To Piggy Back on School Supply Question: Only One Who Doesn't Buy Clothes?

I always felt so pretty going to school in my new outfits, I want my kids to feel that special feeling too, so even though I have boys we do buy a few new things for the new school year.

I buy year round as needed. I usually get them one new outfit to wear the first day of school. This year their school will be having uniforms so I won't be buying. They just need new socks. I have 1 boy and 1 girl.

I don't do it. I can't afford to go out and buy a bunch of new stuff just because the stuff they were wearing yesterday won't work anymore.

I don't skip it. But during the summer my kids go through a growth spurt...so they get new pants.

Does it mean that I go to Gap, Wal-Mart or some other store? Nope. We have a GREAT Salvation Army, Good Will and Clothes Closet here. I can get my kids GREAT pants - GAP, Abercrombie, Banana Republic - etc. some still with tags....for less than buying in the store....and my money helps others!! YAHOO!!!

I NEVER got new clothes when I was growing up. I always got the clothes my sisters grew out of, even though I'm tiny compared to them. To their credit, my sister's rarely got new clothing, either. Perhaps it's a girl thing, but I always felt pretty terrible about my clothing. (Which REALLY affected my confidence.)
I think a new (or new looking), cool outfit goes such a long way for a child's confidence. Starting school is such a mixed bag of emotions. Excited, anxious, scared, happy, etc. Confidence really helps on that first day. I am going to make it a point to always buy my son a few new things before a new school year. It was always so awful to hear people talk about their new clothes, and I was sitting there in obviously not new clothing.

I'm the same. My boys are wearing size 7 and size 8 right now. I have Rubbermaid bins under the stairs with clothes up to size 10 that I have purchased at thrift stores, yard sales or at Old Navy for $1-$2 an item. These are nice clothes, not junk. I found their down filled Gap winter parkas at the Goodwill for $6 each, and Sorel boots for $2 a pair. I do buy new runners, but I buy clearance at Payless when they have BOGO on, and I buy one to two sizes ahead if I find a good deal. I do want them to look nice and feel good about how they look, but I also don't want them to feel entitled, or learn to spend money foolishly. They both know that if it isn't on sale we don't buy it!

I buy clothing for my child throughout the year, not a big barrage right before school. Growing up, though, yeah, my parents did the big back-to-school splurge and then nothing the rest of the year. I never really liked that as a kid. Hello! Kids grow all year long! What fits at the end of summer may not fit just a few short months later :)

I have an issue with wearing the same thing twice in a week,been that way since I was a youngster.But if that works for you and your children then go for it.

I buy my kids new clothes at birthdays, christmas and when they've had a MAJOR growth spurt. I have never done the "back to school" thing with clothes. We also don't have "school" clothes and "play" clothes. They just always wore the same clothes all day. I REALLY didn't need MORE laundry to do LOL

Sometimes i can only afford one or two sale outfits. It is a special tradition that my grandmother started. My mom carried it out and so do i. It does not hurt any one. The kids love it and i love the 1st day of school pics in their new outfits :)

I do what Cheryl O does, buy what he needs when he needs it.

I used to purchase a few new things for Back to school. Definitely new tennis shoes, socks and underwear. .. , because all of our daughters summer clothes looked pretty worn out. She was in daycare all day 5 days a week.

I also liked to let her pick out her first day of school clothes. But I also was buying summer clothing on sale because it stays hot here until very late October or early Nov.

She usually went through a growing spurt around this time, so I would start to purchase the on sale fall clothing in late October.
I was also fortunate that the grandparents loved purchasing clothing for her.

My MIL is an amazing seamstress and our daughter loved going to the fabric store and picking out fabric and patterns. FYI, by Oct 1st, our daughter knew what she wanted to be for Halloween, so that became her focus all of that month! The Halloween carnival was the last Friday of the month, before Halloween.

huh. interesting to me how many DON'T do it!
once we started homeschooling obviously it wasn't an issue, but when my boys were still in school i did buy them back to school clothes and supplies. we had a very modest budget so it was never extravagant, but it was fun. we all enjoyed it, and it helped with the 'aw, summer's over' blues.
:) khairete
S.

Our daughter wears a uniform to school and I am so very grateful for that for many reasons. #1- there is NEVER an argument about what she is going to wear that day. Granted our girl is only going to be in 1st grade however I could foresee many arguments in the future ;D Now there is never going to be an issue of Mom and Dad won't let me wear that micro mini like my friends get to...lol. #2 - all of the kids are dressed alike so there is no competition for clothes. #3 - the skorts have adjustable waistbands, the jumpers have adjustable belts as well as plenty of extra hemline therefore she will get several years wear out of these key pieces of the uniform. She's been enrolled at this school since pre-k so this is our third year in the same pieces. We've only had to purchase a few new summer shirts and winter blouses. #4 - The local consignment shop carries her school's uniform and we were able to aquire 5 summer and 5 winter outfits there for right around $100. We're getting 3 years worth of wear for that $100.

It's very rare that I buy my girls "new" clothing paying retail prices. I attend our local Wee-Sale twice a year where I purchase the majority of their clothing. Most of the clothing is Gymberee, Osh Kosh, Old Navy, and some high end boutiques. Most are brand new still has tags but instead of paying retail I can pick them up for anywhere from $1-$5 per outfit. I always make sure to pick up that years winter coats and holiday dresses there because those little frilly dresses are ridiculously expensive in the department stores but I can get them at the Wee-Sale for around $7 and brand new coats for $10.

I'm a stain stick freak so my older child's clothing has all been able to be saved for my younger daughter to grow into. Of course somethings are not quite in the right season because my baby is quite a little peanut and not hitting the seasons for some items. I've been selling those items on our facebook swap and sell to put towards the next big clothing sale.

I do get her a new backpack, lunch box, and any needed school supplies each year. I'm with you on this one. I would never just purchase new clothes when she has perfectly good clothes that still fit her and are in great shape :)

Peace and Blessings,
T. B

I attended Catholic school from K-12, so we had uniforms, but we did get new ones every year, and new shoes. Kinda odd, now that I think about it, because our growth spurts rarely coincided with the beginning of the school year :)

For my kids, I plan to buy as needed. I bought my son's uniform a few weeks ago, and he has some shoes to start the year off. We'll probably need to get a bigger size a few months in.

Even if my kids attended a school without uniforms, I wouldn't buy them new clothes for school. Just replace as needed, and always on sale :)

I don't usually do the "back to school" clothes shopping because it's still hot outside. They are still wearing summer clothes until at least October, so I do their warmer clothes shopping when it starts to get cooler out. They do need new clothes every year though. They grow so much over the year that their jeans might fit around the waist but they are way too short, so I need to buy the next size up (thank goodness for adjustable waist pants!).

I personally don't understand why you would buy "back to school" clothes at a specific time. I think it's an old fashioned concept. How would your child outgrow clothes that fit them only 3 months earlier? I have a son and he is pretty non-picky when it comes to clothes. I know he is slim with long arms so when I see that type of shirt or pants on sale over the course of the year, I buy it. I think going out in August or September to buy a whole load of clothes for the school year is a marketing ploy, way too much pressure, and you spend too much money.

I've got two girls and tons of clothes. I have a really good hand-me-down source. I had not planned on buying any new clothes for my 5 y/o to start school with. We have plenty. We'll see though, maybe the mood will strike me to buy her a 1st day of school outfit. But I don't think so.

Last year I did the school shopping thing because it was kindergarten and I was excited ;) But this year I'll wait. It doesn't get cold here until mid to late October. Also, I didn't think about the fact that my son will be spending most of this summer in a camp tee shirt and swim trunks (LOL!) so this will give those summer clothes a chance to be worn.

Updated

Last year I did the school shopping thing because it was kindergarten and I was excited ;) But this year I'll wait. It doesn't get cold here until mid to late October. Also, I didn't think about the fact that my son will be spending most of this summer in a camp tee shirt and swim trunks (LOL!) so this will give those summer clothes a chance to be worn.

Well, maybe I will change my mind in the coming years (still in preschool here), but we replace things that are needed and that's that.
I never got a new wardrobe at the end of summer and can't recall it affecting me in a negative way... I do remember refreshing school supplies.
There is no reason into buying into all the marketing ploys and purchasing items you don't need... and if your kids ask for it, you can teach them a valuable lesson about that as well.
Good luck.

Except for the backpack/pencils/etc, I skip it....UNTIL shorts weather is over.
My son wears shorts into October and if I but him pants now, they won't fit.
He's already got a pretty good summer wardrobe, so why bother?

I remember being taken school shopping for jeans, cords, sweaters, etc. adn then not being able to wear them until the weather got colder anyway.

Now, sometimes, if his shorts are getting shabby, I might go pick him up some new summer things in August. But no, have been once or twice burned by the herd mentality of school shopping in July/Aug and have neeb left with brand new clothes that didn't fit at all come (real) fall!

You know, you can do both - get a few new outfits for the first week & still buy clothing as needed, as the kid(s) grow throughout the year. Happy medium, and DD gets to feel good on her first day of a new school year. I honestly thought everyone did this. Kind of sad, to me, that so many don't.

I grew up modestly, but my city & school were very affluent. It was really hard for me when I was probably the only kid that didn't get several new outfits for a new school year, or new clothes, really. I just wanted to fit in. So, although many of y'all don't see the need, you never know how it may affect your kids.

When our kids go back to school it is still so dang hot that they are still wearing their shorts/summer clothes.

I buy clothes as they are needed and overbuy so there is never an issue of them wearing the same thing twice in a week. Actually it is the opposite, there are so many clothes that some are barely worn before they grow out of them.

So to answer the question, we do not run out to buy new clothes for "back to school".

I buy mine clothes when they NEED clothes, so this usually means before each change of season. They have summer clothes that fit right now, but the winter stuff from last year won't fit again this year (except for maybe some shirts), so they will need new pants and stuff starting this fall - shortly after school starts.

A friend of mine told me she spends $500 on her 1st grader. That's nice and all, but I won't, because I CAN'T. Kids expect a back to school shopping spree because they've been given one before. And that's fine if you want to say "just wait" to me; "just wait til your child gets older". Yeah, well, we'll have to get a little more creative with things, because I'm still not going to have the money to go on a shopping spree. Throughout the year, I gather bigger clothes at yard sales/thrift stores and on clearance racks. My kids are involved in it, they like to shop at "these places". If they want something special - a name brand or something - they have to pay the difference with their own money. We do a good job of it and I'd like to think that noone would know by looking at my kids that we are so thrifty. I keep track of what I'm looking for (jeans, coat, etc) and keep a list in my purse. Sometimes I have to fill in the blanks, but it's not for much. My kids always get a new pair of athletic shoes for school . . . that's one thing we won't skimp on, but we have to stagger it since our monthly clothes budget is $50 a month. For a family of 5.

My daughter has always been in uniform so I had to, but this past year we moved to another district and I had to buy FAR less! I just use that time of the year to get what they need for the fall/winter.

I hate back to school clothes shopping!!!
Here in Northern California it's summer through October, so when school starts the kids are still wearing the same clothes they were wearing during the summer, there's no need for "new" clothes :(
And yet my girls love to pick out new outfits before school starts only to discover that, a month later, that stuff is "over."
Grrr.
My son doesn't care one way or another, yet another reason I sometimes wish they all were boys.....

I also wait. I remember my mom making a big deal out of back to school shopping when we were kids. I figure when school starts my son is still wearing shorts and stuff. I wait until about October to get him more winter clothes if he needs them, especially jeans.

Same as a lot of the posts on here I don't see the point in spending the money if we don't need to and my 7 year old doesn't get too excited about the idea of shopping.

I avoid the "back to school" rush at almost alll costs!! Of course I have to get them their supplies and both will probably need new backpacks this year. I REALLY avoid the stores during the "tax free" holiday they have here in MO. Or I will go REALLY late into the store to grab some things, but its SO not worth it to me.

I buy with the change of seasons. It just so happens that the stores put out the fall/winter stuff before school starts. I took part in a mini baby boom so if I don't get things for my 5 year old shortly after they put the items out, there is nothing left in her size. This is especially true with shoes. Even when I shop online they are often sold out of her size. It gets annoying.

When my kids were in a brick-and-mortar school we did not make a big deal over having new clothes to go back to school. I do take advantage of the sales if there's something one of them needs, and if there is something they are close to outgrowing I will take care of replacing it during the "back to school" rush because I've realized that if I wait I might not be able to find what I need later because everybody else bought that item for "back to school."

The only way I'll buy off the rack at "back to school" is IF the sales are really good. But, that is how I buy all the clothes off the rack. The sales have to be really good (usually Kohls with an extra 20-30% off) or clearance at any store.

I belong to a site called thredup. They have EVERYTHING there, brand name clothing, costumes, and school uniforms for consignor prices. It is a consign web site of sorts, you are able to send clothing into the site with a bag provided by them, and recieve money from them for either clothes on the site, or through paypal. The clothing is inspected very closely and is always in new or almost new condition when I receive it. The shipping is also very fast on these items, I usually have my order within a week, and shipping right now is free for any order over 40.00. Also new members can use this code (TU10) on their first orders and recieve ten percent off of their entire order. Lastly if you use my code when you sign up, you get a free 5$ right away off your first order. http://www.thredup.com/77545 you can also refer friends and get the same deal.

I don't buy them new clothes for school because they don't want them or need them. If I had girls it would likely be different. ;)

My boys are happy with 3 pairs of jeans and 8-10 shirts each. Even if I buy them more than that, they'll keep wearing the same things over and over. Boys . . .

Neither of them want new backpacks or binders for school either. Every now and then one wears out and we'll need to buy a new one, but the boys get attached to the backpacks/binders that they have, and they use them for years.

I don't buy anything for back to school clothes, unless they have summer clothing on clearence at the same time, and I buy those since we live in Florida because my kids can wear summer clothes almost all year. I buy backpacks after the back to school rush, so I don't pay full price, and I will occasionally buy some of the "supplies if they are a really good price, but when I do, I buy them in bulk, so I have enough for a few years. This year, I won't have to buy anything for "supplles" but both of my kids will need clothes. I have been buying clothes all summer and hope to be done bu the 1st week of August. I shop sales and second hand stores. I HATE shopping to begin with. The only real back to school shopping that I am doing is my oldest daughters college shopping for her "off campus" apartment, since her dorm bedding no longer fits in the apartment, so we need to do that and get her bathroom and kitchen things. (she didn't have a kitchen in the dorm or her own Bathroom.) I know they will have great sales right before school starts, so we are waiting for that. I WISH I could do it now. Clothes I really don't wait for. It seems silly to me. I am a second hand store or thrift store QUEEN!

My girls are growing so fast that by the end of the summer we generally need long pants that fit, but on the whole, not a shopping trip dedicated to new clothes for school. Supplies are expensive enough, add the clothes and we'd break the bank around here! :)

If I don;t have to, then I don;t buy new. When my kids were little, we might go shopping for pants but not all new. This year,my son grew over 4 inches since January so he is getting a whole new wardrobe. This is going to be one expensive back to school shopping trip. My girls need new tops (they wear uniforms of light blue tops and khaki pants) but they will wear the same pants if they still fit. They want skinny pant though so we will see what happens.

My parents were the same, bought what was needed. My kids once went to school with a girl whose mom was a doctor and she bought everything new each year, even hair bows and such.