Family Clothing Inventory (Free PDF)
We recently discussed Back to School shopping and the topic of clothing is a very hot one. I can’t tell you what kind and how much clothing is appropriate for each of your family members.
What I can do is share with you a system that I have found that works for my family. Every couple of months, I have to go through and pull-out clothing from my kid’s closet that they have outgrown, it’s damaged, or that they never wear.
This helps me to not be overrun with clothing choices that won’t work right now, and also helps me keep their rooms tidy. I also try to switch out seasonal clothes a couple of times a year, so that my kids aren’t trying to put on sweaters in the middle of summer.
Why do a Clothing Inventory?
There are some studies that suggest that we only wear 20-30% of the clothing that we own. This means we either buy way too many clothing items, or we purchase clothing items that don’t work for us.
The average family spends about $1800 a year on clothing. Adults alone spend about $161-209 just on clothing for themselves per month.
With costs going up and up, it is very easy to see how a family can spend way more than this. Especially if they are buying items they may not actually need.
By doing a clothing inventory of each family member, you can start to see what area of clothing is actually needed and identify areas where we may waste some money.
For example: My son gets a ton of hand-me-downs from cousins, but it is mainly shirts. So, spending money on shirts for him is not a need. Whereas his wardrobe does not have many pants. So, any money on clothing really needs to go to pants for him.
I recommend doing a separate inventory for each member of the household. (yes, adults included!) This is a very eye-opening experience, and honestly it made me focus my clothing budget better.
Instead of buying clothing just because it was cute or a great deal, I now buy clothing items that are actually needed. Talk about a huge money saver right there!
While I was doing the inventory, I also keep track of what sizes my kids are wearing now. This helps me later on when shopping, so I don’t have to figure out then what size I should be getting.
Clothing Inventory PDF
I have included some questions to ask yourself while you are doing this inventory. They may help you figure out exactly what you need, and what your goals should be.
This will be different for each family and there is no right or wrong way to do this. You just have to figure out what works for you!
These inventory sheets really helped me be better organized as well as be better prepared for growth spurts.
My kids are still young and grow very quickly, so I have to adjust their clothing pretty frequently. If your family is older and doesn’t change sizes often, you may not have to update this as much.
