Starting A Budget
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Clothing Category

Too often people will ignore their clothing category when starting a budget. Clothing seems a low priority for many people when money is tight. However, I know that everybody buys clothes because I don't see any naked people walking around the streets. Maybe some people don't spend a lot of money on clothes but I think that maybe we don't realize how much money we actually spend on clothes because we don't keep track.

Stylish And Reasonable
Whether you have a lot of money to spend on clothes or little you always want to get the most for your money. Do you really need the newest spring fashion? Can you find something stylish and reasonable at an outlet like Burlington Coat Factory? After all, the body is more than clothes.

Cheap Clothes
Perhaps you really don’t have a lot of money to spend on clothes. Part of the idea of starting a budget is to help you spend less than you earn and build up your account so that you have money to spend before you need it. Can you set aside even $5 per month for clothes? You won’t be buying clothes every month but you will have $60 over the course of a year to spend on clothes.

Second Hand
Even with a little bit of money you can stretch your dollars by buying some of your clothes at second hand stores. Often these clothes are in excellent condition and have been only lightly worn. You might be surprised by what you find there and how little those items cost.

Get Information
If you talk with the manager of a second hand store you might find out when and how often they stock their racks. You may have to go more frequently and may end up buying less often but if getting your pick of the selection is important to you the time you spend may be worth it.

A Lost Art
Another idea would be to make your own clothes. Or, even make you’re younger children’s clothes. Too often we have accepted the lie that some label or other is better than home-made clothes. I am confident that anyone who makes their own clothes will put in more care and quality into the clothes they make than any sweat shop would. In addition, people who make clothes have a valuable skill and can make their clothes last longer.

What About Teens?
Teenagers, and younger kids too, can complain pretty loudly when they want the latest “in” fashion. Their attitude can be an indication that we as parents haven’t done our job well enough in instructing our children about the value of money. They don’t understand what those $200 shoes or pants represent. Too often they just know that we as parents want to make them happy and they expect to receive whatever they ask for. That’s OK for them to ask. When they do ask, we need to see the opportunity to teach them the value of money.

Let Teens Participate
One way to help our children understand the value of money is to let them be part of the budgeting process. Young children might not have the capacity to understand the budgeting process and might only know how much they have to spend on their clothes. Older children and teens could be included in the budgeting process so that they understand what percentage of the budget is for clothes. They can start to make some comparisons to other parts of the budget and see that pair of pants equals several month’s worth of utilities, for example. You might even help them in starting a budget for themselves.

Reality Sets In
If your daughter is really into fashion one helpful solution might be for her to work at her favorite clothing boutique. This could help in several areas. First off she will be getting paid so you could help her in starting a budget. Secondly, she will probably get a discount so her favorite clothes would be less expensive. And third, she will see first hand how large a percentage out of her budget clothing can take if not kept in check. Along with that, you have the opportunity to teach the proper attitude toward clothing that may help keep clothes spending to an appropriate level.

What Is Your Attitude?
How do you view clothes? Are they just a covering for the body or are they there to make a statement about who you are? More importantly do the clothes you buy reflect God’s character? These are important questions to address when starting a budget for clothes. When we die and stand before God, He will not see the clothes that were draped on our body, regardless how “good” they look. Therefore, what should your attitude be?