How Much Do Baby Clothes Cost?

Raising children is an expensive task. According to the USDA it costs roughly $150,000 to $250,000 dollars to raise a child from birth to the age of eighteen. This estimate is based on what region parents live in, the annual income of the family, and the number of parents in the home. If you are expecting, this can be a staggering number to deal with. However, when you look at each individual category the costs are much easier to accept. For example the average cost of baby clothes is actually, really small. While some categories are more expensive for babies, clothing costs are actually an area where you can expect to get good deals. In fact, you will spend more on formula and diapers than you will ever need to spend on clothing. Consider the following facts when you need to know how much baby clothes cost.

Average Cost of Baby Clothes

Baby clothes cost more depending on the region you live in and the stores that you shop in. The average cost of baby clothes can range between roughly $300 and $600 for the first year. This amount will include clothing, socks, pajamas, and shoes. Bibs are considered supplies so they do not fall into the clothing category.

Cost of Baby Clothes per Month

If you decide to set your budget at the high end of the spectrum you can expect the cost of baby clothes to average $50 dollars a month or $150 dollars per quarter. While it is easy to price baby clothes cost by month, you should probably consider averaging your budget per quarter. After all, baby clothing sizes usually run in three month increments. For example, when you buy baby clothes you will find that they are sized as 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, and 9-12 months. At some high end stores you can buy sizes for the specific month, but babies grow so fast that most parents buy clothing that the child can wear a few months at a time rather than buying new clothes each month.

Cost of Baby Clothes for a Year

When you consider that the cost of baby clothes for a year can range from $300 to $600 this can seem like a bit too much. However, you need to consider that you will need to buy new onesies, shirts, pants, jumpers, pajamas, socks, and jackets every three months. You will need roughly seven onesies, five jump suits, five pant and shirt sets, one jacket, and ten pairs of socks for each quarter. That is a minimum number of pieces and at this rate you would be buying 32 pieces of clothing. At five dollars apiece you would spend $160 dollars. Of course you won’t spend five dollars for each pair of socks but if you are in a cooler climate you may need a new $20 to $30 coat each quarter.  You may even need to buy a snow suit for severely cold climates and those can easily cost over $50 dollars. If you live in a warm climate consider yourself lucky as onesies are the perfect choice and they are the least expensive type of baby clothing.

High End Baby Clothes

Expensive baby clothes cost a lot more than what the average budget can handle. It is possible to find baby t-shirts that cost $30 a piece. Baby pants can even cost as much as an adult pair of pants. While there are many different boutique stores that offer these selections you can expect to go way over budget if you shop at these stores. If you really want that $50 cardigan for your baby, try to save money on other things to offset your budget. In most cases you will want to save the big ticket items for special occasions such as a church commitment ceremony or the baby’s first birthday party. Holidays such as Easter and Christmas may be a good time to reconsider baby clothes cost limits and splurge a little on your baby. You may need a frilly little dress or an adorable suit for these special occasions.

Inexpensive Baby Clothes

Cheap baby clothing is actually quite easy to find, especially since you have a nine month head start on buying. If you are worried about baby clothes cost options and you want to save some money, you need to buy clothing in advance or at the end of each season. Unlike adult clothes, whatever is on the racks this year will still be in style next year. Try shopping closeout racks and clearance sales. If you are having a spring baby take advantage of end of winter sales and buy the appropriate size for next year. You can also shop factory outlet stores to get great prices. While you may have to drive to another town to find a factory outlet mall you may save enough on clothing to justify the extra gas spent. Shop around to find the best deals. You may even consider shopping online with stores that offer free shopping to get great deals.

Where To Buy Baby Clothes

When considering what baby clothes cost there are a number of factors that need to be considered. If you are strapped for cash there are ways to cut costs. Hand me downs, thrift stores, yard sales, and department stores such as Wal-Mart or Target offer great deals. You can often find new or nearly new baby clothes at these locations for a fraction of the baby clothes prices found in stores such as Baby Gap or Gymboree. However, if you have an open budget take advantage of it and enjoy shopping while you are pregnant.

Buying clothing for your new baby can be a lot of fun and provides a great option for keeping busy during pregnancy. In addition, this is the perfect time to start learning to budget and save money for the future. After all, there will come a day when that baby is a teenager who wants nothing but designer jeans and expensive t-shirts. Enjoy the fact that you can find shirts for only a few dollars when your children are babies.