes a long way! $360 goes further than you think!
Michelle O. says
Here’s what works for us as a military husband (he wears a uniform to work), SAHM, 4 homeschooled kids ages 11-2:
$10 per person/ per pay period goes into a Clothing envelope ($120 a month). Every birthday month and half birthday month for each child, we go through every piece of clothing they have (we have a mini fashion show :). Then determine what they may need for the next 6 months (we dress for 4 seasons). We’re fortunate to have a girl/boy/girl/boy so hand me downs are looked at first. Then a trip to the Thrift store. I also shop the sales online at The Children’s Place, Sears, Payless, etc. throughout the year for clothing in the next size up (I try to keep a list handy for each child on items I’m pretty sure they’re going to need – like underwear and socks) .
No one receives a certain dollar amount to spend on themselves, it’s more a matter of who needs what. Also, sometimes we receive money as birthday or Christmas gifts and are free to use that money for clothing 🙂
Hope this is helpful!
Ashlee says
I spend about $200 a year on myself. My oldest kid I spend about $125 each time he goes up a size. My youngest gets nothing (all hand me downs from big brother or gifts from relatives). My husband however spends probably close to $1,000 a year for clothes and shoes (he is so hard on his shoes- but he walks to work). We also but new clothes for my oldest son. He’s hard on clothes and if I buy used they can’t be handed down to little brother.
christie says
Wow. Some of you have gotten the budget very low! Congrats!
Am I the only one that is a little shocked / surprised by the numbers ?
~ C
Sheila says
I’m not shocked, but we do spend quite a bit more. We currently budget $240/month for the 4 of us, and honestly, we spend more than that usually. We are in the process of a big home improvement project, so I am looking at expenses right now. Over the last few years we have both been working and have no debt other than our mortgage, so we’ve allowed ourselves more freedom. The home improvement project along with the increase in SS taxes is requiring a rework of the budget, and this posting will help with my perspective on the clothing budget, for sure!
Momof5 says
I’m shocked, too, Christie! We feel like we are frugal with clothing, but at the end of the year it added up to about $280 per month for a family of 7. Some of that isn’t truly “clothing” – costumes for dance recitals end up in this category, for example, and we had teenagers go to prom, homecoming, etc. last year, plus when young girls first need bras (and sports bras!) it can be very expensive. Also, ours are all athletes, and sometimes they grow through shoes during a single season – buying ahead on clearance doesn’t help much when they need 2 sizes up by week 4 🙁
At the same time, I know we’re doing something right because my daughters have learned to be quite frugal on some things. The teenagers thought they needed “sparkly” dresses for a couple of events over the holidays, and they shopped without buying until they found a clearance sale where they were able to find 5 dresses (including two that fit more than one of them) for about $7 apiece. They’ll also happily wear whatever color/style of bras and underwear that I find on clearance and bring home for them. The boys, on the other hand – well, if we find size 16 shoes, we buy ’em, and they’re rarely cheap.
We also buy high-quality shoes for both me and my husband – they usually last two years or more, but this was the year that we both needed them, so that’s $500 out of the yearly total for 4 pairs of shoes. Those won’t be in our budget for at least another year, so the per-month price is pretty low.
Lindsey says
Good for you for raising such frugal girls!
Crystal @ Serving Joyfully says
lol…I’ve been living on a super tight budget for so long that I’m shocked, but it’s the other way…I can’t believe the people who budget $100+ per month per person…lol
Whitney says
Such a hard question to answer. We don’t have a budget per person, or per month, but more of a general price guideline for each item. My husband and I can go quite a long time without purchasing anything new, except for shoes, underwear and socks. I’d say we spend less than $200 a year, each, on clothing. I recently did replace many of my husband’s dress shirts (because he never bought shirts that fit before he met me) and several pairs of pants. My general guideline was $15 or less for a very high quality, no-iron shirt, and $20 for pants. If I was buying a lesser quality brand, I would have set the bar far lower – likely only $5-10 for a shirt $10 for pants.
For my kids, I only purchase new socks, shoes, and underwear. My goal price for underwear and socks is $1 a pair. For shoes, it’s @$15-20 a pair for high quality like Stride Rite that could be passed to a younger sibling, but less than $5 (usually more like $2-3) for low quality like Target brand. Pretty much all other clothing items come from consignment and garage sales, and it takes a LOT for me to spend more than $1 per item. As for how much I purchase for each child? For me, it’s a matter of how much I want to do laundry. If I don’t have to do laundry as often because each kid owns more than a week’s worth of underwear, socks and pajamas, then the extra couple bucks is well worth it to me.
I’m pregnant with #4, and so far I’ve found that additional children haven’t added much to the clothing budget, but growing older children do. It’s so each to find amazing deals on barely used baby and toddler clothing, but good garage sale finds for older kids (especially boys) can be very hard to come by. I imagine they’ll come a day when more than half our budget is spent on our oldest boy and girl, with the expectation that their siblings will wear the items as well, and my husband and I will make do with what we already have.
Deborah says
How do you get Stride Rite shoes for so cheap?
Whitney says
Deborah – I go to the Stride Rite outlet about an hour from my house. If I go during their BOGO sale and limit myself to the clearance shoes, I can easily get them that cheap. I’m lucky that my kids don’t wear wides or narrows, and I buy future sizes in advance. If I take an inventory of what my kids already have before I go, and purchase 4 pairs, it’s well worth the trip.
I’ve also occasionally seen Stride Rite at overstock type stores like Marshalls, but that’s extremely hit or miss.
Christine Addis says
Our family is similar to yours. My husband and I generally only buy new socks, shoes, underwear and undershirts/bras each year as needed. About once a year, we each buy a few new items to replace worn out things (new jeans for me, or new work pants for my husband) but overall we keep it to a minimum. We tend to ask for t-shirts and sweaters from family for Christmas presents when needed! For my son, he is 9, so he is not outgrowing things every few months like babies and toddlers do. I shop Skechers clearance for his shoes, usually twice a year, so they are the same price as bargain shoes ($20) but last a lot longer (he is really tough on his shoes). We occasionally get hand-me down clothing for him (our church does an exchange every January), but mostly we just buy discounted, clearance items and use coupons at already inexpensive stores like Target!
Rae says
Our budget is $50-100 each month for 2 adults & 2 teenagers. My husband and I don’t buy clothes for ourselves unless it’s absolutely necessary. And for my daughters, 14 & 17, twice a year (fall & spring) we go through their closets to donate unwanted/too small items then they determine what they ‘need’ (not want) to complete their wardrobe. They make an estimated guess of how much each item will cost, we sit down together and go over the list to tweak the numbers. Once we are in agreement on the ‘needed’ items and dollar amounts then they go shopping with their budget. The amount varies per child, one has finished growing while the other is growing like a weed. We visit GW Fashions (goodwill), Platos closet, kohls, target, etc. trying to help them stretch their funds. So far it has worked wonders and the frustrations while shopping has diminished due to the budget they agreed upon. Of course the $50-100 a month is more than we need for a full year so once I have a decent stash after several months I will skip that line item until we need to replenish it. Hope this helps if you have teenagers.
Terri says
We budget $20/mo for each person but it’s often not enough for my husband and almost 4yr old. My husband works outside of the home in a business environment so he needs nicer clothes. My oldest is at the stage where the family doesn’t give her that many clothes. Until recently she got so many clothes for gifts that we rarely bought any. The baby is getting hand me downs. I’m a SAHM and don’t need much but I need more than when I was working and worn a uniform. We toss extra money in for my husband and oldest when we can.
Kristie says
We budget $50/person/month. We have 4 seasons in Wisconsin and two kids — 6 year old girl and 18 month boy (no hand me downs 🙁 ). This covers the cost of undergarments, shoes, swimming gear, snow pants, gloves, and hats. Plus hubby and I both work out of the home so need professional business attire. I usually shop sales and clearance deals but I am looking to save a little by trying out garage sales and second hand stores this year.
Anitra says
Kristie – just because you have a girl and a boy doesn’t have to mean NO hand-me-downs… it just limits them a bit.
I have a four year old girl and a 2 year old boy, and we definitely have some hand-me-downs. Not the dressy clothes, underwear, or swim gear… but it’s easy to buy unisex pants or plain shirts to be the staples in a little girl’s wardrobe and then pass them on later to her brother. My daughter LOVES to match with her little brother – so I’ll buy matching t-shirts or polos (on sale in the boys section), and know that the larger shirt will eventually get worn by both kids. Have you noticed that boys shirts tend to be slightly wider and longer than girls shirts that are the same size?
Even if you have a super girly girl, why not buy unisex snowpants? Instead of pink or purple, buy black or navy blue. She can wear them with a girly winter coat… and then use the same snowpants again for the boy. If she needs a raincoat, buy a traditional yellow one (or another unisex color). Hope this helps!
Christy says
I only buy navy or black snow boots. Then those get passed from boy – girl – boy. Also, we have school uniforms. The white / blue polos, sweatshirts, and even pants can go through all three. Also, any clothing with team colors/logos is unisex. So we get a lot of mileage out of our jerseys and team shirts (bought on clearance of course).
Sarah says
Agree! I have 4 kids (2 boys, 2 girls) and there are things they all 4 have worn. I buy hoodie jackets in red, gray, and navy. For babies and toddlers, I buy gray, black, and navy sweatpants and shorts. I have quite a few gender-neutral baby sleepers (think yellow ducks, white teddy bears, etc). If I am putting gray sweatpants on a girl, I just put her in a girl shirt, cute hair, girl tennis shoes. No one mistakes them for boys. 🙂
I also buy all snow pants in black or navy, and I generally buy black mittens and gloves (not only gender neutral, but they don’t stain). Even black or navy flip flops can be passed down easily.
Alea says
I agree about neutral colored snow-clothes – we do that as well. Although I have to say – I usually buy $1 flip flops and at that price they don’t last to do any handing down – so my one daughter gets to get pink!
gina says
Wow, I thought $150 per month for our family of four was low! In general, budgeting tools will allow 2-7% of your net income for clothing.
Rachel Averett says
thanks for the info at 2 percent of our budget for our family of four I should be budgeting $680 which would be at 57 dollars a month. I problem is implementing it and making sure we have enough money for other needs as well as savings. I think the real solution is getting our income up while still staying home with my kids.
Jessie's Money says
My husband and I spent $157.80/month last year (on average) on clothes, shoes, and hair. This includes two bra’s at about $250/each (did you know that alphabet went up to H…it’s ridiculous).
Jen Krausz says
My daughter wears a size H bra too, and she buys bras at Bare Necessities web site (google it). Look up coupon codes on RetailMeNot, I always get at least 20% off, often free shipping for $50 or $75 orders. The bras she gets are about $40-50 regular price, which is quite a savings over $250. Just saying!
Jaime says
As someone with a similar “issue,” I understand and try to shop frugally for good quality bras. Le Mystere is my favorite brand usually-comfortable, pretty and functional. I have so many less backaches since paying a little more. Yet I’m frugal, so I try to shop the sales. Once you know your size and model from the store, you can look online for a sale. I usually stock up once or twice a year. As Jen said, Bare Necessities website is great and has good sales with codes. Try Macy’s when they have a promotion also. Generally, I can find them for at least half off retail. Nordstrom is also a good resource for those of us with a “special size.”:)
Gino says
Clothing budget should depend upon the age and lifestyle of the person. An active, growing teenager may need a higher monetary allotment than an older person nearing retirement age. I place more emphasis on function over fashion and comfort over what is perceived to be “in style”. I am a runner so I have a higher budget for shoes than I do for any other clothing type since the shoes wear out whereas most other clothing can be worn for years–decades even–if it is properly cared for.
Kathy says
We don’t have a clothing budget. We are blessed to be at a place in our lives that there is always money in the bank for “extra” things if the credit card is too large that month. I say that because I buy most all clothes on clearance. I know what is a good deal and know that we will eventually need every size of Blue jeans for my 3 year old. So things that we know we will need – T-shirts, jeans, socks, underwear, pjs, etc. – we buy when the deals r there. Rarely do my kids need clothes in the next size that I can’t go find a stack already bought in the closet. I know lots of people do garage sales but I can buy high quality clothes at really good prices far enough in advance to get new for similar price. Plus I have been able to resell many things for more or close to my original price. We don’t have many second hand shops here. There are sometimes special things we need that I have to go buy right now but not lots. It works for us. If I had to guess, we average out to $100-$150 for each person a year for clothes and shoes. But that might be me spending $200 this year on you but not spending hardly anything next year. It depends on sales, needs, and what we have stored away.
Kelly says
I am a working professional and need to have nice clothes to wear to work. My current budget for clothing is around $125 per month, but I also don’t have any children.
Lea Stormhammer says
Have you looked into high end consignment? I usually buy Talbots, Christopher & Banks, Anne Klein, Ralph Lauren, and other higher-end brands at the consignment shop, often with the tags still on, when they have their $2/item clearance sale twice a year. I literally spent $20 on 6 items – an Anne Klein suit (jacket and skirt selling as one “item”, 2 Talbots blouses, a Liz Claybourne pair of slacks and a lovely scarf – at their last sale. Even better – everything but the suit still had the original store tags on it! The pants alone retailed at $189 – I paid $2 for them.
I also shop sales at those stores – Talbots is my personal favorite. I recently bought a wool crepe dress that retails for $169 for $29.99. I had a pomo code for free shipping so I got the dress for $29.99 (Minnesota doesn’t have tax on clothes). The dress will last me about 3 years worn once a week during the fall/winter/spring. Wool can be washed in the machine on delicate in a bag and lay it flat to dry so no drycleaning costs either!
I don’t know if you want or need to change your budget but if you want to save up for something big (car, trip, whatever) this might help you do that.
Hope those ideas are helpful!
Lea
mindy says
I buy clothes on clearance and a size or two up. I bought a nice coat for my daughter ($15 at tj max) and she has had it since she was in kindergarden (5 yrs old) and she still wears it now (her favorite) and she’ll be 9 years old next month. It was a long coat for her (pass her knee) and now it’s a bit pass her hip. Her polo shirts last 3 years depend on the brand. For my son, I buy khaki pants during the summer when they’re are super cheap and shorts during the fall/winter. My buget for them is $50 per year sometimes more or less if I can get good deals. I wait till Macy has $10 off $25 combine with clearance often yield cheap clothes.
Jessica says
It depends on your situation!
Work vs SAHM… if work, uniforms vs casual vs office attire
4 seasons vs warm all year
kids- newborn vs status conscious teenagers vs school uniforms
I’m a SAHM with a newborn, 2.5yo and 6yo. I live in Ohio, so we have 4 seasons.
I allot $150 for each kid and for myself. Anything above and beyond that comes from blow money / birthday / Christmas gift money. When relatives ask what the kids want/need for birthdays and Christmas, I will often include a request for the next size up in shoes, or the Hello Kitty shirt she wants, that sort of thing.
I mostly shop secondhand with the exception of shoes, socks, underwear and bras. If I can get a great deal on clearance clothing then that is fine also. I visit rummage sales and thrift stores on their sale days. I also participate in some clothing swaps and exchanges where I take our outgrown things and get “new” items.
Jana Miller says
I budget $100 a month for myself and $100 a month for my husband. We live in So Cal so we do not require any heavy winter clothing. We tend to buy expensive shoes-just a pair or 2. And then we shop thrift, Target, H and M, Gap etc.
This seems to cover everything as he needs more expensive clothing-he wears suits sometimes and a uniform sometimes (law enforcement management level) and I need bras and a little make-up.
When our kids hit 16, we took them off of their clothing allowance ($40 a month) to encourage them to get a part time job. We live in a suburban area where jobs are easy to come by.
Nicole says
Thankfully, we haven’t had to spend hardly anything on clothes. Our kids get hand-me-downs and new clothes from relatives for birthdays and Christmas. My husband dresses like a cowboy, and I got him tons of cowboy shirts at a Salvation Army bag sale when we were first married (almost 7 years ago), and he hasn’t needed more of those. He occasionally buys jeans and shoes at thrift stores. I shop at thrift stores for myself–usually with birthday and Christmas money. We buy new socks and underwear when we start running out of them.
Crystal @ Serving Joyfully says
Clothing budget? what’s that??? lol. Our budget is so tight that clothes are just something that we fit in when we absolutely have to! Luckily, the hubs and I almost never actually need clothing.
All in all, we spend around $50 on clothing all year for our family of 2 adults and 2 small children. Obviously, no fashionistas in this house! lol. The kids always wear a combination of hand-me-downs (Logan) and yard sale finds (Caeden), along with a new outfit or 2 that they receive for gifts at birthday or Christmas from their grandparents.
Hubby also has to have work boots which are about $100 every year or 2, because his job is outside in the weather and he needs waterproof work boots. He’s had bad luck trying to find a reliable brand.
If I had the $$ to spare in the budget, I would probably allocate $10-$20 on clothing, but it’s one of those things that easy enough to cut out.
T.B. says
Have you tried Red Wing shoes? My husband also works outside and these are the only ones he’s found that are comfortable, sturdy and truly waterproof. They’re pricey, but he only has to replace them every two to two-and-a-half years. He’s says they’re worth every penny.
http://www.redwingshoes.com/
Christy says
There are always coupons for red wing shoes in our daily shopper type flyers. They’re the only work boots my husband wears on the shop floor. (He needs steel toes, but not waterproof.) Our company also supplies a voucher for a certain amount towards their purchase.
Crystal @ Serving Joyfully says
Thanks! We tried Carhartt (which are supposedly made by redwing) b/c my mom works there and we got a pair of $189 boots for half price. They literally were falling apart after only 3 months and they don’t offer any kind of guarantee on that kind of thing 🙁 Then we got a random pair for $75 that lasted about 6 months. This Christmas I cheated and got a necessary item for a gift, and got him some Rocky boots, which he said he had a pair before that lasted him about 2 years..they were about $100. We will look into the Red Wings though if the Rockies don’t work. It’s getting quite frustrating.
T.B. says
I understand! My husband likes Carhartt also..that’s weird they fell apart. L.L. Bean is also an option.
Luckily, his company gives them a yearly stipend towards boots. I hope the new ones work for your husband! Now that i’ve spent some years looking at men’s workboots, $100 is a decent price for good quality boots!
Crystal @ Serving Joyfully says
Yes, I got a good price, they were on sale, and a brand he’d had a good experience with before so hopefully they will work. It could have just been a fluke w/ the Carhartt’s (just a bad pair), but still hard to pay another $100 or more for boots that only lasted 3 months! We’d actually seen some reviews saying the same thing (fell apart at the seams), but we ignored them because it’s such a good brand otherwise.
Katie says
Crystal, I am not sure how long ago you bought the Carhartt’s, but I would have written the company a letter to explain what happened and your dissatisfaction. I am not sure if they have a company policy for that or not, but I once wrote a letter to a company explaining the poor quality of a product. They sent me a free replacement. I was shocked, because I didn’t ask for a new one…just explained my frustration with a broken item I had owned for a short time. If you ever do it, I would also send in the receipt, so you could show you had only had them a few months!
I’ve only written a company once and tried to phrase the letter as politely and as businesslike as possible. I wouldn’t have written at all if the item hadn’t been rather expensive, and the only gift I gave my child that year for Christmas! (I am saying this, because I know at least one person who is a “professional” complainer to get free things!)
Brandi says
I’ve only written a couple companies with complaints about their products. Amazon will refund your money (as their policy states) and Dr Pepper will send you a coupon for a free drink.
Lindsey says
I had a problem with Carhart as well, about two years ago. I ended up writing to the company president. I wrote a fairly apologetic letter, saying I understood I was just one consumer of many and so perhaps was not very important. I also said that I planned to keep buying Carhart products because this was the first time I have ever had a problem. I ended by saying, “I was, however, so surprised by the lack of a guarantee on such an expensive item, that I want to be sure other consumers are not similarly caught off guard. To that end, I am going to post this on my Facebook page, on my twitter feed, on Amazon where they sell your products, and write a letter to the president of the store (it was small and local) where I bought the item, so he can warn other customers. Thank you for listening.”
About a week later, I got a letter with a check for the amount I had paid, PLUS they asked me for my husband’s size and later sent me the same item straight from their factory. I did the same thing with Sony, writing all the way to Japan. A month later, a new machine and apologies.
I never, ever let a company get by with shoddy goods. It may net me nothing, but if I post on Amazon it may save some other poor sap from the same experience. It is also insructive to my kids about how to be politely assertive.
I also write positive letters, too. Last month I wrote L.L. Bean about a down quilt I finally discarded — THIRTY years after I bought it!
Sarah says
I was going to suggest Red Wings also. My husband has worked outside for 15 years, and he wears Red Wings. Also, you might invest in a boot dryer, for those torrential downpour days. It makes the boots last longer and keeps them from getting stinky.
Crystal @ Serving Joyfully says
Thanks! His dad actually just got him a boot dryer for Christmas. i didn’t think about it extending the life of his boots 🙂
Kayla P says
We have a family of 7 and we budget out $20 /month for clothing. Sometimes we go weeks without buying anything, and then all of a sudden everyone needs something! 🙂 We take any hand-me-downs that we are given (which has been such a blessing!) and I mostly shop thrift stores and clearance racks. We buy socks and undies when they go on sale in Aug/Sept for ‘back to school’. I can’t remember a time when we didn’t have enough money in our clothing budget to get something we needed – God has been so good to us! 🙂
Crystal @ Serving Joyfully says
I should also add that while we do have all 4 seasons here, my husband has uniforms (pants/shirt) for work, so that I’m sure saves wear on his other clothes.
Sara says
I don’t know if you live near an R.E.I. store, but my husband also wears expensive boots for work and we buy them at R.E.I. for their return policy. If the boots don’t fit right, or they fall apart in three months, you can return them without a problem. I always feel comfortable buying expensive footwear because I know it will usually last but if there is any issues I can take them back. R.E.I. is also online. We usually buy the same brand/model every two years, but I appreciate the guarantee on their products when I am spending that much money.
Tracey says
I fought the “work boot” battle with my ex for 18 years. It wasn’t a battle with him – it was with the actual boots.
First, for wet weather – 1-2 years is not a practical goal for life of the boots. 6-12 months with what is available today is better.
My ex had a pair of Justin Work boots that were goretex, non-steeltoed that he loved. They were truly waterproof – he could stand in water in them, and they would go 12-18 months – and the soles would wear out over the uppers. They quit making them. He had 2 pairs stashed we had bought on clearance…. he drug it out as long as he could, and did start rotating between 2 pairs to help them last (drying out helps).
Since then he hasn’t been able to find anything that will last – the Justin replacement was actually warrantied by Justin. It made it 3 months.
Boots are just an area that I had to suck it up and plan for spending $1-200 a year, he averages $150/pair. I will have to ask him how the hunt has been the last 2 years since the divorce – but I see him in new boots more often than before, and they just aren’t holding up from what I can tell.
I can say that a job in wet areas will benefit from 2 pairs being rotated. I’m not sure i’d want to be drying the single pair out daily, if I was i’d be sure to keep some leather conditioner on them to help with that aspect.
Just know that you aren’t alone in this issue!!!
(and i’m thankful this is so not my budget problem any longer!! LOL!)
Aubrey says
I think a lot depends on who the person is (adult, teen, elementary age, toddler/baby) and where that person goes on a daily/weekly basis.
When I was working and needed a professional wardrobe I would budget $20 a month. Usually it accumulated and I’d go shopping once or twice a year during the seasonal clearance sales. When I began staying home with my kids I pretty much cut that amount out of the budget and now may spend a total of $20 a year! When I got pregnant I went through my stash of fabric and ended up making almost my entire pregnancy wardrobe (I was still working at the time, so it was professional clothes) for about $20.
We only have toddlers in the house right now and I mostly shop consignment sales for them, so spend about $20-25 twice a year (spring and fall). Unfortunately we don’t have any relatives nearby to give us hand-me-downs, so I pretty much have to buy all my kids clothes, but if you do have family/friends with kids slightly older than yours you may end up spending very little on your kids clothes.
My husband is probably the most expensive one to dress as he needs to wear professional clothes every day. I’d say we spend, on average, about $20-25 a month for him.
If you take good care of your clothes and buy “timeless” pieces, quality clothing can last for years (in fact I think the sweater I’m wearing right now is from the 90s!) If you buy “trendy” items or items that won’t work during multiple seasons of life, then obviously you’ll need to replace them more often.
When money is tight I personally think clothing is one of the easiest things to take out of the budget – but that’s just me, the woman wearing a sweater that’s over a decade old! 🙂
Sarah says
I’m not sure that there is an “average” amount. It depends on a variety of factors: the dress expected at your workplace, uniforms needed or not needed for children’s schools, clothing for job interviews if you are currently searching, etc. In our family, we spend next to nothing on adult clothing and get hand-me-downs for most of our children’s clothes. I would say that our average per month is around $20 total.
Lea Stormhammer says
We budget $100 per person for clothes and $200 per person for shoes and underclothes. My husband and my son have to have specialty shoes and I need good underclothes (I have a very large natural chest), which is why we have a separate budget for shoes/undies. I usually shop secondhand, consignment ($2) and super clearance (take an additional 50% off the 75% off, etc.).
When I was not working outside the home as much or in need of “professional” clothes, I could easily go a year without buying anything. My husband usually has money leftover at the end of the year because he wears scrubs to work currently, and doesn’t wear out his other clothes very quickly. When he had to wear slacks and polos he did go through is budget each year.
I also teach aerobics and have a separate budget (which comes from my earnings from teaching) for aerobic wear – shoes, sports bras, tops, etc. Before I started teaching aerobics, that was part of my $100/$200 per year. I go through those items more quickly now, since I’m doing this more often – especially the shoes, and I should have tops with our corporate logo on them, which I never would have bought before.
Not sure how helpful that is, but that’s what works for us!
Lea
Lea Stormhammer says
Oh just to clarify – that’s $100 for clothes and $200 for shoes PER YEAR. Not per month.
Sorry – I thought I wrote that but rereading (after I posted of course) I saw I didn’t.
*Blush*
Lea
Jenny says
Very helpful for me! Thanks! I really like the way you do your clothing budget. Might have to copy 😉
Janet says
I think this is going to be a difficult question to answer. It has many factors to it to predict. What we do is save $100 a month for the clothing budget for our family of 7. This is not spent evenly because some children grow more quickly, some have hand-me-downs and others individual factors that require a special expense.
For instance my oldest son gets way more spent on him asthe younger boys have his hand-me-downs, so we mostly need to buy underclothes and shoes and a few new or new to us things. Also, sometimes I come across a deal at Good Will or Salvation Army or a garage sale that only fits one person. We just use from the pot of money as needed and usually by the end of the year it has been enough or sometimes we have a bit extra which I roll into the next year as a cushion.
Plus to me a clothing budget is kinda like a grocery budget, if you need to cut expenses you can usually get by with what you have for quite some time. Think pantry challenge, closet style!
guest says
As an adult sometimes I go a year without spending a dime on clothes.
Charlie says
I would think that depends on the family. I buy less than my hubby, but he works outside the home and I do not. I have 3 kids & it depends on who grows the most in a year. I can pass clothes down from my oldest son to the youngest, but they do not always fit. There is no way for me to accurately budget my 12 year old sons clothing needs (or even buy ahead with sales because he has been known to jump 2 sizes at a time). I just try & stick with basics & buy what I can wash every few days. He has 4 pair of jeans for school & I keep them washed instead of buying a dozen & him growing out of them in 6 months. Adults & older kids (who aren’t growing overnight) might be able to stick closer to a budget, but things will still crop up (a pregnancy, weight gain or loss and styles do change over time so you might want to update).