Intervention! Intervention!

Jess says I'm in need of intervention.  Let me explain.

I love buying clothes.  For Porter.  Long ago, I loved buying for myself, but with the extra flab around the middle, the wider hips and more than bubbly butt, clothing choices for myself are drab. 

I'd like to say I'm a "Quantity over Quality" buyer, meaning... I shop garage sales and resale shops for Gap and Old Navy clothing, and 'trendy' look alikes that are cheaper than buying $20 shirts brand new.  I guess my view on it is, "Hey, if its only $3, why not?"

Well, a few weeks ago I was chatting with Leslie about a recent trip to the resale shop in Ann Arbor.  And I mentioned, as I hauled in a huge shopping bag into her house, that Porter now had FIVE winter coats and numerous hats to match each of them and I needed H.E.L.P. deciding which ones to keep. 

I shall explain.

Coat #1.  Nautica, Navy blue with a horrid yellow and white stripe somewhere on it... the side? The arm?  Anyway, bought for $10 at a garage sale.  Cute coat, cute style, but way too big for Porter.  Not to mention I can't find a hat to match the bright yellow. 

So, I went to venture for a more "casual" coat. 

Enter Coat #2 from Children's Place.  Paid $19.99 for it and I figured that while it isn't a coat to play in the snow in, it'd be perfect for daily use.  I also picked up a cute hat at Old Navy to go with it as well as a cute $4 hat at Children's Place (primarily to use in some pictures b/c its so cute).

Well, a few days later I went to the resale shop and found another Children's Place coat EXACTLY like the one I had just bought, only it was navy blue and only $8.  I planned to return the tan one.  I also found a plain navy blue winter jacket ($6) that I liked (that would match the "cute" striped hat I bought at CP for pictures... so, why not get a coat to match it and he could wear the hat more often??) as well as a green Old Navy jacket that would be great for snow use ($14).  I couldn't decide.  My head was saying "Green O.N. Jacket! It'd be his snow jacket!  He'd have the Navy CP jacket (casual) and then this one for the snow!"  But then I kept thinking... but SIX DOLLARS for that other navy blue coat! SIX DOLLARS!

I bought all three of them.  And another hat. (since then, I've also purchased another hat... GAHHH!!)

Back to chatting with Leslie...

I was telling her that I have issues.  I love LOVE LOVE buying Porter clothes, and I feel like I can justify it because they are SO STINKING CHEAP!  His closet is stuffed FULL with shirts, his drawers are stuffed full with shorts and pants.  I estimated.... "I swear, Les, I bet he has about 40 shirts in his closet." (her jaw dropped)

Later that night I was putting away some of Porter's laundry.  I decided to count his shirts. 

I hesitate to write the number.  Please let me add... this is short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, button up shirts, sweatshirts.... all in this number... this... one..... tiny..... number.....

70.   

SEVENTY EFFING SHIRTS in my kids closet.

(this photo was taken back in February... however, it still looks very much the same)

What kid needs THAT MANY shirts?   I have issues.  I seriously have issues.  I've never really put a number to it, but I've always known his closet was very.... well stocked.

I just have a hard time passing up shirts for $2 on clearance at Target, or cute Gap polos for $4.99, or consignment shop deals for $2 and $3.  I mean, WHY NOT?  (then again... those 70 shirts times, ohh... say an average of $3 each... $210!!! yikes!!)

I am now on a clothes-buying hiatus.  I will NOT look at the clothes at Target.  I will NOT step into the children's side of Gap. I will NOT head to the consignment shop.  Maybe.  And, well, even if I do, I will muster all the self control I can get and not walk out with anything.  Unless, of course, I find something super cute for a couple bucks....

Ahh... I'm hopeless.

So, tell me, what is YOUR purchasing weakness?  What can you not pass up when you see it in a store?  And, further more... how many shirts do your kids have?  Please tell me I'm not alone......

Other Thoughts on Thursday participants:
Mary
Kelly
Jenny
Mackenzie

Comments

[zoe]

Ok. I have no clothes. Why? Because all of the closets we have are STUFFED with my kids clothes. I too can not pass up a bargain. Gap, Target, Gymboree, Kohls...ect is at least a weekly trip. But my BIG issue is that I love to buy Ava really unique custom pieces. Etsy and Ebay and online boutiques are addictions. I have in the past spent...are you ready for this...$150 on a baby biscotti dress. It was for her first pics. Ahh so worth it.

The other thing I'm relentless in buying is scrapbook embellishments. The feeling of joy...priceless.

Yes, my therapist is aware of all this.

Anyone wanna go shopping?

[heather]

Okay, I counted. Sawyer has 27 shirts (long sleeved and short sleeved and sweatshirts). I feel better, because I was thinking this spring that I felt like he had too many shirts for a boy.
Now Savannah on the other hand... I can tell she and I are getting more picky with her clothes... she has a lot in her closet, but it's more work to find stuff we both think is cute these days. I counted her stuff... 67 things on hangers. But that's including tank tops, t-shirts, long sleeves, sweaters, and dresses.

I love buying kids clothes; for all the same reasons everyone else said... you can get them for so cheap!! But not only is it cheaper than buying for myself, it's more fun these days. Kids clothes always fit and look cute... no trying things on or finding the "right fit" pair of jeans!! I absolutely LOVE kids shoes too. I think my kids have way too many pairs of shoes.

[Mary]

Oh my goodness you do have it bad! hahaha We all have our little addictions though. I love to buy shoes and pants for myself! I can admit that when I first had Thomas I was buying stuff left and right. But then as I was packing clothes up becaue he was on to a new size, I would realize that there were so many things I loved that he only wore once! I've settled down since then. I am a sucker for Target. I can never leave that store without a cart full of stuff!

[jen]

I am also addicted to buying the kids clothes, it was my son first then I had a girl, it got worse. When Morgan was 8 months old she had a total of 94 hats. That was last year and I am afraid to count. I just bought 5 this week. I have to hide them from my husband.

[LeeAnn]

When I started working at Kohl's 9 years ago, I never really shopped the clearance racks that much prior. After working there for 8 years, Its hard to buy anything not on sale. I was buying soooo many clothes for myself and for Tony during the first 5 years there, my closet was overloaded!! I bought things for the next year, since they were clearanced now. And I realize now that all those little items add up, but if I pass up this top I could get for $3 right now, then later when I actually need a top like this, it'll cost me $20. So I justified it that I was actually saving money by buying things now. Well Tony didnt see it that way at all. When Lukas was born, I had enough outfits for the first 6 months that he only probably wore each outfit 2-3 times before he out grew it. Which sucked because I had soooo many cute things for him to wear. And I continued to have a full closet for him up until now. Tony and I were shopping in Kohl's about 3 weeks ago, and I saw so many 2T shirts and shorts that I know would be great for next summer and were really cheap. like $1-$3 each. He wouldn't let me get them at that time, but you can bet I went there the next day and snagged them. Why wouldn't I?? I only spent maybe $50 on his entire summer wardrobe for next summer, and if I had waited till the spring, it would've cost probably $250 for the same amount of clothing. He just doesn't get it. Anyways, enough rambling... You got me wanting to go check the clearance racks just one more time for summer clothing for next year!!

BTW, that is my weakness, if you can't already tell!

[jenny]

i have the same problem with tucker. luckily i don't get to shop too much or it might be worse. his closet is jam packed but i still have to find winter gear for this year (and i'm running out of time)!

one of my weaknesses is magazines (i have subscriptions and when i am in the checkout line i will always grab one). it is horrible. another weakness is shoes, specifically sandals of any type. i will wear them almost all year long!

[Katie]

I too buy more than Donnie needs, but like you I always think "oh, it's soooo cheap I can't pass it up"! But, then eventually it all adds up....to way too much! How can you pass up those $4 gap sale shirts??

I'm also pretty bad about hair products, I love to look for new hairsprays, root boosters, mousse, straightening sprays, de-frizzers....you name it I LOVE it all! It's much better now that I have NO time to get ready and really look cute, so I've been much more conservative since Little D's been born!

[Emilie]

I LOVE shopping. I can go in telling myself that Im only going to spend X amount...but sometimes I just find something alittle extra. I am trying to Tame this creature. I cannot pass up a good sale. Clearence racks, red tags, anything gives off the signal CHEAP! I need to start shopping more at the resale places. You can find some pretty trendy things there, you just have to really look sometime. KNow of any good place around here Nic? Beside the few in J-town...
I am also a sucker for shoes and purses...I just cannot help it! If its on sale and is super cute...ITS MINE! haha!
But I do need to start saving my money ...but honestly sometimes I just feel like everything in my closest looks like crap when I put it on. Like it does not look good on me...kinda a "what was I thinking?" "Why doesnt this fit right?"
Give me some good ideas where to look for the 'good stuff!'

[Leslie Collins]

Nic, You are too funny. Porter does have a TON of clothes, but you are not alone on this subject.

I thought that I would be a ton worse with Reyna, but I'm not.

I will pick up a shirt here and there, but I would rather "bulk" shop for her all at once. That way, I can go and say, "okay, she needs this, that and x amount of pants or shirts." It's just easier for me.

Don't worry though, we all have our weaknesses. :)

[Kristi Sauer]

My obsessive purchasing is books!!!

[tracy]

Oh clothes for the kids are a HUGE problem for me. I love a good deal plus I love good quality. I have worked really hard this past year to cut back but it's still hard. I used to belong to a message board where we did live auctions. I used to get the kids a ton of clothes for great prices and it was addicting. No leaving the house to shop!!There was a girl on there that lived in NY and she would get 60-70.00 kids shoes for 17.00. Sophie had 30 something winter shoes last year. Now she has grown out of them and I need to resupply but trying to do it within reason. I quit doing the Live auction message board thing so I would ship in reason. I also had someone shopping in Australia since their seasons are opposite from ours. The girls had the cutest winter coats that noone else had. Consignment sales are a big deal in St. Louis and I love hitting them. On top of buying I also make and sell girls custom clothing. This means the girls get way too many new outfits.
. I am thinking Sammy may give Porter a run in the shirt dept.
So what are your favorite brands?

[MacKenzie]

First off, Denise...you are not strange. I am the same way. I LOVE office supplies. And now that I don't work in an office anymore, it's dwindled down. But I used to love looking in Office Depots huge catalog and picking out everything I wanted.

Um..Jocelyn has close to 60 shirts. But I also counted jumpers/rompers since she isn't into the whole wearing shirt and pant combo's yet. I'm so bad, I have almost her whole summer wardrobe for next year. I know how you feel. Target is our best friend yet our worse enemy.

Besides J's clothes I would have to say either jeans/shoes for me or else makeup would be what I spend the most rediculous amount of money on. I can not pass up a good deal. EVER.

[Denise]

Man - I would love for G's closet to look like that. I love buying him clothes, but I can't justify spending the money when I know he'll grow out of it in a month. Not only that but I have a hard time finding boy stuff that doesn't cost and arm and a leg. Our local resell shop sucks for boy stuff. :(

Anyway, my spending weakness (besides new toys for Gavin) is office supplies. I know, it's lame. I love, love, love pens and have a bazillion of them, although this fetish hasn't been indulged in much since getting married. I miss giong to school just so I can go "school supply" shopping. How lame is that?

[Michelle Sauer]

I have to say, I'm just as bad. I picked up a cute shirt for B yesterday at Target for $1.98! Seriously, how could I pass it up? My girls have a combined clothing count over the hundreds. It's ridiculous! I've gotten better since I don't have my own income, but really, what do they need all that for? I really should focus on buying for myself!

[amy]

We're probably in the same boat here. I used to buy like crazy, (all sale stuff of course). Now however, I exercise a bit of control. My boys have a lot of stuff and fortunately, I pass John's stuff down to Matt. Word of advice... when you pass down clothes to a younger child, remember that the sizes generally aren't the size they used to be because of shrinkage. I didn't realized this until I was putting 3-6 months clothes on Matt, but they were really like newborn clothes!

I have a real weakness for pajamas for them. I love Gymboree Gymies for my little guy.

My wicked clothes addiction for myself is Anne Taylor Loft. I love the stuff, but have stayed clear of there for a few months, but I may be feeling the bug coming on!

[Kelly]

I have to agree with you Nicole. It is way too easy to pick up stuff for the little ones. I love the CLEARENCE racks. Especially for kids. How can you possibly pass up clothes that are just a couple bucks. I love going to Target and hitting their end caps scouring the clearence (any of the clearence). As far as the shirt count we are probably close to that including "play" shirts, "school" shirts, sweatshirts and jean jackets.