Kids clothing budget

giftedmom ↓

Sun, Sep 15 2024, 7:19 pm

Such a cute thread. Brings back memories of outfitting my kids in carters, H&M, Zara and thinking of Lulu as the ultimate splurge.
Now I find I’m buying less of that even for my toddlers. Once you start shopping in Frum stores and see how much cuter and well fitted everything is it’s harder to go back to that.

amother

↑ Honeysuckle ↓

Sun, Sep 15 2024, 7:24 pm

Quote:

I'm not sure what to make of your comment. I'm in my 40s and am finding it a little patronizing that someone is calling my shopping habits "cute"
I'd love to shop in frum stores, but I also need to feed my 5 kids, so it's not an option

amother

Coffee

Sun, Sep 15 2024, 7:26 pm

This is my budget for the season. I mainly shop at Carter's, Target and Old Navy on sale. I get a few nice things to fill in. I generally find the fancier non-jewish brands give you better value for Shabbos, but you get what you can find.

Rina
• 7 weekday tops (avg <$10, total $60)
• 7 weekday leggings (avg <$10, total $60)
• weekday pajamas midweight (3*$15)
• Shabbos outfits (3, matching preferred, avg <$50, total $100)
• socks, shoes - as needed, not seasonal
• Shabbos pajamas (1*$45)
• Jacket and sweatshirt ($35 total)
Total Fall: $350

I expect for close to the same amount for winter- she doesn't need all new Shabbos closed but she needs coats and boots. And the same for summer. Spring I find is cheaper if they can rewear their clothing from the fall but if those don't fit anymore then the same.

So I budget about $100 a month per child for the year. It sounds like a lot but that's what it costs. It's not like it's cheaper when they're older.

If you can do laundry more frequently, you can spend less. Considering how much I would save and how inconvenient my laundry system is. It's not worth it for me.

SuperWify

Sun, Sep 15 2024, 8:06 pm

3.5 year old
2 new Shabbos dresses one $80 and one $60
Lots of and me downs for the rest
Robe on sale $50 past season
Shabbos shoes $55
3 pairs Shabbos pjs 2 past season $25 one current season $45
School shoes $65
3 new dresses 2 @$35 one at $25
2 new tops around $20 each
Lots hand me downs
Socks from Ali
Tights and undies from H&M and Amazon
Briefcase $45

Around $500

amother

Whitesmoke ↓

Sun, Sep 15 2024, 8:43 pm

giftedmom wrote:

I wouldn't even call this passive aggressive; this is outright bullying.

Why would you enter a thread about budgeting for kids' clothes, to say that more expensive frum brands are so much cuter and you couldn't imagine what dressing your kids in the brands that everyone else on this thread is clearly dressing their kids in? wondering

Take your agenda elsewhere, please. Talk to the hand

amother

↑ Whitesmoke

Sun, Sep 15 2024, 8:55 pm

I've had luck with shopping from Temu for toddlers' weekday, as well as socks, tights, and hairbows. I make sure that in the description the clothing is %100 cotton and is stretchy (so not the thin, stiff cotton). I've gotten some really cute stuff, and free returns. I also use plenty of clothing for both Summer and Winter- long sleeve tees, stretchy leggings. I find that it's warm indoors in the winter, so I don't want my kids in sweatshirts always, and really cool in the air-conditioning at day-camp in the summer, so I don't do shorts too much.
So just regular 'year-round clothes' with a warm sweater and coat for the winter. I also do tights under the leggings for cold days.

amother

Salmon

Sun, Sep 15 2024, 8:59 pm

BH this year I got a ton of hand me downs for my kids. But usually, per kid:
7 t shirts (long or short sleeve) @$5 each from target or children's place =$35
7 leggings @$5 each from target or children's place =$35
(Older girls, 7 skirts at $5 each from kidichic sale / basics= $35)
7 PJs @$10 each from once upon a child, target, children's place or Carter's = $70.
2 shabbos dresses/outfits I shop around for $20 each =$40
1 shabbos robe aka cheap maxi dress= $15
Coat around $20 from children's place or once upon a child.
Shoes- one good $40 pair sneakers and cheap backups and shabbos shoes =$60
3 sweatshirts @$8 each from target =$24
Underwear and socks from target = $30

So total is around $350, but only for my oldest- the rest get at least some of this handed down.

But there was the year my kids all outgrew their winter clothes the beginning of March, and winter was no where near over, so I had to buy everyone a second winter wardrobe. Which they then wore again in the fall, until they outgrew it in March again, and I bought their winter clothes on sale in March again.

↑ giftedmom ↓

Sun, Sep 15 2024, 9:18 pm

amother Whitesmoke wrote:

Take your agenda elsewhere, please. Talk to the hand

Please quote where I said that I couldn’t imagine dressing my kids in those brands. Obviously I can because I did, and still do sometimes.
Also if you buy them on sale they’re not actually that much more expensive.

amother

↑ DarkOrange

Sun, Sep 15 2024, 9:28 pm

amother Vermilion wrote:

What about tzitzis and yarmulkas?? Where do you find those for cheap?

Ikippas are $10. Regular black velvet is $8.
Tzitzis my fil gives us for free as he had loads of brand new pairs.

amother

Jade

Mon, Sep 16 2024, 9:17 am

amother Whitesmoke wrote:

I don't want to derail the thread, but would you mind posting your temu girls accessories links?
Would be so helpful!! And clothes if you get from there too!

amother

Pumpkin

Mon, Sep 16 2024, 11:53 am

Just want to say thank you to everyone on this thread who normalizes buying kids’ clothes from Carter’s and Children’s Place.
We do as well, and it’s nice to see that we’re in good company.

Bracha v’hatzlacha.

amother

Molasses

Mon, Sep 16 2024, 12:19 pm

Its very normal to buy from carters and h&m but its not very practical at all once your girls get to above age 6 years old.

if you have boys then great. if you have littles then great. but once you have girls, they cannot just wear h&m and carters dresses that don't fit tznius. and don't forget knee socks and tights that are a fortune. the cheap ones or the ones from non jewish stores don't fit normally and are not comfortable (and my girls are not so picky) even just hosiery is a few hundred dollars a season. (tights rip even if you don't dry them etc.)

I want to hear from someone that has a family of 4+ kids that doesn't have anyone to give them hand me downs, how they still shop and spend like some of these posters. I really don't' think its possible. I used to do it when I had 2 little kids but now its literally impossible.

amother

↑ Honeysuckle

Mon, Sep 16 2024, 12:51 pm

Quote:

I want to hear from someone that has a family of 4+ kids that doesn't have anyone to give them hand me downs, how they still shop and spend like some of these posters. I really don't' think its possible. I used to do it when I had 2 little kids but now its literally impossible.

OP specifically asked about her toddler so that is exactly what I answered. I have kids into their teens and obviously I am not buying their clothes at Carters and Children's Place.

But even for my 5yo DD I still buy all of her clothing at non Jewish stores. I actually find the quality and fit of Target to be far superior to the Jewish brands that are 4 times the price

amother

↑ DarkKhaki

Mon, Sep 16 2024, 1:10 pm

amother Linen wrote:

What if she doesn't grow so much over the winter and still needs 2t in the summer...
They stop growing so fast

She wore 2t this summer so I can use that stuff then in that case. It's all clearence so it's much cheaper. So far I've been able to basically use almost everything.

I can't imagine she will be in 2t in Summer of 2025, she's been wearing it since April of 2024....

I'm in Israel, I got her 5 weekday dresses for next summer each was 15-25 shekels. I didn't get shabbos since nothing was left in her size at clearancecor shabbos and I'm expecting my second anyway and I'd love to splurge and match them then probably.

But she has her whole winter wardrobe minus an outfit or two, which I will buy when it ACTUALLY gets cold in like December lol when it's all starting to go on sale anyway....

amother

Crystal

Mon, Sep 16 2024, 1:17 pm

My budget is as minimal as humanly possible. Target, Old Navy clearance, hand me downs, etc. I will find the one tznius skirt/dress etc from a non-frum store and buy every size on sale. The idea of buying new clothes so often is completely foreign to me, maybe because I am BT. One of the biggest shocks I had when I became frum is people will buy so many new things for YT, new season, simchas, whatever. Nothing against it, I would if I could, but definitely a culture shock to me.

↑ giftedmom

Mon, Sep 16 2024, 1:21 pm

amother Molasses wrote:

Its very normal to buy from carters and h&m but its not very practical at all once your girls get to above age 6 years old.

if you have boys then great. if you have littles then great. but once you have girls, they cannot just wear h&m and carters dresses that don't fit tznius. and don't forget knee socks and tights that are a fortune. the cheap ones or the ones from non jewish stores don't fit normally and are not comfortable (and my girls are not so picky) even just hosiery is a few hundred dollars a season. (tights rip even if you don't dry them etc.)

I want to hear from someone that has a family of 4+ kids that doesn't have anyone to give them hand me downs, how they still shop and spend like some of these posters. I really don't' think it’s possible. I used to do it when I had 2 little kids but now it’s literally impossible.

Boys too, tops at least. Very hard to find ones that conform to cheder rules and in general look decent.
As for tights, I found nice ones on next and H&M. Fit is great.
Shopping sales is your hack to spending a fraction and still getting tznius clothes. Sometimes you can get things for as little as 8-16$. Even in seasons like now many websites still have sale sections or outlet sites.

amother

Winterberry

Mon, Sep 16 2024, 2:26 pm

4 kids, oldest is 7.

I buy one or 2 vochen tops/dresses beginning of season at tottini per kid.$20-$25
I count on at least 2 from previous year (except dresses which rarely still fit so that I use hand me downs or buy more)
Buy more if needed when it goes on sale.
Children’s place pants as/when needed, usually 2-4 per kid beginning of season. price is always different, I usually buy on sale under $15 each
Tights 3-5 new pairs

Total 5-6 vochen outfits, more pants.

Shabbos, per kid
if last year’s is no longer good - 1 new dress or top, girls/baby 1 new robe.
1 or 2 more white shirts/Shabbos pants if needed. Tights

Pajamas when needed, <$20 each

Something I did this “summer” and it worked out well was check which “winter” clothes are unlikely to fit comes next winter for some kids but will fit for others, and check if they still have that item in the next size (greatly discounted already) to fill in what will be missing, so they can still be matching with that outfit, for the price of one or two (discounted) instead of 4.

I used to buy more but it’s just too expensive, I resorted to washing more often.