Monday, December 26, 2016

Shopping needs for 2017

And, "needs" probably should be read as "air quote" needs, because. . . other than kid shoes, there are very few things we could truly live without in the coming year. But, because I'm realistic, here are known things I'll be shopping for/replacing in 2017. Our clothing/shoe budget for all four of us is $1700.


  • A minimum of 4 pair of kids shoes. More if they need new soccer cleats, & I don't have the correct size from my sister. Her kids play single season soccer, and don't wear them out as much as my kids do. As a result, I have about 4 pair of bigger season cleats at the ready. Expected cost = $150
  • Slippers for me. Our house has no carpeting, & I've really missed slippers during this cold snap. Of course, as soon as I buy them, it will get warm again, & I'll wonder why I have them. ;-) Expected cost = $10
  • Running shoes for me. Expected cost = $75
  • Running shoes for M. Expected cost = $75
  • Replacement workout outfits (M + me). We wear things a lot, and although we hand dry, we typically have to replace 1-2 items each/year (sports bras, running shorts, etc). Expected cost = $150
  • Kids clothing, miscellaneous. I've not bought the kids much of anything, as they have lots of sports shorts (the only thing they will really wear), dry fit tshirts, etc. They each have one pair of jeans, a couple of pair of pajamas (mostly for trips to Oregon) & a couple of jackets. However, I'll add $200 just in case.
  • Socks, all. With the working out & kids feet growing, we tend to need to replace socks with some frequency. Expected cost = $40
  • Shoe repairs, me. I need to have my Frye boots reheeled. Expected cost = $25
  • Random things for M. He's a bit less diligent in his clothing purchases, and tends to pick things up at Costco that strike his fancy. I'll just build that into the budget, and be happily surprised if it doesn't happen this year. :-) Expected cost = $250

Total expected/planned for spend = $775. This still leaves us a huge amount of wiggle room. As a result, I'm going to further lower our clothing budget for 2017 to $1500, shaving another $200 off of what I'd originally planned. 

I'm also going to track our clothing purchases for the year. Similar to my 2016 grocery challenge of tracking our purchases, it's very helpful to understand where the money is actually going. Right now I noted when I've spent within a category, but don't track what the item was, which can make it difficult to break the spending down further at a later time. Did we spend it all on kids shoes, or was it splurges from me on a fun new sweater that's really crushing the budget? 2017 will be a year where we'll hopefully learn this!

What about you? How do you plan your budget categories? Do you review your spending after the year is over & look for modifications for the next year? How do you plan for any clothing/shoe purchases? 

6 comments:

  1. I am going to follow your lead and keep my household budget logged in a series of categories. It will be nice to see monthly what is spent where. The other budgets are pretty well set, but I have always kept household as one unit instead of separatig out clothing, food, hh products etc. I think this new way will keep me more accountable.

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    1. I agree. The more I track, the more I find opportunities to improve both the categorization, as well as spending.

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  2. I think I hit the jackpot with my daughter who is so non stereotypical teen girls, in that she is fine with a very basic (read easy to just dress and dash) wardrobe. Shoes as well top the list-running shoes, soccer cleats, and regular shoes for school. She also may need sandals for nicer events/concerts by spring-not sure if her current pair will still be in good condition all summer. DH is our big cost-he literally walks the soles off his shoes at work.

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    1. The boys are always wearing athletic shorts & dry fit shirts. As long as I hang their clothes up, it all works well. Your daughter sounds like she's a dream to dress. The soccer cleats are super pricey, so I can relate. The boys feet are still growing quickly, so there's little choice in replacing them!

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  3. That is a really small budget for a family - I spend almost as much as that just for me! I think it speaks to the fact that you must have built a good-quality work-and-leisure wardrobe for yourself that is functional and lasting. Would be interested to know what your wardrobe is like, how many you have of various items, and what brands you like!

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    1. Good question! For my leisure wear, I have a blend of higher end stuff (Lululemon & Zella), both of which have held up incredibly well. I have Lulu pants that I've worn for 10+ years.

      I make sure to never wear my work clothes when I'm home, to minimize wear & tear. So, at home, I'm usually in yoga pants or casual jeans, and a casual top.

      For weekend wear, I have a variety of jeans. I've worn everything from 7s to Joes, to any of the designer brand from Nordstrom, but I prefer Gap jeans. I also recently discovered that the clothes at Costco can be pretty great. I picked up a pair of Calvin Klein's for $20 for casual days & really like them.

      For work wear, I have a few basic pair of shoes (Frye boots, two pair of Tory Burch wedges, and two pair of flats - one black, one nude). My work "uniform" is jeans, wedges (summer) or boots (winter), with a sweater over either a dressy tank top or a layered shirt. I occasionally wear a dress with tights (winter), or wedges in the summer.

      Currently wearing: Victoria's Secret yoga pants, Gap Fit long sleeved workout top, and a Jones New York (Costco) zip up hoodie. It's cold at the beach!

      A few of my favorite clothing purchases in 2015 & 2016 came from Costco, so I always have my eyes peeled when I'm there. Let me know if I can help with other details!

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