As Ohio students start gearing up for a return to the classroom, parents will also have to gear up for back-to-school expenses. In my budget
class, we talk about the three kinds of expenses; fixed, flexible, and occasional. Flexible and occasional expenses are items or services you may not need to pay for every month, but when they come, they can be real budget busters. Parents of school-age children mark off July and August on the calendar as months that are associated with high flexible and occasional costs. There are school fees, school supplies, school clothing and/or uniforms, and depending on your family budget and child’s tastes, school lunches. For today though, we’ll look at just the clothing issue, since it tends to be the most expensive (and possibly confrontational).
How much you spend on clothing is going to vary, depending on the age of your child. Even if your child wears a uniform to school, you are going to have a wide range of clothing needs to fill. Clothing for warm weather, in-between weather, and cold weather. Casual shoes, sturdy shoes, athletic shoes, and sandals. Coats for the varying climates of Ohio. Yeah, it’s a lot to think about. I can hear you sighing from here.
A favorite memory from my teen years was the “mother/daughter” back-to-school shopping day that my sister, mom, and I shared every August. It was always fun; school shopping can be a good memory-making experience for you and your kids. However, if you find yourself spending that time arguing about the cost of those clothing choices, it might be time to think about setting a clothing allowance.
A clothing allowance is a pre-determined amount of money you feel will be necessary to meet your child’s needs throughout the year. One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a parent is letting your children think there is an endless stream of money for them to spend on clothes and shoes. Even if you can afford it, it doesn’t help prepare your children for a future time when they have less to spend. Try to go back over a whole year and look at what your child realistically needs. Some mothers look at past receipts as a guideline, others just use rough estimates. Start with undergarments and work out to the outer layers. Once you decide what that amount is and what percent you can afford, sit down with your child and establish the ground rules of their clothing budget.
Let’s say you think that $50/month, or $600 per year is a reasonable amount to provide for your child. This doesn’t mean you spend that exact amount every month, it is just an average. Some months there may be no purchases, other months could be over $100. Then set up a budget or record-keeping system with your child. Everything you purchase for them gets logged into a notebook or journal. The child then gets to make the decision about what and how much to spend. It is amazing how practical they get when they see their balance start to dwindle. Thrift stores and discount stores start to look more attractive, even garage sales become an option. If your child needs or wants something beyond the budget, they either have to figure out a way to pay for it themselves, do without, or find a cheaper alternative. But two issues are key to making this work: let your kids make their own choices, and don’t add to the amount somewhere down the road. Budgets are not ever expanding. This is a lesson that is best learned at home as a child and not as an adult where it can have far-reaching ramifications (like on a credit score).
If necessary, kids can become very creative when it comes to putting together a wardrobe on a limited budget. Clothing is an important first step for children as they work to establish an identity for themselves. They can become trend-setters on a small budget once they learn how to be good stewards of their clothing “accounts.” It also drastically reduces arguments at the store like “I really need this right now,” and allows picky teenagers to determine their own priorities. If they want designer jeans and discount store underwear, then so be it. Having a clothing allowance transfers the freedom and choices to the child while teaching them money management principles.
You may need to make lists of necessary items after a review of their wardrobes; sometimes kids forget they need pajamas, socks, and boots. If they haven’t outgrown or worn out certain items, those may not need replacing until later down the road. Take time over the next few weeks to look through your child’s closets and drawers to determine what needs to be recycled and what is still useful and stylish. Your child should help with this process. They will probably just wear their summer gear of shorts and T-shirts for the first few hot weeks of school, so you may be able to work their needs in slowly and in increments. Continually monitor all options, from store sales to ½-off days at the thrift stores to garage sales in the paper. Show your child all the different price points that are available to meet their clothing needs. He or she will learn valuable lessons about quality, value, short term vs long term gratification, and responsibility.
Donna Green
Family & Consumer Sciences Educator
Ohio State University Extension
