Author Topic: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?  (Read 35273 times)

MsPeacock

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #50 on: January 06, 2015, 09:56:32 AM »
I am just getting started with this whole mustache thing - so all I know I spent too much last year. My plan is no-buy for my clothing for at least 100 days, but hoping to make it the whole year unless something essential blows out (like socks, underwear, etc.). I have to dress professionally for work (e.g. suits or other non-casual business wear) which makes it challenging. I can't do a pair of sweatpants and running shoes at work, ever.

The challenging part, and I am tracking this separately, is clothing for my kids - one who is almost 12 and in middle school. He grows through shoes so quickly, trashes them in the process as well. I haven't had very good luck finding clothing in the Thrift shops for the kids for the most part - and lot of the clothes have been used hard, or are really out of style, etc.

Zikoris

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #51 on: February 03, 2015, 10:36:36 PM »
We spent $160 in 2014 on clothing for two people. The breakdown:

Three bras
One pair of tights
One purse to replace my old one
One par of sunglasses to replace the one I lost
Six pairs of socks

I also received a few things as gifts - a ballet leotard and skirt, and two pairs of jeans.

My boyfriend bought a bunch of underwear at the beginning of the year, and that was it for him.

JLee

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #52 on: February 03, 2015, 10:42:48 PM »
I think I bought one pair of jeans and a polo shirt in 2014. ~$30.

N

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #53 on: February 04, 2015, 12:10:13 AM »
Over the last two years, we've spent an average of 104$ per month (26 months, 4 people)

I have two kids, 7 and 11. Most of their clothes come from either the thrift store or as hand me downs from friends. They get new underwear and socks.

My husband has given in to wearing thrifted clothes- I think he got a couple pair of new shoes in the last two years.

I was the biggest spender. In the last two years Ive built my wardrobe. Im pretty happy with it, but i dont expect to need to buy much for the next few years. I even think Im pretty good on shoes. Im budgeting a total of 700 for the next year for the 4 of us.

Sherry

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #54 on: February 04, 2015, 12:49:40 AM »
Honestly, I don't know the dollar amount we spend on clothes, but I know it is ridiculously low by any conventional standards. 

Almost all of my kids' clothes are hand-me-downs, and I fill in most gaps with thrift store shopping.  Girls shoes are plentiful at thrift stores, but the boys athletic shoes are ruined, so we have to buy those new.  Sometimes we get caught unprepared at the beginning of a season and need to buy them new stuff like raincoats or swimsuits.

My husband wears uniforms to work and is a common size, so thrift stores overflow with good quality clothes that fit him. 

The last five years of my life involved two pregnancies, so my closet was a mess of ill-fitting clothes.  Recently I lost the baby weight, but discovered that a lot of my pre-pregnancy clothes just didn't fit right and/or were quite shabby.  I emptied my closet of all of the clothes that were ill-fitting or too worn and realized that it was damn near empty.  I have to dress nicely for work, so getting dressed every morning was becoming stressful.  A few trips to thrift and consignment stores (probably about $200 total) and I have a nicely stocked closet, including about 6 pairs of barely-worn Franco Sarto shoes. 

I'll probably have to do it again when spring/summer roll around.   I also hope to experiment with altering some of my merino/cashmere sweaters to fit my smaller frame.  Additionally, I will spend money on new (non-nursing!!) bras that fit me well.  Although I have searched, I haven't yet found any suits, so I might need to suck it up and buy one or two new suits, too. 

I plan to dedicate more time and money to maintaining my wardrobe, because it improves my quality of life.  Some people might think it is anti-mustachian, but spending a few extra hundred dollars a year to have high-quality clothes that fit me is a great investment in my sanity. 







horsepoor

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #55 on: February 04, 2015, 02:27:43 AM »
Mint says I spent about $1100 on clothing in 2014.  Just for my little self.  This is less than in previous years, but I'm trying to do better this year.  I don't have to dress super nice at work, but I'm kind of like PigPen, so it works better to have nice clothes for work that I will reliablly change out of when I get home.  Otherwise, my clothes get stained by cooking, gardening, and messing with my horses, and are no longer suitable for the office.  I spent lots when I first started working, then gained weight and moved to a different office where dressing up was actually UNcalled for, so I dressed like a slob and spent almost nothing for a few years.  Got a different job and a new wardrobe, then lost weight, so yet another wardrobe.  it's taken me a couple years to hit on the right style for my tastes, age, and current weight, and I've unfortunately gone through some clothes that I never wore much during the process.

I think about half of my spending last year was on footwear, including a $200 splurge on a pair of leather Ugg boots (not the sheepskin things) that I wear all the time, $150ish for running shoes, $50 each for two other pairs of work shoes, and $150 for a pair of cowboy boots.  Other purchases included two pair of designer jeans, a pair of Wranglers, two plaid shirts, a puffy vest, a few basic stretchy shirts for layering, a couple pairs of running shorts and a pair of hiking pants.  Not included in the clothing budget was about $400 for a dressage coat and three pair of riding breeches.

My husband wears the same type of pants and shirts to work every day, so every 3 years or so he just donates everything that's starting to look worn and buys like 3 new pants and 5 shirts for about $200.  He also spends about $150 a year on a pair of leather boots and a pair of running shoes, and maybe $50 on miscellaneous stuff.

kander

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #56 on: February 04, 2015, 02:51:34 AM »
We have no monthly budget for clothing. One month I spent 100 euros, next month I spend nothing, and a third month 5 euros....

Last year we have spent €1114 on clothes. That's (too) much, I think. Hopefully we'll do better this year!!


Astatine

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #57 on: February 04, 2015, 03:22:18 AM »
A monthly budget for clothing makes no sense to me. I do have a line item in my spreadsheet for clothing, but it's an annual amount, not monthly. Even when I was the most profligate I've ever been with buying new clothes (when my weight bounced up and down by 3 sizes or so twice in 4 years, due to various reasons), I've rarely purchased things monthly. My spreadsheet has columns for weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual spends, all added up to give an annual total. Clothing is in the annual column, like other sporadic expenditures such as car repairs.

In 2014, DH spent zero (as far as he can remember). He was given a few t-shirts by his friends.
I spent (excluding a few essential clothing items during a severe medical problem):

Op shop sandals - $8
Op shop hoodie - $8
KMart shorts and 2 nighties - $23
Op shop t-shirt - $4 (forgot about this one til just now)

My budget line item for clothing in 2015 is a slightly arbitrary $300. This will include:

- new pair of sneakers for DH $250 (borderline medical expense, not clothing - particular model recommended by podiatrist due to arthritic toe and other issues)
- business shirt for DH to replace one that's getting close to end of life $30
- undies for DH $20
- sports bra for me $60 (might never get around to this one - HATE bra shopping)
- possible op shop jacket or cardigan for me $5

So, yeah, that doesn't add up to $300 but I'm not fussed about preciseness in my spreadsheet. Spreadsheet is entirely about how much we can sensibly save per fortnight, not precision.

chasesfish

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #58 on: February 04, 2015, 05:36:47 AM »
I couldn't imagine a monthly clothing budget unless you have kids.

I do think clothing should be broken out into work clothes and everything else.

In the "everything else category", I might spend $100/year in casual clothes, $300/year in 2x pair of running shoes and one pair of recovery sandals, but those are more of an exercise expense.

Clothes for work are a different story.  It cost me $1,000 - $2,000/year on average, full suit, 5 days a week.  Costco doesn't sell suits or work shoes.


rocksinmyhead

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #59 on: February 04, 2015, 06:34:02 AM »
I don't know that most people mean they actually buy something EVERY MONTH. Personally I just took my clothing costs for the year and divided by 12. I can't see how you would buy something every month either unless you had multiple kids (and I'm a profligate clothes purchaser, trying to reform... no purchases yet in 2015! yeah!).

Rural

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #60 on: February 04, 2015, 07:51:49 AM »
We've run a budget of $200 a year for two people for the last several years. Don't see any reason to change it now.

Mrs. Frugalwoods

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #61 on: February 04, 2015, 07:57:23 AM »
I actually went on a clothing buying ban in 2014 and have continued it into 2015. I realized that I just do not need more/new clothes and that I should stop buying them for fun (from thrift stores, but still). I haven't had any exceptions to this ban and I plan to keep it until something mission critical (like socks or undies) wears out completely and I absolutely have to buy more. Otherwise, I'm enjoying this little experiment and want to see how long it'll last... 13 months and counting...

My husband is on the ban too by default because he doesn't care about clothes (to put it lightly) and only bought them when I picked them out for him. Our primary tactic for success is to not go into clothing thrift stores. Simple, but effective.

Lia-Aimee

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #62 on: February 04, 2015, 08:15:07 AM »
I don't do detailed line budgeting, but on average I buy one piece of clothing a month that averages about $30.  This typically gets me a heavily-discounted piece from Banana Republic, Femme de Carriere, or RW&Co.  This month I got 2 sweaters and one tank top from Target for $29. 

I wear a lot of neutral shades and classic styles, throwing in a scarf or hat for colour, so people assume my wardrobe is much bigger than it is.  I also keep it business-casual in a way that the clothes can be worn both on weekends and on weekdays. 

scrubbyfish

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #63 on: February 04, 2015, 09:13:00 AM »
When you have kids "clothing" is definitely a budget line item.

Not for me :)

I raise me and a 10 year old.
Most months we spend $0 on clothing. In a year, usually around $50 each.
Amounts that small are usually merged into other categories. For example, clothes required by the school (extra pair of shoes, costume item) comes out of school line. "Fun" clothes that kid wants come out of his allowance line.

My approaches:
  • Almost everything from thrifts.
  • Buy quality -stuff that holds and lasts, no thin cheap materials, etc.
  • Repair if worthwhile - I sewed my Teva sandal strap to get another 1.5 years (and counting) of use.
  • Take care of what we have.
  • Except footwear, buy everything slightly big for Kid so it lasts longer in two ways: more time to grow, less wear/rips per looseness/give.
  • Any clothes beyond necessities -e.g., a bright orange hunter's vest that kid wanted- comes from his own allowance, which means he now chooses to "not need" them. Same goes for me: Any clothing I buy is less for other "gifts to self".
  • Warranties - Sears will replace clothes that a kid wears out faster than he outgrows them; when my Bogs (boots) got a tiny leak last year, Bogs replaced them free.
I only own a few items of clothing, so each gets a LOT of wear, yet some have lasted over 14 years.

Kid has been wearing the same winter jacket and same toques for several years straight, ditto his previous one. Everything still works and fits. Pants and shirts he's been wearing over two years, and just one will be completely outgrown soon.
« Last Edit: February 04, 2015, 09:38:35 AM by scrubbyfish »

scrubbyfish

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #64 on: February 04, 2015, 09:26:55 AM »
So I've been seeing a lot of Case Studies lately that list "Clothing" as a budget category [...] listed separately from "Spending" or "Haircuts", etc. Thinking about writing a blog article about this, as I feel that "clothing" doesn't really deserve it's own budget category, and instead is part of "spending", but I wondered what clothing spending in the community looked like as a whole.

For me, a "clothing" line in someone's budget doesn't cause me discomfort -especially if it's set to $0 or $50 for the year- but ones that are very general like "spending" do. All expenditures are "spending" -a budget is intended to define/categorize exactly those- so a category this loose leaves me worried that a person can easily overspend on miscellaneous stuff. I'd recommend that, when starting out, there be no such blanket category and that every line specifies the category of spending.

After my budget got into great shape through eight months or so of very specific lines, I did develop the loose-ish category of "gifts to self". Any luxury -additional clothing, a massage, chocolates, music, a coffee out, etc- goes under this. Is this what some people mean by their "spending" category? i.e., Is the "spending" label meant as "mad money" or "allowance"?

Also, keep in mind that having a breakout line for a specific area can dramatically help a person to get conscious of that area, thus naturally reduce it. In this way, a "clothing" line isn't so much "giving permission to" spend, but is helping a person increase their consciousness around that line/activity. That's a solidly good thing.

coffeehound

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #65 on: February 04, 2015, 06:44:12 PM »
If I detailed what I spent on clothing last year, a gang of you would drive to my house and put a cap in my ass.

So let's say that I spent about 1% of AGI on clothing. And this year, I'll reduce spending by about 90%.

Ha!  I actually don't know how much I spent, but I recently lost about 40 lbs - too much to alter some work clothes economically, and so my closet is the picture of paucity.
That said, I think that at least some of how much one spends on clothing depends on one's 'industry'.  In my job, business dress - suits and ties for men, suits for women - is the rule.  I'm also formaldehyde-sensitive, which means I can't wear fiber blends, because formaldehyde is frequently used in finishing the cloth.  100% wool suits (polyester gets a funky smell when I wear it) are not cheap.  Right now, I'm rocking three 3-piece wool suits (blazer, pants, skirt for a total of 6 unique outfits).

So, instead of listing my spending, I'll share my strategies for keeping spending under control:
1.  Have a strong dislike for shopping.
2.  Choose one or two neutrals.  I chose navy and brown.  If the item isn't navy or brown, or doesn't go with navy or brown, it's not coming home with me.  I chose two neutrals that aren't black because, frankly, EVERYONE makes black clothes, a shitload of them, EVERY season.  Navy/Brown?  Things that go with navy/brown?  Not so much - nothing like a little self-imposed shortage to make holding on to money easier.
3.  In the one neutral vein?  Buy separates.  Yesterday, I wore a navy skirt with a navy cotton t-shirt, and got tons of compliments on my 'dress'. 
And guess what?  I can wear those pieces separately again this week if I feel like it.
4.  Know what brands/sizes fit your body best, and stick with those.
5.  Buy quality items that will last.  Buy 'em on clearance. 
6. Treat your clothes like you want them to last.
7.  Use a tailor.  If you can alter your clothing yourself, do it.  If the clothes fit funny, they're gonna wear funny.
8.  Buying quality goes for shoes, too.  Buy classic styles with leather soles, treat them gently, and resole them.
9.  Use napkins.  Wash your hands.  Change clothes as soon as you get home. In other words, keep your clothes clean.
« Last Edit: February 04, 2015, 06:52:06 PM by coffeehound »

marshmallowaddict

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #66 on: February 04, 2015, 08:03:48 PM »
I might be voted off the island - but I spend $200 a month on myself. In my defense - I rarely buy full price (I like the good stuff though) and about half of that was for an investment item that has some resale value. I do consider fashion somewhat of a hobby though and get compliments on my style!

lexie2000

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #67 on: February 04, 2015, 08:49:59 PM »
We are retired and don't buy clothes until we need them.  Our wardrobes consist of jeans, t-shirts, turtlenecks, etc. and clearanced tennis shoes from Big 5.   

The last thing I bought was a pair of jeans from the Goodwill for $6.99.

davef

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #68 on: February 05, 2015, 01:28:06 PM »
I buy my summer clothes for next year at the end of summer ($100-200) and my winter clothes for next Year at the end of Spring (also 100-200). I also buy about 1 new pair of shoes/ boots a year, They least 3-4 but between dress shoes, hiking boots, running shoes, and work shoes it seems like I am replacing one a year at $40-100

oinkette

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #69 on: February 05, 2015, 01:56:42 PM »
I really don't understand "monthly" clothes buying, at least for adults, especially mustachians.  I can see setting something aside each month to save up for when you have to buy something, but not spending each month.

I guess because I'm not a clothes hound and like to keep it simple, but I have a basic set of clothing and ONLY buy to replace, not add. A work wardrobe, a set of workout clothes, weekend wear, and 1 fancy thing. I bought a pair of work slacks last month because I've lost a lot of weight and my old ones don't fit and were too shabby to bother tailoring.  Before that I can't even remember buying something.

kiblebuka

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #70 on: February 05, 2015, 02:12:08 PM »
Yeah, having a monthly budget for clothes is weird. I sort of split it into thirds or quarters so the amount adds up to what's needed every 3 or 4 months, basically.

I typically only buy clothes twice a year, anyway, summer and winter. Sometimes I'll buy an $11 t-shirt for charity here and there. I do essentially have two wardrobes though, one for work and one for casual. I try to buy from the clearance racks (aka last year's styles) when i can, and wear things as long as possible. Goodwill is mostly meh for me since I need long-style pants. Stuff that people don't see I keep wearing for much longer - I think 75% of my work socks have holes in them, but you can't tell with the shoes on! Also still have jeans/khakis from my high school days, and yes they magically fit.

windawake

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #71 on: February 05, 2015, 02:59:59 PM »
I probably spend between $900-$1000/year on clothes. My Mint number is low because I buy some clothes at Target and that just gets lumped in with general 'spending' so the above number is my best guess.

I like expressing myself through clothes. I have some things I've had for years and other things I need to replace often (I mostly wear skirts and dresses so often need to replace worn out or ripped leggings and tights). I go to clothing swaps with friends and buy many clothes secondhand.

I like clothing swaps because I get bored easily with clothes and it's nice to spice up the wardrobe a bit. My biggest problem is buying the perfect item and then having the fit change or the material wear out quickly (alas, this happens with many Target dresses). I have a casual/edgy style and find that higher quality clothes often look too fancypants for my taste.

NinetyFour

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #72 on: February 05, 2015, 06:01:31 PM »
I spent $3 last year.  That would be a monthly average of 25 cents.

forummm

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #73 on: February 06, 2015, 10:28:30 AM »
My monthly clothing cost is probably around a few dollars, averaged over many years. Properly cared for clothing lasts forever. I almost never buy anything.

davef

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #74 on: January 27, 2017, 04:58:03 PM »
Last year was $933 for the wife and I.

Every year I get 4 pairs of socks and boxers at Christmas.  I wear hiking socks all the time, (frostbite) so those aren't cheap. Its about $60 for both. They normally last 2- 3 years, but that is why I have about 12 pairs. I buy 4 every year and throw out the worst 4, which usually have several holes by the time I throw them away.
I normally get 2 new pairs of pants a year carhart work jeans typically, about $80. maybe 1 $20 pair of shorts each year, A couple of long sleeve Henleys of flannel. and maybe one sweater. totaling 100. And 1-2 new pair of shoes a year, I have about 5 shoes, one pair for dress, one for work, one for hiking, one for running, and some basic house shoes. I get about 3 years out of each of them. id say about 100 annually, since the hiking boots are about 120 all of the others 50 or less.  SS shirts I pretty much get free form work. I wear those all year in the summer, and as undershirts in the winter.

So.. about $300-$400 per year on myself. My wife gained and lost a lot of weight last year (we had a baby) so she spent a bit more than normal.

MsPeacock

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #75 on: January 27, 2017, 05:34:28 PM »
When you have kids "clothing" is definitely a budget line item.  We still have 2 at home that we cover all expenses for (8yo & 13yo).  At a minimum we are buying about 10 pairs of shoes (13yo plays 3 sports) and two complete wardrobes (spring/summer, fall/winter) per year in addition to snow gear (boots/coats/bibs/gloves/hats).  Then of course dh and I each acquire several new pairs of shoes per year (he's a runner and I walk daily) as well as replace items in our wardrobes as they wear out. We budget out $200 per month/2,400 per year and of course they also receive clothing for birthdays and Christmas wich comes out of the gift budget.

This! My youngest outgrew kids size shoes when he was 8. He's just turned 10 and I have a 13 year old. I can't keep up with the shoes and pants they outgrow. The older one seems to shoot up 3 or 4 inches overnight. Neither of them care what they wear, so at least I can comb the clearance racks at Sears and JCPenny and Target. The older one also now needs men's adult clothing, kids stuff no longer fits. I try not to buy much for myself and have gone to a "uniform" for work, but I to need to replace worn out exercise clothing and occasional new stuff.

NinetyFour

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #76 on: January 27, 2017, 05:36:26 PM »
I broke down last week and bought two NEW pairs of pants (that were on sale) from Woolrich.  Total cost $65.84.  The last clothing purchase I made was 3 sport bras in 2013.

alewpanda

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #77 on: January 28, 2017, 05:49:54 PM »
We put a few bucks into the monthly budget for clothing...but it averages super low over the course of the year, with one or two larger purchases.

Monthly averages are about 20.00 most years.  We buy everything besides underwear and socks at the thrift stores.  Occasionally I use a kohls gift card for jeans for the husband (I ask for one each year for Christmas for this purpose, or undergarments).  I buy a pair of jeans once a year or so off of ebay for around 20.00.  Even our shoes (running shoes, dress shoes, ect) come from thrift stores or ebay. 

I do a year round capsule, and my husband doesn't care about clothing.  When we buy "new" clothes, its a 5.00 pair of needed shoes, 4.00 work pants for him (he's a khaki killer), or a 3.00 sweater for me.  Otherwise we use what we have from last season. 

Zikoris

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #78 on: January 28, 2017, 05:59:58 PM »
For 2016, we spent $316 on clothes for two people. The breakdown:

-One waterproof winter coat
-Two sweaters
-Socks
-Two pairs of jeans
-One sports bra
-Three shirts
-One pair of tights

Basically replacing stuff as it wears out.

meandmyfamily

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #79 on: January 28, 2017, 07:40:25 PM »
We spent $83 a month last year for 2 adults and 4 kids.  Our kids do get clothes/shoes as gifts from family members at times so that helps off-set the cost.  Plus we have lots and lots of hand me downs.

Travis

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #80 on: January 28, 2017, 08:44:58 PM »
If my record keeping is correct, we spent $120 on clothes for ourselves in 2016.  $75 was for a suit coat, $12 on pants, and $30 on shoes.  I wear military uniforms which rarely need to be replaced, my wife has a small business casual wardrobe that she mixes and matches and seems to be going strong, and the bulk of my 6 year old son's clothes is second hand from his cousin or b-day/christmas gifts.  Most of my off-duty wardrobe comes from Christmas over the last three years.  Since I only wear them a couple days a week I don't wear them out very easily.  $150 a year is probably the high end for us with $100 of that being new running shoes for me every two years.  Pretty much all of our shopping is done at Kohls or the local thrift store.  This month I needed a new pair of cold weather running pants.  The military clothing store, the running store, and even Target wanted $30-$80 depending on brand. I went to the thrift store and found two pair in new condition for $8 each.  This year I already spent $146 on clothes so we'll see how it goes ($120 shoes, $16 for the pants, and $10 for shoes to go with my suit). 

It's been three years since I replaced any white socks, but I had a gift card to Target and bought a pack.  My MIL cracked the code a while back on what kinds of clothes DW and I will wear and every Christmas we end up with an item or two that replenishes what we need.  My son ended up with two new sweaters, two pairs of pants, and enough socks to replace all the ones he's worn through. Starting this Christmas we'll be too far away to have easy pickings of my nephews hand-me-downs so our annual costs may creep up a bit.

icemodeled

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #81 on: January 28, 2017, 09:12:20 PM »
We use personal money for clothing, hubby and I get $40/month each TOTAL. I honestly cannot remember last time he bought clothing lol but I bought a top about 2 months ago for $5(new, on clearance) so.. we spend very little on clothes. I pretty much have everything I need, good amount of jeans, tops, 2 dresses and a few dress pants etc. I have all the staples and pretty content. Some pieces are several years old even and still look good. Also awhile back a lady I know gave me some brand new clothing her daughter didn't want which is about my age and size. Not that I needed it but it's great to have backup jeans and clothing for when I need to replace pieces.

mountains_o_mustaches

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #82 on: January 29, 2017, 02:12:53 PM »
I can't even imagine having a monthly clothing budget.  I go clothes shopping maybe 1-2x/year max. According to Mint I've spent $600 on clothes last year and that included replacing some well-worn, well-loved boots that I had for about 5 years for about $200.  That equates to what, $50/month if I spread out the costs across the year.  The other money was spent on bras, underwear, socks, 2 new pairs of work pants, 3 new work tops, and 1 new pair of jeans.  I have a rule that if I'm buying something new it's replacing something that exists, which helps keep my shopping to a minimum and my closet from overflowing.  I tend to buy things once something has worn out.  Some years are more expensive than others, depending on what's wearing out and I've noticed that when I go shopping I go ahead and replace a bunch of things at once (I really hate shopping), but that has the unintended consequence that several things will start to wear out at about the same time a few years later.  I also try to buy quality items that will last for many years and fit me well, so that I feel comfortable and confident in what I'm wearing.  If I can snag those items at a thrift store - awesome.  If not, I'll buy them from traditional retail stores.  The exception to this is shoes (and hopefully it goes without saying - bras, underwear, and socks), which I always buy new, although will try to find a sale or deal if I can.

davef

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #83 on: January 30, 2017, 09:29:20 AM »
All you people saying... cant imagine a monthly clothing budget.
One one on here buys clothes every month. But if to dont average it out over a year or more you get an unrealistic picture of spending. We buy clothes 2x each year.at the end of summer (clothes for next summer) and at the end of winter (clothes for next winter) but if you average to a monthly line item it gives you a realistic picture of your spending.

And to those of you saying 0.00 or nearly so, that is not sustainable over any long period of time. Especially if you work. My socks boxers all are worn through within 3 years. You can mend a hole where the fabric is gone, if you do you will get maybe 1-2 wears before it tears again. Clothes wear out. Any of your budgets that don't have any dollars earmarked for clothes and are relining on banked clothes (the ones you had in your closest when you started this journey). This is unsustainable over any extended period.

kimmarg

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #84 on: January 30, 2017, 11:21:55 AM »
I spent $767.24 last year so average $64/month for 3 people (2 adult, 1 toddler).

Two stores (LL Bean and running store) represent almost 2/3 of the total. I buy 2 pair running shoes at $120 each per year (one set for each adult). Yes that's a lot but it's not somewhere i try to save for three reasons. 1) running = exercise= health which makes shoes cheap in the long run. 2) funky shape feet and history of injuries = name brand shoes that work with my feet and no cutting corners. 3) purchase at full retail from my local independent running store. I participate in their free running group which meets 3 times a week and have gained a lot from it. While the training group is free I like to support the store by buying my shoes there.

NinetyFour

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #85 on: January 30, 2017, 12:53:35 PM »
And to those of you saying 0.00 or nearly so, that is not sustainable over any long period of time. Especially if you work. My socks boxers all are worn through within 3 years. You can mend a hole where the fabric is gone, if you do you will get maybe 1-2 wears before it tears again. Clothes wear out. Any of your budgets that don't have any dollars earmarked for clothes and are relining on banked clothes (the ones you had in your closest when you started this journey). This is unsustainable over any extended period.

I don't mind wearing some clothes that are pretty worn out.  Many of my undies are in terrible shape, but they still work, so I still wear them. 

I work full time, I have a pretty small selection of clothes, and all is well.  My students probably notice that they see me wear the same outfits over and over again, but that's fine.  Maybe they will even realize that one does not need 20 pairs of pants.

I have spent about $160 on clothes in the last 5 years, which averages out to $2.67 per month.  I have found that it is indeed sustainable for me.

boarder42

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #86 on: January 30, 2017, 01:10:44 PM »
I was interested in what i spent last year.  so here it is

135

Perry Ellis Dress pants/belt/shirt - 36.04
Perry Ellis Dress Pant - 14.99
Kohls Dress Shirt - 7.12
Kohls Dress Shirt - 5.93
Kohls Dress pant x2 - 25.20
Kohls Dress pant - 11.24
Macy's Dress pant - 16.94
Macy's Dress Shirt - 3.50
Costoo Dress Shirt - 14.26

Lost some weight plus in the office more.  i wait for what i consider to be good deals on slickdeals and then buy. 

Shor

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #87 on: January 30, 2017, 01:53:45 PM »
All you people saying... cant imagine a monthly clothing budget.
One one on here buys clothes every month. But if to dont average it out over a year or more you get an unrealistic picture of spending. We buy clothes 2x each year.at the end of summer (clothes for next summer) and at the end of winter (clothes for next winter) but if you average to a monthly line item it gives you a realistic picture of your spending.

And to those of you saying 0.00 or nearly so, that is not sustainable over any long period of time. Especially if you work. My socks boxers all are worn through within 3 years. You can mend a hole where the fabric is gone, if you do you will get maybe 1-2 wears before it tears again. Clothes wear out. Any of your budgets that don't have any dollars earmarked for clothes and are relining on banked clothes (the ones you had in your closest when you started this journey). This is unsustainable over any extended period.
I still wear shirts from high school which was..... 12 years ago. All of my jackets are from 8+ years ago, the good ones are still going strong. I think it's pretty sustainable.
I agree though, the problem is that we count up everything we spent in a year (not much), and divide it by 12 to get.. not much.
What we should really do is count up everything we spent this last decade, and divide it by 120! And then we get a truer-ish value.
Of course, for some of us, it might still be a pretty insignificant number in our expenses.. Quality clothes... or nudist? :D

I'm a red panda

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #88 on: January 30, 2017, 01:57:16 PM »
All you people saying... cant imagine a monthly clothing budget.
One one on here buys clothes every month. But if to dont average it out over a year or more you get an unrealistic picture of spending. We buy clothes 2x each year.at the end of summer (clothes for next summer) and at the end of winter (clothes for next winter) but if you average to a monthly line item it gives you a realistic picture of your spending.

And to those of you saying 0.00 or nearly so, that is not sustainable over any long period of time. Especially if you work. My socks boxers all are worn through within 3 years. You can mend a hole where the fabric is gone, if you do you will get maybe 1-2 wears before it tears again. Clothes wear out. Any of your budgets that don't have any dollars earmarked for clothes and are relining on banked clothes (the ones you had in your closest when you started this journey). This is unsustainable over any extended period.

Not everyone budgets the way you do. A monthly number would mean nothing to me if I was buying twice a year. 
Of course, I'm not buying twice a year. I also don't budget. If I need something, I buy it. I don't have an annual clothing budget, or a monthly clothing budget.

And yes, eventually I would have to buy a piece of clothing (and I tend to buy more often than I need, but still not on any sort of monthly basis.) But if I truly wanted to cut back, I could probably go at least 5 years without buying clothes. My socks and underwear are all at least that old, and if threw them all out today it would be less than $30 to replace them all (but they are all still good, so why would I?)  I have some shirts and shoes that date back to middle school- that's more than 20 years ago. A large portion of my wardrobe is more than 10 years old. Clothes aren't something that NEEDS to be replaced on an annual basis.  And much of it can be replaced for free or very nearly free using Buy Nothing groups and garage sales.

This thread asks for monthly clothing costs; not a budget.  For the most part, I don't have monthly clothing costs. Buying clothes every single month is crazy to me.
« Last Edit: January 30, 2017, 02:45:30 PM by iowajes »

Angeliqueshara

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #89 on: January 30, 2017, 02:37:35 PM »
We budget $90 a month each for the two of us. We don't spend it all but it builds in a sinking fund for when we need it. Most of DH's stuff is spent on work pants and shoes. I spent the past year completely redoing my wardrobe because at 46 I no longer feel 'right' in the skinny jean / trendy wardrobe I had. I tried to shop clearance and sales but some stuff, like petite elastic waist jeans that don't look silly  on me are $50 or more.  I also have horrid feet and lower back issues, and after buying a more costly ortholite  pair of keds and finding comfort last summer I've stopped with cheaper 'normal' fashion shoes and flipflops. I'm now keeping my wardrobe minimalist-ish so if I buy it is because it is a 'long haul' item, goes well with other pieces, and makes me happy and I don't begrudge paying a bit more.

boarder42

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #90 on: January 30, 2017, 02:48:00 PM »
you budget over 1k a year on clothes for 2 people.  this seems incredibly high.

Angeliqueshara

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #91 on: January 30, 2017, 03:55:12 PM »
you budget over 1k a year on clothes for 2 people.  this seems incredibly high.
If you are referring to me, we only started this last year and, as I said I'm starting from scratch - I still need 2 pairs of footwear and my husband needs new work shoes. That will be a few hundred at most over the course of the year. We are set mostly for clothing otherwise and once we have saved -beyond those purchases - a little nest egg to cover replacements it will be directed elsewhere.

MrsPB

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #92 on: January 30, 2017, 04:09:15 PM »
Honestly, I don't know the dollar amount we spend on clothes, but I know it is ridiculously low by any conventional standards. 

Almost all of my kids' clothes are hand-me-downs, and I fill in most gaps with thrift store shopping.  Girls shoes are plentiful at thrift stores, but the boys athletic shoes are ruined, so we have to buy those new.  Sometimes we get caught unprepared at the beginning of a season and need to buy them new stuff like raincoats or swimsuits.

My husband wears uniforms to work and is a common size, so thrift stores overflow with good quality clothes that fit him. 

The last five years of my life involved two pregnancies, so my closet was a mess of ill-fitting clothes.  Recently I lost the baby weight, but discovered that a lot of my pre-pregnancy clothes just didn't fit right and/or were quite shabby.  I emptied my closet of all of the clothes that were ill-fitting or too worn and realized that it was damn near empty.  I have to dress nicely for work, so getting dressed every morning was becoming stressful.  A few trips to thrift and consignment stores (probably about $200 total) and I have a nicely stocked closet, including about 6 pairs of barely-worn Franco Sarto shoes. 

I'll probably have to do it again when spring/summer roll around.   I also hope to experiment with altering some of my merino/cashmere sweaters to fit my smaller frame.  Additionally, I will spend money on new (non-nursing!!) bras that fit me well.  Although I have searched, I haven't yet found any suits, so I might need to suck it up and buy one or two new suits, too. 

I plan to dedicate more time and money to maintaining my wardrobe, because it improves my quality of life.  Some people might think it is anti-mustachian, but spending a few extra hundred dollars a year to have high-quality clothes that fit me is a great investment in my sanity.

This is so close to me! Two pregnancies in 3 years, lived in loungewear and flip flops on mat leave. No one to hand me down maternity clothes and only one consignment store in our area which barely had anything my size. I lost the baby weight but hips are structurally wider as is rib cage so needed new bras and pants. Went back to work in a new place with a more businessy dress code so needed to expand my wardrobe a bit.  The shocker though was the footwear! My feet grew over a size due to babies and when I finallly ditched the flip flops after mat leave, none of my footwear fit any more! Had to buy office shoes, casual shoes,  winter boots and running shoes all in one go...ouch! Saying all this, I have a very modest wardrobe and I wear everything. I recently read the 333 project blog and counted up my items according to her criteria and was quite pleased to come in around 60 items including footwear and jewellery (excluding winter wear, underwear, exercise and sleep wear. She includes outerwear/winter wear but I exclude it as I deem it necessary where I live).
As for kids, we have two under 4 but no one we know has kids our age or older so we get zero hand me downs. I try my best to get consignment or items as gifts and the remainder I try to get on a decent sale. They just keep growing!
My husband also wears uniforms so he manages on some plain t shirts and a couple pairs jeans and shorts and wears them until they are worn out.
I think my wardrobe is in good shape now, I may add a couple new pieces this year but plan to do that with gift cards if I can. And I fully agree that buying better quality but less frequently is the way to go.
« Last Edit: January 30, 2017, 04:14:45 PM by MrsPB »

MoonLiteNite

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #93 on: January 31, 2017, 07:10:17 PM »
30yr old single male in Austin Texas.
I haven't paid for a shirt in in full life. 90% of my shirts come from volunteer events or blood donations. The others are from when I was a teen, and a few gifts from girlfriend and family members.
I buy a new set of blue jeans once a year, so 20-30$ there.
Socks and underwear maybe a set every 2 years, so 10$/yr average?
My shoes are free from my work, and I replace every 3-12 months. One in a while I go over their spending limit and pay like 40$ out of pocket.
Once a year I buy a cheap 1-2$ belt from goodwill

So I say I spend 70$/yr. Like 5$/mo? 

Edit: can't auto correct!
Also in 2016 I spent 500$ on UL winter wear for an upcoming hiking trip. I put that in vacation, not clothes. I don't need a 350 down jacket in Austin, actually I didn't even own a jacket until then.
« Last Edit: January 31, 2017, 07:16:39 PM by MoonLiteNite »

better late

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #94 on: January 31, 2017, 08:22:37 PM »
wow.  You all are REALLY frugal when it comes to clothing.

After spending little on myself over the last decade while a SAHM, I replaced most everything in 2016. Casual wear for all seasons, workout wear, coats, essentials, shoes and sneakers, back to work...you name it.  $2508 for the year.  I shopped, with a plan, every month. I guess I got a bee in my bonnet and really focused to get it done.  Aside from a few spring/summer things to wear to work, I don't see much else my wardrobe needs right now, so I will spend less in 2017.  But I am not going back to the bare bones level I had before.

dreams_and_discoveries

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #95 on: February 01, 2017, 01:09:18 AM »
I did well last year at £75, however was £475 the year before.

I'm aiming to wear things out before replacing, and my weight floats about, meaning I keep postponing purchases until I can decide what size I want to be..

galliver

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #96 on: February 01, 2017, 12:52:47 PM »
Looking back at Mint, looks like I'm pretty consistently in the $700-800/year range. That's about $60-70/mo, but I'd actually say I go shopping about 3-4x/year. Last year, in addition to this, I splurged about $500 on a suit (Ann Taylor), for upcoming interviews and presentations. I had looked for cheaper alternatives, but...none had presented themselves in months, and it was time. I expect it to last a good long while!

Annually, I probably go through 2-3 pairs of jeans ($15-40 ea at Ross, Marshalls, Nordstrom Rack, TJM, etc), a pair of running/workout shoes (~$50), some socks and undies. Like a poster above, I add 1-3 new nice-ish tops per year so I always have something nice to reach for; so far I haven't always had something to throw out, but tend to transfer something to more casual/frequent wear, or give away to my sisters or mom if I think it would suit them (there have been some...size changes :( )

Everything else kind of varies year to year. This year I replaced a *bunch* of t-shirts; retiring graphic tees for some more versatile Target shirts ($5-7 on sale). Also got like 5 new bras replacing all of my sad stretched out ones, some new sweaters in the fall, and a few skirts before going to India (since it seemed like shorts might not be appropriate...). Previous year I got several (inexpensive) dresses in a few different styles for weddings, and warm days. Overall, I'd say my wardrobe is still evolving with my lifestyle and "replace only" doesn't really work for me as I don't have a style/uniform worked out...I anticipate some changes next year as I exit grad school and enter the workforce (though I think my "conference wardrobe" will work just fine as a weekly work wardrobe).

I have noticed that since I gave up the "shop only to replace or fill a need" mentality I grew up with, I ended up with more items I liked, with some (esp shoes) of higher quality, as I am no longer shopping while desperate and taking the first item that remotely fits my requirements, but actually looking for things I like a lot, that are flattering, and I can walk away from things that are just ok.

aschmidt2930

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #97 on: February 01, 2017, 07:33:15 PM »
Normally, about 40 a month, including shoes.

But, if we're talking a true average over the years, about 70. The periodic suit purchase really stings.

CharlesBronzee

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #98 on: January 01, 2018, 02:26:15 PM »
Resurrecting an old thread.

This is an area for improvement for my family.  We have spent on average C$300/mo for a family of 2 adults and 2 teenagers the past few years.  This is all pre-mustachian.  I've always thought this number to be typical.  Wife does most of the buying.

Goal for this year is to reduce it to $100/mo which I would consider to be a significant improvement.


wenchsenior

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Re: What is your monthly clothing cost? What does it buy?
« Reply #99 on: January 01, 2018, 03:22:19 PM »
I hadn't really looked before, but it appears that during the 8 years I've tracked, we run 50-100$/month for two adults, all clothes (including outerwear), shoes, and accessories.  There were two outlier years (30$/mo and 170$ month), which don't really change the average.  None of it is thrift store, I don't think.  We don't fluctuate in size much, which helps.

This seems a totally reasonable amount to me, but that is given the fact that I seem to have mostly lost in interest in clothes by the time I turned 40.  I mean, I like stylish clothes in the abstract and could hypothetically dress stylishly (I know how to), but I just don't care.  I just wear the same general thing day after day.  It's odd, I loved clothes when I was in my teens/20s/30s.  My god, the amount of pointless time I used to spend browsing in malls!  Now I can't even remember why I liked to do that....

It's not like my body has gotten worse with age and made me depressed about shopping.  I could still rock a miniskirt or whatever if I wanted to bother.  I wonder what happened? Maybe just hit the been-there-done-that phase.  I'd definitely rather spend money on my garden LOL.