Bargain shoppers report here

[C99]

How much do you spend per piece for shirts/pants/skirts? And how much do you spend or try to spend per piece for 1-piece outfits (PJs, rompers, dresses)? I'm trying to get a feel for what people spend on play/everyday clothing so I can get a better grasp on what is reasonable for our family. Thanks!

[brigmaman]

I don't know if I'd be a good example or not. I try not to spend more than 9.99 on any one item. I will make exceptions for things like pants (we have to have elastic waist for Brig's belly, and sometimes length is an issue because he's chunky, but not exceptionally long) if we find a good fit.
On the other hand for things such as jackets/hats/shoes I would rather have something that *I* really like rather than be thrifty. Does that make any sense?
I guess I'd spend the least on shirts because they get soiled so easily, then pants, and then all of the rest.

[AngelaS]

When I'm shopping I try not to spend more than $15 on an outfit. That's not hard to do if I wait for sales at Gymboree. :D A LOT of my girls' things come from garage sales so I can easily get things so cheap that when they're done and I eBay them, I make money! LOL

I only buy my girls one or two pieces a piece from Naartjie and I spent more like $22 an outfit. I just discovered how well that brand eBays tho, so I may need to buy more... :D

Oh, and the smaller they are, the less I spend per outfit. I try to keep it under $10 for the new baby, because tiny stuff doesn't resell as well.

[mlewis]

Because I have a boy, I have no trouble waiting for Gymbo sales and can usually get outfits (overalls and shirt, etc.) for $15-20 and one-piece rompers for $10-12. So far I have't bought Hanna because they're so expensive. I just can't justify $36 for pajamas. I try to get playclothes for daycare at Carters or Target and I've also found some really good deals at Children's Place and Baby Gap (recently bought a hoodie there for $6).

[patriotlady]

See Baby Bargains book pages 167-186, as well as the financial chapter at the end of the book. I haven't had my baby yet so I can't be too much help. However, there are some stats out there and the Baby Bargains book does a fine job of giving you a little bit of information, as well as ways to cut costs.

If buying online, check out coupon sites first to use towards your purchases on other websites: www.dotdeals.com, www.CleverMoms.com.

[pixiepoo]

We usually don't spend over $20 per outfit, most of the time it is less thatn that. I ALWAYS shop for things on sale. Like one of the previous posters, I haven't ordered from Hanna b/c my conscious would kill me -I just can't justify $36 for Hanna things to sleep in. My kids are always dressed adorably but there is no sense in killing the bank account to do so.
Heather

[MartiesMom2B]

I honestly don't really spend a lot on M's clothes. My mother in law and mother always send clothes for her that they think are cute (and they are usually right on target). Martie has more than enough clothes. When I do buy I try not to spend more than $10.00 on an item. A while back Beth posted what she found to be a good bargain, I kind of use that as a rule of thumb. There are some exceptions though, but very few.

[C99]

Although I love the book, that doesn't answer my question. The book doesn't give suggestions for how much toddler clothing should cost by item. That's really what I am looking for: what real-world moms spend (not where/how to find the best deals).

[Momof3Labs]

For me, it depends a lot on resale. I am willing to pay a little more for Hanna because it lasts through multiple kids and then sells well on eBay. So I paid $8 for a bunch of turtlesuits last winter, knowing that they would fare much better than $4 ones from Target. But I also picked up some turtlenecks at Kohl's for $2-3 each to fill in the gaps in Colin's fall/winter wardrobe. And I have a supply of Hanna zippers that were $15-20 each, but we can use them through 2 kids and then sell them for almost that, so I consider that to be a bargain. And I fill in our gaps in PJs with TCP for $8-10 each (that's about my limit for non-Hanna PJs).

I rarely spend $20 for an item for Colin, even a coat (again, shopping end of season sales), though he probably has a few outfits that were $20 total (though most were less than that). For special occasion outfits, I'd go up to $30, maybe a little more, but I prefer to keep those reasonably priced, too. Colin's 2nd birthday outfit is the railroad romper from Hanna, which was $24 with the coupon code.

For shoes, $20-25/pair is my limit, but only for Stride Rite (I get them at the outlet). For other brands of shoes, I wouldn't want to spend even that much if I could help it.

[LucyG]

I try to buy as much as I can at consignment stores and sales. With that strategy, I usually pay under $8 for pants or overalls, between $2 and $6 for shirts/bodysuits, and under $10 for dresses. Much of what I buy at consignment is name brand (Gap, Gymboree, Old Navy, etc.). I get both playclothes and nicer/church clothes this way. I know that it's possible to get Gymboree/Gap things at these prices, but, frankly, I find it stressful to try to find and maximize sales all the time, and I live 30 minutes from both places. An occasional trip to the mall is fun, but I just don't do it on a regular basis. Too much trouble!

For PJ's, she slept in Carter's onesies this summer (3-pack for under $10 at the outlet or at Target). We do have two Hanna zippers, one from eBay and one purchased during the summer sale. Still, I paid $24 for the one on sale, and my conscience had a hard time with that! But, she will wear it just about every night for at least a year, so I was OK with that. I keep an eye on the clearance racks at Target, and buy ahead some if I see something I honestly think she will need next year. Those items are usually $4 or less, and run the gamut of shirts, pants, dresses, etc. For socks, I usually get a bunch in different colors at Old Navy.

I don't buy anything at Gymboree unless it's on sale, and I mean BIG sale. I spent $25 there one day and felt guilty. But, that's just me. I know that there are so many other things we could and should spend money on rather than her clothes, so I can usually keep the cost down. Both grandmothers, plus aunts and uncles, buy her things, and I usually like what they get. We also get hand-me-downs from friends, so I could probably buy a lot less than I actually do! :-)

[malie]

I'll be honest it depends on who makes the clothing as to how much I'm willing to spend. For example yesterday I was at Target and I picked up a pair of cords and matching jacket for Luke (total of both pieces was about $18 my sister send him money for his birthday so that just about covers it) but then I was looking at the clearence rack and all the shirts were around $4.00 and for some reason I just couldn't see the point (probably because last month I got similar shirts off the clearance rack for $1.50. Logically I'm not sure it makes sense that I was willing to pay full price for the pants and jacket but not for the shirts. However I really liked the cords and jacket where as nothing was jumping off the clearance rack. But I probably would have spend $4.00 at a store like Gymboree or the Gap for a shirt because most of the time the clothing holds up better over time. Obviously I'm not answering your question am I?

For me it's more a matter of having an overall budget and getting better at having a "plan" as far what clothing Luke needs. Then I might splurge on a couple of things and go really cheap on others. But what's reasonable for my family's income might not be reasonable for someone else.

PJ's are the things that I can give you an absolute price on. I don't spend more than $10 if that. Mainly because I like the Little Tykes Carter makes for Target. 2 sets of PJ's for $15 (mix and match tops). We loved the short sets for summer and I'm sure we'll be happy with the long pants ones for winter. Or I go the Carter Outlet by me and buy the ones that are in theory in retail stores for $30 bucks (top, shorts and pants..I don't know anyone who would pay $30 for it) and still pay under $8. But we have lots of PJ's since Luke doesn't get dressed for the day until after breakfast and we don't use a bib at breakfast so we have quite a stock pile of PJ's

[karin4]

I'm kind of schizophrenic when it comes to what I'll pay. On the one hand, about half of Sam & Eliza's wardrobes come from consignment stores. We have lots of very high quality ones here, and I find very good brands quite easily-- they sleep in hanna almost exclusively, for example, but I won't pay more than $15 for them new because I can find them for $10 in great shape used, and I don't mind that they aren't this year's designs. So for the consigment half of their wardrobe, I usually won't go over $12 an outfit. If it's something really special, I'll go to $15, but that's it-- and usually, I pay about $10.

On the other hand, for things I buy new, I like to keep to around $25 an outfit. Things like a cardigan that I can use a lot, with more than one outfit and probably for more than one year, I'll pay $25 for alone. I pretty much buy new only at hanna, gymboree, and nordstrom rack, so they are clothes I love and that wear well. They have good resale value, but I don't buy with resale in mind, because I decide to keep some things, give away others, donate some, and a few do get trashed.

I do factor in things like shipping and gymbucks in determining the "real" cost of an outfit (like the gymbo jeans and top i just bought; with the 30% COF off, the outfit was ~$34, but I figure in an additional $25% off with the gymbuck I earned. Key here, of course, is to keep both earning and redemption purchase to as close to $50 as possible...but that's not too hard, IMO.)

I also will allow myself an occasional splurge item-- the hanna jacket for DD last year, for example, or a mulberribush sweater for my son this year. My rules here: no more than 1 per season (usually cold weather); reasonably expect more than one year's use; $50 max (would just feel too guilty to be able to enjoy anything that cost more); and it has to be something I love so much that it makes me happy each time it's worn.

Oh, and I don't count shoes in the per outfit costs. Generally, my kids have 2 pair in the summer and 3 in the winter, and I rarely (never?) pay over $25 per pair, $15 for sneakers. Nordstrom Rack is my main source for shoes-- elefantens, e.g., are obtainable at these prices there.

Sorry for the dissertation!

[sadie427]

Hi Caroline--I would say I try to stay under 8 for shirts and under 10-15 for pants. Average would be probably 5-6 dollars for shirts, 10-12 for pants. I haven't bought pj's or rompers in a long time, we have a ton of hand me down pj's and I've found I prefer shirts and pants to rompers now that he's a little older. He may need warmer/more expensive pants for the winter, but recently he's just wearing babystyle softest, one pair of Gap khakis and one pair of target khakis, all pretty cheap, probably under 10. With that budget we've never shopped at Hanna, etc and I don't really like Gymboree--most of our stuff is from the Gap sale rack, Babystyle sales, Old Navy, and Target.

[egoldber]

I try to stay under $10 per item. Thats a little more than I used to spend when she was younger, but she wears her clothes longer now so I feel its OK. I recently went through and made a spreadsheet for her fall and next summer wardrobe. I had spent about $300 (before shoes, which I do not buy ahead) for all of next summer and thats mostly Gymbo and LLBean and some Hanna.

I buy lots at sales and its not important to me to have a full outfit in any one brand. I sort of do the "team" thing that someone else mentioned, but I do it mentally. I try to have X of certain basics and Y of others, and make sure in my head that they coordinate.

I love Hanna dresses and PJs, so she has a couple of each in her wardrobe. But its not her whole wardrobe. But she also has Target dresses and Carters PJs, so I am not picky about that. I just love the Hanna ones, so I indulge myself with a few outfits per season.

For fall, I find I am spending a little more, because fall clothes are more expensive than summer clothes. I have started out with about $200 worth of things, and I will supplement that when the fall clothes go on sale in the late fall. But around here, you don't really start to wear fall clothes until November, and by then a lot fo things are already on sale.

HTH,

[robmab719]

For me, it varies based on the type of outfit. PJ's I buy 3 for $25 at The Children's Place. I like them the best and I think the price is great, considering how well they hold up.

For daycare stuff, I buy a lot of used and NWT Gymboree on Ebay, plus I grab things (especially leggings and simple tops) off the Gymboree clearance rack or when they go 40% off. So I probably pay around $10-15 per outfit for daycare.

Nicer outfits (like for weekends or evenings when we go out) I tend to spend more...maybe up to $30 on an outfit, but I have to love it. So far the only thing I think I've "splurged" on is the Hanna bug jacket, which was around $40 after the code. I justified it because I think it will last for two fall/winters and we live in a warmer client, so the fleece jacket is pretty much all the coat we need here. I know it will get a lot of wear.

So far, shoes are my biggest weakness. DD is not even walking yet and she has 5 pairs. Like mother, like daughter, I guess! lol

[gisele]

I'm schizo too on this. It depends a lot on who the manufacturer is and what it's for. Most of Nicholas' playclothes are from the Carter's outlet and Little Me outlet. The Carters shirts are $5-$10 and the Carters pants $5-15. The outfits from Little Me are $10-$20 (for the whole outfit). He also has a couple of OshKosh outfits. His sleepers are 3/$25 from Children's Place, and some Carters on really really good sale. He has some Ralph Lauren rompers and shirts that I got on a clearance sale $10-$20.

Having said that, he also has some special outfits - a Catamini, 2 Miniman, 1 Deux par Deux, and 1 Strassberg Children in his current size. He doesn't wear them to school, they are for portraits and special occasions. These outfits cost from $30-$70 each.

[jbowman]

That is exactly what I do. I haven't bought too many things b/c I've received so many outfits as gifts. I will splurge occasionally (for example I really loved EH at Gymboree--but I only bought a few pieces or a nice Indiana University onesie!), but that is rare. I buy clothes here and there and mix and match--and try to buy on sale. I'd say that I spend $10 and under per item.

[christic]

I don't look at prices per piece since there seems to be too much variation--for one outfit the pants will be more expensive than the top, for others it's the other way around. I only look at the total outfit and am now going up to $25 per outfit. So if I spend $20 on a cool sweater the deal is I have to be able to pair it up with a $5 pair of leggings at Target or Old Navy. $25 is higher than usual for me, partly because the toddler sizes seem more expensive and partly because I spend more for cold weather stuff. I'll also end up buying a bunch of mix and match pants and t's for daycare and stay closer to $10-15 per outfit for that stuff.

For summer $7 is the most I've paid for pajamas, but for colder weather I'm ending up in the $15-20 range. And for winter I only like Land's End fleece pajamas w/feet. I'll troll Overstocks until it gets too cold but if nothing in her size comes up I'll end up paying nearly $30 a pair (ouch!).

[Jeanne]

I have a $10 rule for pants, shirts, and skirts. Sweaters and dresses have a $15 limit. I would spend more on coats but have never had to simply because I've always been able to get them on clearance. I have a $15 limit on fun shoes but do buy a pair or two Stride Rite shoes for fall and winter.

[jk3]

It really depends on my mood and how successful I am at finding cute boy's clothes-not always an easy task. Sometimes I stick to a $12 limit per item rule + other times I do not. Lately I've been focusing more on a total number + buying what I can within that budget. I will spend more than $12 on an item but I will rarely pay full price-for me, DH + DS!

Jenn
DS 6/03

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