Teenagers and a Clothing Allowance

One of the reasons many people I know decide not to have a large family is because they believe they won't be able to afford the costs of raising so many children. This is certainly a reasonable opinion, but if that's what stopping you, I'd like to share one way I save money and teach valuable lessons when it comes to teenagers and clothing.

If you've been to the mall lately, you know how expensive clothes for teenagers are. I have seen shirts for $40, jeans for $70 and sweaters for $80. How can one possibly afford to keep their children clothed, but still trendy, at these prices? Walmart is always an option, but I've found that most Walmart clothing is very low quality and doesn't last the year. You get what you pay for, right?

With three teenagers at home, this is what I do...

When a child reaches the age of 12, I no longer give them an allowance like I did from ages 5 to 11. (Incidentally, their allowance was their age in dollars every two weeks.) Once their twelfth birthday hits, they then receive a "clothing allowance". I pay this to them in the fall, right before school starts, at the beginning of the new year, and at the start of the summer vacation. Depending on the condition of their current wardrobe, I give them about $300 each before the beginning of each semester, and about $150 each for the summer. Let's break this down, so you can see how this adds up over the year.


3 kids times $300 (fall semester)
PLUS
3 kids times $300 (spring semester)
PLUS
3 kids times $150 (summer)
EQUALS
$2250
DIVIDED BY 12 MONTHS EQUALS
$187.50 per month

If you only have one teenager, this is only $62.50 per month.

It seems like a lot, but read further, and you may change your mind. However, if these figures don't work for your budget, you can change them as you see fit.

So what do I expect my kids to buy with their clothing allowance?

-shirts
-pants
-sweaters
-coats
-underwear
-bras
-socks
-shoes
-swim suits
-hats
-gloves
-belts
-scarves
-jewelry
...and anything else they want to put on their bodies.

As you can imagine, this allowance goes quickly, and it behooves each child to wisely consider which way their money will go. Will they spend it at Pacsun in the mall? Will they buy their underwear and socks at Walmart? Will they venture into some of our favorite thrift stores? Honestly, I absolutely love seeing what they come up with.

Last year, the 18-year-old boy spent $100 on a leather jacket, $60 on a pair of jeans, and $40 on a button-down shirt...

(photos shown are examples)

Total for one outfit: $200

These decisions left him very little in his budget for anything else.

In contrast, the 15-year-old girl bought all of her socks and underwear at Walmart, then spent the remainder at a local thrift store, purchasing a total of about seven pairs of pants, some for only $5, and ten shirts, some for only $3, a jacket, sweaters, and some scarves.

(photos shown are examples)

Total for one outfit: $13

Okay, so honestly, probably the $200 outfit is a tad cooler, but $187 cooler? I think not.

Often, other learning experiences present themselves as well. Sometimes, during the school year, one of the teenagers will come to me and say, "Mom. I need some socks. All of mine have holes in them," to which I will reply, "Great, we'll write it on the list of things we need at the store if you'll just give me some of your clothing allowance to cover it."

This response will almost always be met with a look of confusion and/or disappointment and/or consternation, sometimes even ensuing in an argument. But I remain firm, and if they have spent all of their clothing allowance, then I give them the opportunity to work to earn the money they need for their additional clothing desires. My going work rate is $5 an hour, which can be earned by doing any number of things, such as being my personal servant, giving me a shoulder rub, babysitting, etc.

So there you have it...how we do clothing for teenagers. How do you clothe your teenagers, but still keep them trendy? Let's talk.

P.S. To read about how other moms of teens do clothing, go to the JuiceBoxJungle Facebook fan page HERE.



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