Back to school clothes

[Sheryl]

Ok, if you don't mind I'd like to know what you do? Do you buy everything right before the kids go back, or do it all year long? Do you set a limit on what you spend, or allow as much as they want? Do you set a price limit on items, or work it all together? What about designer clothes and the must have very expensive sneakers?

My boys have never really been too picky about clothes, but now that they will both be in middle school, they are starting to be "brand name" must haves. I do tend to purchase them clothes year round, and always look for a deal, sale, or clearence. I will also buy at the end of a season for the following year if I can.

Since they can wear shorts roughly into the beginning of October here, I don't run out to buy them all new pants. Some still fit from last year and some are new. This weekend I took them out to each get two new pairs of jeans and found myself in shock. They both picked out a pair of Polo jeans at $36 each. :shock: I don't pay that for my own jeans. I did end up buying them each 1 pair of Polo because they were on sale for $23, but still, I'm missing my days of buying cheap jeans.

Same with sneakers, I refused to buy the $79.99 basketball sneakers. Am I the only mean Mom out there? They get roughly 3 pair of good new sneakers a year, as well as sandals, and dress shoes, and for goodness sakes, they are only 10 and almost 13. We setteled for $49.99 Nike basketball sneakers that were on sale for $39.99.

So tell me, am I being cheap and mean? How do you all handle buying the school clothes?

:mickeyWalk: Sheryl :minnie:

[LisaS]

You are not being cheap and mean!! You are teaching them the value of money and to respect the effort it takes to earn it!! I don't care how much you have - whether rich or poor - these are still good lessons to teach. I don't waste a lot of money buying everything before school starts - as you said, they can wear shorts the first month or so - I do let them pick something out for the first day. Once they get to school and see what their peers are wearing, they revise their lists anyway! i think that selecting a good compromise, like the Nike sneakers is a great way of satisfying everyone. I do let them splurge on one or two items that they just "have to have" but we follow the rules on most items. keep it up Sheryl - you are on the right track and someday they will appreciate it - if it comes too easy, they never learn how to try or how to save for that special item!!

[BriarRose]

We wear shorts until beginning of Dec here sometimes. I tend to buy as we go along. We are very fortunate to have a SIL who is a shopaholic and has two older girls with the youngest only two years older than DD. She gets lots of fashionable hand me downs and I don't have to do the thing I despise the most - SHOPPING (sorry Sheryl). We just had tax free weekend here. In TX they stop the state taxes on purchases that are school related. It is a shopping frenzy. We bought a few items but I'm lucky to have a kid at the moment perfers to wear jeans and scooby t shirts.

[SusanP]

This thread reminds me how happy I am to homeschool!! Sometimes it's pj's all day long! When the kids were in school I never did the back to school shopping as that would be when a heat wave hit and they couldn't wear long pants anyhow. My dd seemed to think she needed something new for the first day, so I often bought something-on sale and cheap! I have never bought brand name-if Tommy wants me advertising for him he better pay me to wear his name! My kids have never really asked for that stuff, perhaps because they know the answer. They can use their own money for extravegant things(designer names are not a necessity, contrary to what they tell you!) and they choose to use it for something else. At almost 16 I just spent $40 (Canadian) for the first time for a pair of Nike runners for dd and they were on sale. Her feet have finally stopped growing-I think. If I had a kid that was a real stickler for brand names, besides having a serious discussion on the matter (peer pressure, good stewardship of money, advertising industry), I would give them the money we would budget for clothing for them. They would be responsible for everything-underwear to winter jacket/boots, if necessary. I know a few people who have done this and it changes the way the kids shop!!!

[Robin]

Maybe for that expensive 'must have' they can be told they can save their birthday or Christmas 'wish list'. Then they will have to opportunity to decide if they 'really, really' want those sneakers enough to give up something else for them.

[SusanL]

Hi Sheryl,
When Billy was first in school I did the back to school shopping in the summer and he outgrew the clothes half way thru the year. After that I didn't buy school clothes until October as he wore shorts to school until then.

When he got into the "in clothes" I would spend the amount of money I budgeted for clothes and he might only get 1 pair of jeans and he'd have to get more with his own money. Thankfully he did not stay in this phase long.

For sneakers he has big feet so these have always been expensive. Basically they run around $50. If he wanted more expensive ones he had to pay the difference. I did get a great buy at Footlocker 2 for $69. So I bought him those.

You are not being mean and the boys will appreciate the clothes more if they have to pay for some of them themselves.

[Collette]

How I long for the days I could pick up a cute little two piece matching knit outfit at Target for DD for under $5!!! Our kids are young adults now, but your post certainly brought back many back-to-school shopping memories.

For some reason I remember it being more stress filled than fun - what to buy, the cost :shock: , the trying on :shock: :shock: Since DS was a little guy, he has never liked shopping or trying on clothes. Still doesn't. I think his dream was that we would just buy it and somehow it would magically fit when it was time to wear it.

So many good ideas here already that I only learned by trial and error. I always wanted to buy everything right away - I think to get it over with more than anything else. But found out it was better to get a few new things to start the year and then wait to see what they wanted and/or needed. Girls seem to need this more than guys. My kids didn't ask for too much in the line of designer clothes or the popular brand of the year sneakers. I did occasionally buy them though. Sometimes it was money well spent to have just the right pair of jeans/shoes at just the right time. DD loved shoes (and still does) so I would usually say I would buy "this" pair of shoes and if she wanted the "other" pair of shoes, it would either come out of her own money or be part of her birthday or Christmas gift.

All I know is clothes shopping is so expensive - even buying nice yet conservative clothing. Really cuts into my Disney budget :D !!

Collette

[Bookwood]

Sheryl,
You could have been me 8-10 years ago with 3 kids in Middle - HIgh school luckily my girls (until Bethany) never felt the need for "designer" clothes. DS wanted them more than girls -he hung out with a different crowd in HS than the girls did. Shoes was our biggest sticking point- I made sure they had good athletic shoes for their sports (soccer and Basketball for DS and Soccer for Sarah) which ran to at least $100.00 (not on sale- We always watched sales and did the best we could- but Shawn needs a size 14 I ended up ordering from Eastbay catalogs for his basketball shoes- luckily we have a very good soccer store in Ft wayne that was run by a family that loved the sport and didn't gouge their prices) Shawn and Sarah still both have their soccer boots from HS and wear them (well I don't think Shawn has had occasion to wear them recently but he has them and can wear them still- Sarah wore her's for soccer last year in college still).

Bethany is a whole different story- she has to be fashionable- (which I can sympathize with) so she is much more likely to buy 1-3 pair of slacks/jeans at a place like Aeropostle (on sale) and go with that. Sometimes she can buy jeans for school at a place like walmart but she has long legs (they reach all the way to the ground- :rofl: ) and needs a long size (which we can find at Aeropostle and not too many other places) so we watch them for sales when it's clothes time!

With 4 kids we buy as needed (I really feel like back to school and EAster are the worst) By the way all our kids are big (I'm the shortest in our family by at least 3-4 inches and I could never buy the girls those cute little girl dresses because they were out of those sizses so early and fashion has started dressing anyone larger than a 4T in teen :soapbox: clothes :soapbox:

[SusanP]

Collette: "nice yet conservative clothing" :hppmad:

I'll be so glad when waisbands come up to where they were supposed to. I'm sick of seeing everyones midsection! My dd will pull something off the rack at Walmart (that has about a 3" fly zipper!!!) and I have been known to say out loud, "Your body is for your future husband, not the entire city!!!" You can't find a single pair of slightly stylish jeans that fit properly :shrug:

[MargaretJ]

Sheryl I hear ya. I shop all year long for clothes as they tend to outgrow so much that it is just not worth it to buy too much at one time. Matt knows I only buy things on Sale so he does not even ask to get something if regular price. He has found that he likes brand names a bit more but now knows you can buy anything on sale if you look. I just had to get him some more TShirts cause he has gotten taller but did not gain so all his shirts were just hanging on him. I had to buy a few jeans too cause they are all too big. We just had our Tax Free Days here & I got some really great deals like Nautica TShirts for 9.99! Matt has to have good shoes & has to wear leather due to some feet issues but he knows I will not spend more than 39.99 for shoes. Heck they grow out of them in a couple of months. Good going!

[Stinkerbelle]

I'll be so glad when waisbands come up to where they were supposed to. I'm sick of seeing everyones midsection! :shrug:

I don't mind seeing the mid-section 1/2 as much as I mind seeing thong underwear hanging out the back of these low-ridding pants. I tell my nieces all the time that I hope the next trend is to wear your pants all the way up to your armpits!

FWIW: I have no kids of my own but did get hoodwinked into purchasing a $74 pair of Abercrombie jeans as a Bday present fo rmy 16 year old niece last week. I was GLAD to purchase them too as the pair she really wanted were $145! Thank GOD they didn't have her size.

[Dawick]

Sheryl,

I agree with everything you say -- my Mum was the same when we were that age.

I had to smirk at the comment about the price of jeans though... how I wish that they were that price over here! The running cost of a pair of Levis jeans (just as an example) is roughly $100 :shock: (I believe that polo jeans are more expensive yet!) :lol:

[Sheryl]

Thanks for everyones info, I appreciate it. Part of me is glad that they are taking an interest on how they look, but the other part of me wants them to understand the costs of these nice things, and they are learning. Basically I want them to have what they want, without spoiling them it that's possible.

Dawick, I hope your planning on getting over to either the Belz of Premuim Outlet Malls while at Disney to get some good deals on jeans. And if you ever have trouble, send me your sizes and what style you want and I'll be glad to pick the jeans up for you and send them to you.

:mickeyWalk: Sheryl :minnie:

[BetsyAnn]

This thread made me smile ---

When I was entering Jr. High - tells my age - I started getting a clothing allowance - I think it was $10 a week and an extra $5 a month towards a coat fund. I tell you that I learned very quickly about sales racks, making sure things were well made, and that if it were a fad it was something I really just had to have! These days I can shop with the best of them -- ask me what I just spent on 4 pairs of shoes today! This was not one of my better sale days but everything was on sale :D

Now for some reason, my brother did not choose to do it this way - it took him years to figure out that oine can wear something other than Button Fly 501 jeans at a silly price!

Sheryl I think you did just fine!

[Dawick]

That's so nice of you to offer Sheryl! Thank you! :-) I'll definitely try to get to the outlet malls whilst i'm out there!

[Belle]

Sheryl,
I had to smirk at the comment about the price of jeans though... how I wish that they were that price over here! The running cost of a pair of Levis jeans (just as an example) is roughly $100 :shock: (I believe that polo jeans are more expensive yet!) :lol:

That is soooo funny - when my cousin visited me from Scotland, I swear she was going to buy every pair of Levi's she could find for the unbelieveable prices here :shock: She thought $50. was a STEAL! She did go home with an extra suit case of "bargains" she picked up though.

Guess we should learn to appreciate the price of things here...

Just an FYI for the long legged gals - JCPenney Arizona jeans have a great selection in juniors that are low rise (but certainly not indecent) flares and come in tall. They run about $30. and sometimes go on sale for $20. Don't know what I'd do without them :roll:

{hugs}
Belle

[cshore]

How I wish my son would have taken his appearance more seriously. When he was in middle school grunge was in and he took the look to an all new level. A few bucks at a second hand store and he was set. Eventually he knew where the "good" second hand stores were and even knew what days the certain colored coded tickets were half price. I will have to admit that he came home with some pretty good finds, tickets still on unworn new items. It was "fashionable" to shop at these stores here. Now married he still enjoys finding bargains at these stores.

Ali was so easy to take shopping because #1 she hated shopping (yes a teenage girl who hated shopping) and #2 she inherited her grandmothers philosophy that eventually everything ends up on sale. Even now she will not buy anything that isn't on sale.

Guess I had it easy. I totally agree with you Sheryl, teach the boys the value of a buck. They will appreciate it in the long run. I remember wanting a gorgeous mini skirt once upon a time and Mom bought it for me. I had to earn it with nickel and dime chores around the house until I could "buy" it from her, it took me forever to earn it. That is one skirt that never got balled up and thrown in a closet or left on the floor. I really appreciated it.

Good luck with the back to school shopping. Thank goodness Ali does her own now, but I still enjoy going with her for a day of shopping.