Parents of toddlers: What's the max. price you'll pay for...

[ourbabygirl]

a pair of shoes?
winter boots?
lighter weight coat?
winter coat?
sweater?
pair of pants?
short-sleeved shirt?
l/s shirt?
a pair of pajamas?
a pair of socks?
a swimsuit?

In the fall & spring I shop at consignment sales for the kids (though DD is mostly too big now for what I can find at them). Otherwise I'll mix in a bit of Target, Old Navy, Carter's, and H & M. I don't have the time or patience for garage sales, and the stuff at ours locally isn't great, anyhow.
DS is almost 2 and I need to find a middle ground between what I think is really cute and what I should be spending, considering he still stains shirts and will outgrow things within 6 months or so. We don't get any hand-me-downs, but I'm not too enthralled with what's in the stores for boys, anyhow. ;) Sorry, I got a bit off topic...

Anyhow, just wondering what the rest of you have as a maximum price you'll pay for each item. How about a budget per season?

Thanks for sharing! :)

[KrisM]

I shop mom2mom sales and don't pay more than $2 for pants, shirts, sweaters, dresses, pajamas generally. I'll go more on DS1's stuff because it's harder to find his size.

Winter coats are $5-$10, depending on brand. Usually Columbia, LE, etc are $10.

I've never bought a used swim suit or socks. But, I'd think $2 for a swim suit and $.50 for socks would be about it.

I've found brand new winter boots for $10 and will buy used in great shape for a bit less.

I spend about $70/kid/season, excluding sneakers that generally come from a store.

[twowhat?]

a pair of shoes? $35
winter boots? N/A
lighter weight coat? $25
winter coat? N/A
sweater? $15
pair of pants? $15
short-sleeved shirt? $10
l/s shirt? $12
a pair of pajamas? $15
a pair of socks? $2
a swimsuit? $20

I don't buy a lot because grandma buys most, but I just did a shopping spree for school uniform clothing which taught me a lot about what I'm willing to pay, LOL:) When I do buy things, it's ususally from LE sale (esp for outerwear which I've been really happy with), babygap/gapkids, costco HA or other clothing (pajamas, rash guards), target, TCP (they had great prices for uniform pieces and I just gave them a lot of my business!) I don't shop consignment - too hit and miss, esp with twins when it's easier for me to get 2 very similar or even the same pieces. I listed my MAXIMUM - everything I have bought recently have been quite a bit cheaper ($7-$9 pants, $5-$7 tops...all brand new). I've spend about $150 so far in uniform pieces and still need to get logo pieces (hoping to find these used but if not it will add another $150)...so that's $300/year for 2 kids (there are advantages to living where we tend to have a milder and short winter! Can definitely get away with one heavy coat that will last 2-3 years). I do expect the clothes to last a couple of years since I bought them slightly big.

[Snow mom]

I generally buy too much but I'm trying to cut back now. Here's my maxes and what I usually aim for on the items I buy most.

a pair of shoes? $40 (I usually try to keep to under $20)
winter boots? NA
lighter weight coat? $15
winter coat? $20 for a light weight winter coat
sweater? $10-15
pair of pants? $15 (I aim for $5-$10 depending on type)
short-sleeved shirt? $10 (I aim for $5 or less)
l/s shirt? $10 (I aim for $5 or less)
a pair of pajamas? $20 (I aim for less than $12)
a pair of socks? $3 (I aim for $1, usually at gymboree RBS)
a swimsuit? $15 (I aim for less than $10, usually rash guard suits)

I'd say my most expensive items are often dresses, which I understand aren't on your list because you have a DS. I find cute dresses sell out at higher prices than many pieces of clothing. I shop mainly gymboree, Lands End, and a local thrift store that tends to have nicer stuff, occasionally Tea, Boden, Hanna. I have no idea what I spend per season or year as I tend to accumulate over time rather than having particular buying seasons.

[swrc00]

I am lucky that I get hand me downs from my nephew. My sister only buys Gymboree, Janie and Jack, Lands End, etc. DS also wears a uniform to school, so that allows me to spend more on other clothing items. I typically buy outerwear big to last more than one season. I am a big consignment sale and thrift store shopper.

winter boots - Live in the south and we typically have a hand me down pair close to DSs size if we get a random storm
light coat - $30
winter coat - $50
pants - $20, I pay $20 for his uniform pants, but would probably pay under $10 for other pants
shirts - under $10
pjs-$12ish, usually Carters on Clearance and I buy ahead for the next year
socks- $10 for 6 pack
swimsuit - $30 trunks and rashguard, takes year round swim lessons
shoes - $50, he has a wide foot

[SnuggleBuggles]

a pair of shoes? $40
winter boots? $25
lighter weight coat? $35
winter coat? $45
sweater? Hate sweaters. Fleeces? $25
pair of pants? Kohls Jumping Beans $10
short-sleeved shirt? $15 max, under $7 normal
l/s shirt? Same
a pair of pajamas? Target- 2 sets, 100% cotton, less than $20
a pair of socks? Hanes packs, around $8. I buy as many identical socks as possible
a swimsuit? $20

[crl]

I don't exactly have maximums for items. If I really, really love something or we really need it (last minute trip to Tahoe so we suddenly need snow boots), I will pay pretty much the going retail rate for whatever the item is.

I also buy new stuff. After dd hit 2T I couldn't seem to find decent lots on CL anymore and my experiences with consignment and thrift stores have been very nonproductive (consignment is close to the new sale price for a lot of stuff and is often not in that great of shape and my nearby thrift stores doesn't have kids clothes for some reason). I do get some hand me downs for dd--not nearly her whole wardrobe, but bits here and there to supplement. I do have nearly all of her jackets as hand me downs from her older brother, which helps a lot.

I try to pay $5 a t-shirt and $10 a pair of pants or $10 a dress and $5 a pair of leggings, so it adds up to $15 an outfit. I don't always hit those targets, but for me those prices are go ahead and buy it prices.

For shoes, I will definitely pay more and often go up to $30 a pair, but have even paid $40 for a pair of nice brown MJs I wanted to go with a birthday outfit.

I try to find socks at $1 a pair (I also try to buy a lot of identical pairs).

Swim stuff, I am picky and insist on a long-sleeve rash guard. I probably pay about $20-25 for bottoms and a rash guard--buying off the LE sale page with code.

Her cotton pjs have all been hand me downs or from CL lots so far. Her fleece sleepers are whatever they sell for at Costco--isn't that about $10-12?

Catherine

[Kaylee31]

a pair of shoes? $25, but preferably under 20
winter boots? $30
lighter weight coat? $25
winter coat? $40
sweater? $15
pair of pants? $15
short-sleeved shirt? $10
l/s shirt? $10
a pair of pajamas? $10
a pair of socks? $2
a swimsuit? $20

This is the high-end of the scale, I aim to spend less than $5 on shirts/shorts, $10 for pants, $15 for hoodies/sweaters and shop at inexpensive stores-- Land's End, TCP, Old Navy, and Target mostly. I am not against yard sales finds; I had great scores in the past but rarely have the time now to check them out.
I will spend a little bit more if something is really super cute or good quality. I try to buy well ahead of time, whenever a good sale pops up or off a clearance rack-- I bought most of DS' fall/winter clothes last winter and already have most of his wardrobe for next summer. I have bought DD quite a few things for various seasons up to 2T. Honestly, I think I've bought too many clothes in the past (my favorite outfits to dress them in are worn in frequent rotation while others sit in the closet) so I'm trying to be more conservative since I won't be having any more DCs to pass them down to. :)

[marymoo86]

a pair of shoes? $25
winter boots? $30
lighter weight coat? $15
winter coat? $30
sweater? $15
pair of pants? $15
short-sleeved shirt? $8
l/s shirt? $10
a pair of pajamas? $15
a pair of socks? $2
a swimsuit? $10

I generally buy new with some mixed VGUC/EUC. I try to find the best deals possible on good brands and resale at 80-90% and sometimes even make money back on certain things.

[zag95]

a pair of shoes? under 35- I typically get a good pair of Stride Rite's at Nordy sale and then do a cheaper pr of dress shoes from Target. We have a lot of rain in Oregon- so I go for more rain resistant looking shoes. Tend to spend more $ on shoes than other things.
winter boots? under 20 I buy rubber boots-she wears them about 4-5 mos-
lighter weight coat?- under 20- LE or similar
winter coat?- under 30 I size up a bit so we can wear 2 yrs- LE clearance off season
sweater? (look for deals at Hanna outlet) under $15
pair of pants? 5-6 bucks or less- consignment, LE, HA or Gymbo
short-sleeved shirt? Ditto above
l/s shirt? Ditto above
a pair of pajamas? Ditto above- Costco often has good deals as well on PJS
a pair of socks?- .50-1.00/pr
a swimsuit?- 15 or less- clearance from previous season

I tend to buy new things at discounts. DD is 4.5 but is wearing 110 in HA, and 5/6 in Carters/LE/Gymbo. I buy larger sizes at the end of the season, for the next season. This strategy may not work as well, as we have more opinions about what we like to wear!

I find that buying HA stuff is a good deal, because we can wear it longer- I frequent those 5/10 rounder sales!

I do go to consignment sales 2x per yr, but find limited things in DD's size- either the stuff is more expensive then what I pay (i.e. Gymbo sets that are ridiculously over priced), or it is NMS (too graphic, too slutty for DD's age, not decent quality). Since these clothes will be worn by DD #2, I am not too concerned about purchases worn by 2 kids.

[gatorsmom]

I'm wiling to spend more on something I need to last or I'm going to pass down to all my boys. For example I will spend more on a Lands end winter coat and gear so they are warm enough t recess and playing outside in Janurary. I find that the Target and Kohl's snow pants soak through quickly. Otherwise I buy most of their non-school, non-church clothes off clearance racks.

[Simon]

If new I only buy on clearance and try to buy lots of things second hand. I want my boys to play without worrying about getting dirty. Under size 4, I tend to go quantity over quality. Even now Ds1 goes through pants pretty quick.

winter boots? 15 brand new; $2-5 EUC
lighter weight coat? $2-3 EUC or $5 new
winter coat? $1 usually, we have a great coat sale here
sweater?
pair of pants? $12 for Ds1 new; only 2nd hand for the littles $1
short-sleeved shirt? .50 cents. they all end up stained
l/s shirt? $1
a pair of pajamas? $3-5 new
a pair of socks?
a swimsuit? $2

[BabyBearsMom]

a pair of shoes? Up to $50, but usually closer to $35. I try to do BOGO 50% because DD1 is hard on shoes and usually needs two pairs per season.
winter boots? $15 or less. We don't get much snow so I just buy a cheapy pair at Target
lighter weight coat? $15ish
winter coat? $25ish
sweater? $15
pair of pants? $10-$12
short-sleeved shirt? $10
l/s shirt? $10
a pair of pajamas? $15
a pair of socks? I don't know, I buy the 3 packs from Target
a swimsuit? $20

I probably pay more than most. But I am all about paying for convenience and I refuse to buy ahead because I don't know how big DD1 will be, so I miss some of the better sales.

[HonoluluMom]

a pair of shoes? $50
winter boots? n/a
lighter weight coat? $25
winter coat? n/a
sweater? $20
pair of pants? $15
short-sleeved shirt? $15
l/s shirt? $15
a pair of pajamas? $10
a pair of socks? $2
a swimsuit? $20

[khalloc]

a pair of shoes? $40
winter boots? $40
lighter weight coat? $25
winter coat? $70
sweater? $20
pair of pants? $25
short-sleeved shirt? $15
l/s shirt? $15
a pair of pajamas? $10
a pair of socks? $2
a swimsuit? $20

[Staraglimmer]

a pair of shoes? $35
winter boots? N/A
lighter weight coat? $15
winter coat? $90
sweater? $20
pair of pants? $20
short-sleeved shirt? $12
l/s shirt? $15
a pair of pajamas? $15
a pair of socks? $2
a swimsuit? $20


-Stephanie
Mommy to Hailey Michelle 4/08
& Leah Claire 6/12

[AnnieW625]

Let me preface this by saying I don't have the patience for thrift shops, and there are consignment sales here, but because I live in such a large area (8M people in less than an hour's drive; of course not all have kids, but YKWIM?) I don't even bother because I am afraid I would show up and there would be nothing I would want, and therefore wasting my time. I have thought about volunteering at one, but have never gotten around to it and honestly don't even know the date of it. I do peruse Ebay and have gotten all of my kids Hanna that is second hand from Ebay, and some of the Gymboree items that are second hand from Ebay as well.

We also live in a moderate to warm climate.

a pair of shoes?, $40/pair, DD1 is in elementary school and needs nice shoes for weekly mass and will do okay on the playground, she also needs sneakers for the rest of the week. I can usually find deals, but prefer to stick to New Balance for sneakers, and have had wonderful luck with Pedipeds (will pay full price, if need be, but most of the time I can find a deal somewhere). DD2 just got a pair of $15 brown Pedipeds in the next size up. She'll probably get another pair of Stride Rite black Mary Janes that will last through the winter (and will be church/Christmas shoes as well) from the BOGO 1/2 off sale and then I'll get the next size bigger as well, which should last her through at least next Spring. She also got some Keens for $30, and depending on whether or not I find snowboots or not; if not she'll get a pair of $26 New Balance sneakers for the winter. I do have shoes from DD1 from her, but DD2's foot is tiny and not wide at all so I have a feeling DD1's shoes will end up being too wide.

winter boots?, $30 max, I try and buy off season so I can get them for about $15. DH bought DD1's last pair at REI on sale so I think they were about $25. Lasted 2 yrs. and will eventually be worn by DD2. Haven't bought any for DD2 yet, but hopefully will this year if I can find any that are small enough because she is now in a 6 and there is nothing really that small in sizes 8 or less.

lighter weight coat?, $15-20, that is a sweatshirt or a hoody for us, it is rare that it rains hard and long for more than an hour unless it is cooler than 65 out. Her rain coat was light weight as well, and from LE.

winter coat?, $40-$75, I buy this at Hanna Andersson. I think I paid $60 for the one I got for DD1 last year, but I bought it big because she was in between sizes. Hanna jackets run big so I know she'll get at least two winters, if not 3 out of this jacket, and then it will go to DD2.

sweater?, $25 for a uniform sweater, but for something that she would wear that isn't a uniform, I think I paid $15 for one sale at The Childrens' Place because we were near the beach and it was colder than we thought.

pair of pants?, DD1's uniform pants are $25 IIRC. I try not to spend more than $15 on a pair of jeans for either girl. I shop sales at Gymboree, TCP, and Gap.

short-sleeved shirt?, $10, I have a really hard time paying more than that, but most of the time try to keep it in the $5 to $10 price range.

l/s shirt?,$10, I have a really hard time paying more than that, but most of the time try to keep it in the $5 to $10 price range.

a pair of pajamas?, $15 for Hanna Short Johns, $20 for Hanna Long Johns, $15 for the Carters Just One Year 3 packs of all cotton jammies at Target, $7.49 for footsie sleepers from Carters (Costco has this price in July:shake:), and $15 or so for the Hanna Zippers at Costco, and the Kirkland organic long johns.

a pair of socks?$2 a pair most of the time, unless it is a nice church sock, and then I'll pay about $5 a pair. I will pay $10 for Hanna tights.

a swimsuit?, I have usually paid between $10-$15, but often find them on sale. I bought DD2's swimsuit for next year at Gymboree for $6.50 (after a Gymbucks deduction).

[MissPriss]

a pair of shoes? $30
winter boots? $50
lighter weight coat? $20
winter coat? $50
sweater? $20
pair of pants? $10
short-sleeved shirt? $8
l/s shirt? $15
a pair of pajamas? $10
a pair of socks? $2
a swimsuit? $20
-Kelley
I buy less but buy "quality" so it holds up well. I also receive handmedowns which is lucky.

[KKsMom]

a pair of shoes? $55 - $60 I think it is important to get very good shoes.
winter boots? snow $35 uggs $98 everyday $50 I won't pay a lot for snowboots. Just need them to be warm enough.
lighter weight coat? $30
winter coat? $65 for a down last for 2 seasons
sweater? $30+
pair of pants? $30
short-sleeved shirt? $25
l/s shirt? $25
a pair of pajamas? $23
a pair of socks? $6
a swimsuit? $40? i dont remember
I mostly buy hanna. Love the style and how they hold up. :)

[catsnkid]

[a pair of shoes? 20 dollars
winter boots? 10 dollars (I have had great luck with clearance and consighment)
lighter weight coat? 10 dollars (don't think I have ever bought one new!)
winter coat? 10 dollars (usually do clearance or tag sales)
sweater 6 dollars
pair of pants?10 dollars
short-sleeved shirt? 4 dollars (only buy new if super cute)
l/s shirt? 6 dollars
a pair of pajamas? 8 dollars
a pair of socks? 1.50 or so
a swimsuit? 8 dollars new