How much is enough for back to school stuff?

Question

My kids ages 13 and 9 need everything for school. How much is sufficent enough for each kid? Jeans, tops, shoes/sneakers, etc. Please give details if you can. How much should I spend on each child? My oldest is into name brands so take that into consideration, too.

Answer 1

In all honesty if they ahve 5 or so pairs of pants and some shorts with shirts to go with it they will be fine (I own maybe 15 shirts and and a little over 5 jeans and I enevr have to search for something to wear).

Answer 2

I have 5 children (ages 9, 6, 6, 5, and 3), so shopping on a budget is critical. I first go to Ross, Marshall's, Old Navy and see if they have any clearance items. Then I head off to Walmart. You can find a lot of clothes there that have the "look" of name brand, minus the lable. Last, I go to thrift stores. I am very picky about the way my children look. You can find many good deals if you take the time to shop at a thrift store. Just inspect everything carefully. Make sure there are no hole, stains etc... This year I even found a brand new name brand shirt at the thrift store for my 9 year old boy. It still had its tag on. I paid $5 and the tag said $20. In other words, don't count them out. This year, all my kids got 3 pairs of new pants and about 6 shirts each. The two girls also got 2 skirts and earings. All the kids also got a new pair of shoes. Just stick to the basics with supplies, and do stock up on the paper and pencils. Get enought to last all year. My husband and I spent no more than $200 on the five kids...and they all look good!!!

Answer 3

Being a mother of four kids (three in school), I try to take good care of the clothes they have so that each year I am not starting over. But if I did have to start over from scratch (this is just my opinion) I would try to make sure each one had about 3-4 pair of jeans, at least 5-10 shirts, 3-5 pair of good shorts/skirts, one good/new pair of sneakers...for girls that would be different. I am a person who likes clothes and options. I have people tell me that we (as a family) have entirely too many clothes and laundry to do, but those same people have to spend a lot of money when school starts and I don't. We take one weekend and try on the clothes that don't fit or are too faded and replace. I am not sure if this will help you but I thought I would give my insight. Also, I have always tried not to emphasize name brand clothes with my kids because we are a family of six and I don't think I can afford name brand clothes for everyone. But my kids are small (oldest is 10) so I am sure my time is coming. I guess a good rule of thumb would be how many outfits does a parent need? I try to keep things on a level playing field (although I am a stay at home mom and my kids have more clothes than I do).

Answer 4

I have 2 girls - 17 and 14. I give them $100 each and tell them they can spend it on clothes - however they want. My 17 year old is more name brand conscious than the other and she usually only buys a couple of pairs of jeans, a bookbag and a belt or a shirt. She has a job tho and uses some of her money for clothes too because I just can't afford and won't spend $20 for a t-shirt at American Eagle when I can go to Old Navy and get it for half or less than half. My 14 year old isn't as name brand conscious and she loves Old Navy - they have cute clothes at great prices. Also since mine are both girls and they are the same size they share clothes alot - especially shirts. So if they both like the same shirt - they buy one and just share. I always tell them to inventory their closet before they shop - things that they have outgrown or don't wear anymore they either trade with each other or go to Goodwill - then they can see what they have already so they can buy only stuff they need. They usually have about 3 pairs of jeans that are their favorites & wear all the time w/different tops. Shoes are no big deal - they like addidas soccer sandals and flip flops - they wear them all year round even in the winter. You will be surprised at how well they handle the money once they are given the responsibility and I've taught my kids to always shop a sale - never ever pay full price. Also if you have a bunch of kids around the same ages/sizes clothes swaps are fun - they bring all their old stuff that is in good shape that they don't wear anymore and trade it w/their friends - eveyone saves money and gets new stuff - girls love this.

Answer 5

Personally, I would put it off unless they REALLY need clothing. Is what they wear in the summer school appropriate? If so, it will be hot in the first month (or two?) of school, and since they are still at the growing age, what's the point of buying MORE shorts and/or short sleeve shirts if they may not fit into them next time warm weather comes around? Perhaps wait until the cooler weather comes and stock up on sweaters and long-sleeved shirts.

I would say a safe number is 4-7 pairs of pants/jeans, and 7-10 tops. For the older child, maybe figure out what you find to be an acceptable amount to spend per item (say, anything over $25 for a pair of jeans is too much), and do the math and set a budget. He or she may not like name brands so much after realizing the money goes further with off brands.

Also keep in mind stores like T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, which have name brands at lower prices than the mall department stores.

Good luck!

Answer 6

I assume that the child has some clothes that fit and are appropriate and doesn't need an entire wardrobe. I also base my reply on an average household income of $50,000.
I find that my 2 girls (more expensive than boys) age 14 and 7, each need 5 new pairs of jeans/pants, each year. Living in the midwest, they can still wear shorts for another month or two.
Five new tops (unless one has had a growth spurt...then more like 10) seem to be enough. I also buy each one a long sleeve white top for layering...then t-shirts can be worn year-round. A winter coat and boots are a must (but my younger is fortunate to have hand-me-downs) New sneakers and one "other" pair of shoes is needed. I prefer to buy quality back packs that last several years(i.e. $50 Eddie Bauer),however the $15 Walmart one lasted 2 years! If the child doesn't drag it on the ground and the zipper is strong, it can last several years!
As for the name brands........I found the most awesome back to school sale at Penneys this year. The Glo and Mudd jeans were reduced from $40.00 to $25.00, then 10% off, then a coupon for $15 off a $75 purchase. Van tennis shoes were $35 (from $59), and the $15 off coupon brought the price way down. My daughter got 5 tops, 5 jeans, sneakers, 6 pairs of sox, 6 underwear and a jean jacket and hoodie for less than $200.
The little one is easier....not very picky. But she does prefer knit pants over jeans (because she has a little belly and is hard to fit comfortably). I can't seem to find many this year. She doesn't like to wear dresses so skorts do the trick.
It might take a couple of trips but, TJ MAXX and MARSHALLS both have AE, Hilfiger, Roca wear, Limited,Too, Nike, etc....and all name brands super cheap. Let them buy a couple of designer tops (cheaper than bottoms) to go with $20 jeans. The top usually covers the jean name anyway!!

Answer 7

Its best when buying a whole new wardrobe to but basic colors first (brown, black, blue, white) and then slowly mix others in. This will give the impression that there's a whole lotm ore than what they really have. All white gym shoes like K Swiss will do just fine and are in fashion. Lastly, if money really is a problem and with school fees and such, you can always but some of the T's and polo's at the thrift stores. Believe it or not, they even have name brands. You can buy some new, mix with some slightly used and really enhance the closet! When kids start school, its no longer cool to wear new pieces at the beginning of the year. They can still sport some summer pieces while you get the cooler month clothes over time. Hope my suggestions help. If you take the thrift suggestion seriously, you could really spend about $400 on both and still have money to live on! Been there and done it and we survived! Good Luck!

Answer 8

Again, layering is key. Also, Khaki pieces can intermingle with denims. Its best when buying a whole new wardrobe to but basic colors first (brown, black, blue, white) and then slowly mix others in. This will give the impression that there's a whole lotm ore than what they really have. All white gym shoes like K Swiss will do just fine and are in fashion. Lastly, if money really is a problem and with school fees and such, you can always but some of the T's and polo's at the thrift stores. Believe it or not, they even have name brands. You can buy some new, mix with some slightly used and really enhance the closet! When kids start school, its no longer cool to wear new pieces at the beginning of the year. They can still sport some summer pieces while you get the cooler month clothes over time. Hope my suggestions help. If you take the thrift suggestion seriously, you could really spend about $400 on both and still have money to live on! Been there and done it and we survived! Good Luck!

Answer 9

I have three children. My oldest two are boys ages 10 & 12. My ten year old isn't into what he is wearing yet, so I did very good at The Childrens Place. You can buy jeans 2/$28. Tops 3/$20. My older son is into clothes. Hollister and Abercrombie or nothing. One sweatshirt is $50. But they do last, and will go to my younger son in a couple of years. My daughter is a different story. At 7 she only wears Limited Too and Justice. What I do is fill in a few flashy pieces of the stuff with clothes from The Childrens Place (15% off right now with coupon at store). I tend to buy her more because her clothes are fun. I suggest waiting for school to begin and let your children see what the other kids are wearing. If you are concerned about spending too much, you don't want to throw money away on items that they might not wear. I always put alot of money into good sneakers (they wear them everyday) and buy dress shoes or boots at places like Target. Kohl's has a great sale on sneakers from time to time with buy one get on 50% off.

Answer 10

I have a 6 year old starting first grade and we did the majority of our school shopping on ebay this year. I went thru his closet and pulled out the things that didn't fit and auctioned them off. Then I took the money I made and purchased things that he needed. We got a bunch of namebrand (Tommy Hilfiger, Polo) jeans for next to nothing and they are all brand new or look new. It's a little bit of work to list the items, but it was well worth it. We made over $125 selling his old clothes and his closet is full to bursting with new school clothes! We've got 10 pairs of pants, 15 shirts and 3 sweatshirts.

We hit the big sales for school supplies at Target and Wal Mart, using the teacher list that was sent from the school. The sales were excellent and we spent less than $30, inlcuding a new backpack and lunchbox. We also bought socks and underwear at Target on sale.

We still need to get new shoes and I'm planning on spending around $50 or so for Nikes or Reebok. He loves the character shoes (and has them for play) but they just don't last as long as the more expensive shoes, in my opinion. His SuperMan shoes are already looking tattered and the bottoms are starting to peel. There have been some good shoe sales at Kohl's lately, so hopefully we'll pay less than that!

Answer 11

For a 9 and 13 year old I would spend no more than $200-$250 for the youngest and $300-$350 for the oldest...it gets more expensive as they get older. Seeing your oldest is into name brands, I would first check out the OUTLET MALLS in your area. There you can find great deals from THE GAP, OLD NAVY, BANANA REPUBLIC etc. Also many outlet shoe stores have great 2 for 1 sales! I would also encourage rummaging through the sales and clearance racks at popular stores like Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister and American Eagle- these are usually pricey but if you go just at the right time you CAN find some SUPER deals and your oldest will be absolutely stoked. For younger kids I find Macy's to be a great place to shop and if you check your local newspaper, they usually have coupons you can use for extra savings! If you shop around your money can go a long way. You don't have to pay TOP dollar for many things at all. Hope this helps. :)