With the holidays here and our coming new addition, my mind has been occupied obviously with finances. The thoughts of providing for and clothing one more child, and for my growing children have just overwhelmed me. So I've been wondering...how do you all afford to dress your family and not neglect yourselves? Does anyone have an actual clothes budget and stick to it? If you do how does it work for you? Daniel is constantly growing, and is getting passed the age where I feel like I can get things for him without him there. Those of you who have older children how do you manage that? Does everyone just have the cash to buy clothes all the time or do you have to do credit?
Any ideas or input on the subject would be appreciated!!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
How does everyone else do it?
Posted by Suzy Farar at 10:12 AM
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7 comments:
I wish I had an answer for you. I hope you figure it all out soon though, so you can give ME all the answers. At this point we survive on hand-me downs and Walmart! Dean gets new clothes, but he has to go to work every day, so I think he deserves it. If I get anything, it is super-dooper on sale or from Walmart!! I had to buy formula last week...I about passed out in the middle of the aisle...2 kids in diapers, wipes and formula...check me into the poor house!
Well, it was easier when the kids were little and had no opinion about their clothes. Mark, on the other hand, has always had an opinion. Lot of clearance racks! I am always looking for things even if I don't need them. I can't tell you how many shirts I've bought for 2 dollars or less at Target. Sometimes, though, the JC Penney card has to make its appearance for the unexpected growth spurts from one week to the next. You know, the new Sunday pants fit last Sunday, but today they don't? Or the shoes. Then they grow up and earn their own money and suddenly dislike anything you might pick out for them and they start buying their own. I know you are a ways off from that, but keep the faith. The grow up and out way to soon:(
We assign each child a month. They have to make do with what they have until their month comes. If we have any extra, we let them get something new.
We shop a lot of second-hand for Hayden. For Aaron, he needs new sunday shoes, but has to wait until February for them. Alyssa has this month for a new Christmas Dress.
As for Curt and I, we don't need much. We usually make do with what we have. Sometimes if there is a really great sale, then we'll buy clothes for ourselves but other than that... we wait until it is necessary.
Call all of your friends with kids about the same ages and sizes or older and bigger then your kids and do a clothing exchange.
yeah, it's a really hard thing, that I am beginning to see that only gets harder with each child.
:(
We don't have a budget: because I only buy when I have the extra funds. I would say look for bargains wherever. I never buy full price and I am loving hand me downs! Thanks Cody :) Our saving grace are my parents! But I would say never pull out the credit card for it! There are kid to kid stores that you can trade their clothes for store credit; Mervyns is down to 70-80%
But I am sure it's getting harder and more expensive as the boys get older!
Ask Cheryl...
We have gone to the Salvation Army, the Goodwill, garage sales, and the list goes on. A mom in our ward recently spoke about how she has raised 12 kids on 45k, and she was doing it like we have been. She stressed the importance of praying about each and every need, and then just going on the promptings she received. She said that she always found what she needed. I have also found that there is no need too small to pray about, that even the specific style the kids are yearning for can be found!
We sometimes feel tired of not being able to walk into a nice store and just buy what we want and walk out, but then again, if we had that blessing, we wouldn't have our six wonderful kids. I know you are right here with us on that. It is just amazing how the little miracles, like finding those clothes within the budget, show that big families are right in line with Heavenly Father's plan. The nay-sayers that go on and on about not being able to have kids because they can't afford college funds just don't get it!
It isn't easy, but they are soo worth it.
I don't have any answers, but I remember the Parmelee parents would have one credit card dedicated to Christmas. They would charge it up in December and take the new year to pay it off! It was the only way they could do it, and it worked for them.
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