Children are expensive!!

[angelrainbow]

Pay day today and the monthly clothing budget has been blown on two pairs of shoes - one each for my little ones.

I can't believe how much Clarks charge, but I also don't feel 'right' in buying cheapy shoes from the supermarkets..there are some things I just won't compromise on and their footwear is one of them.

Am I alone in this?

[aguise]

I think you are quite right, little feet are so supple and no end of problems can be caused by ill fitting shoes. I used to have clarks for their main shoes, but did buy cheapies for playing in the garden and such like. I had four to buy for and dreaded it. Clarks never seem to have a lot of the kids shoes in the sale either I have noticed when looking for the grandchildren.

Ang x

[Julie]

I always bought clarks for my girls and now buy them for my grandaughters - I'm lucky there's a clarks in the outlet village and you can get a pair of girls shoes for £1o.

[Skippy]

I'm not convinced it makes any difference - I always had Clarks or Startrite (I think) shoes and I've still got manky feet.

[elldina]

i always buy clarks shoes and always had as a kid ,i also am around home and garden barefoot as are my kids , and my feet so far havent copied my sister or mum who squish theirs into fashion shoes and then wear slippers at home and look normal my nan bless her even said i should be a foot model lol mind you was after a couple of guinesses as my feet arent all bunioned etc lol
elldina

[Shining]

All mine have had Clarks/Startrite and all have good feet, I do too though and I know I never had them, I can even remember sharing shoes with my Mum as we were so poor!

[kallis3]

I was always in Clarks shoes as a kid (had plastic sandals in the summer for playing in though. There were only two different types of shoes then - lace up or T Bar sandals. I had the former in the winter and the sandals in the summer. I hated them!

Daughter (who is now 20 and lives in trainers) always had Clarks as well. My mum and dad used to go down to Somerset a lot, so I would always have her feet measured before they went and they would get me some shoes from Clarks village dirt cheap.

[another_bump]

I've bought the last 2 pairs of my sons shoes from Brantano. They do Clarks and have a 1/2 price clearance section. The last ones I bought were...
http://www.clarks.co.uk/find/ProductFam ... s-20332922
instead of paying £30 I paid £14.

All of DS's clothes are either supermarket brand or bought in sales. All of the new baby's clothes have been handed down from my sister's baby - who had the best of everything!
I prefer Pampers nappies, as I find they're one of the few brands that don't leak, but I buy them in bulk when Asda do their Baby & toddler events - currently £10 for £132 nappies.
I'm going to breastfeed the next one for as long as I can to save on the cost of baby milk.

[Cath]

Breast feeding is great I fed all mine and the youngest until she was 14 months as I didn't go back to work full time after her. She was 8 weeks prem too and had surgery (on Christmas Eve) the day after she was born so she deserved it lol.

I always bought mine Clarks shoes but now I buy them from the cheap shop on the high street. 1. becsause I can't afford Clarks and 2. because the cheap shoes last just as long as the Clarks ones when put through everyday school life at a fraction of the price. I don't stuff their feet into the shoes, I take time and try on many pairs to make sure they fit well and have room for growth etc.

[Cath]

I found the Tesco own brand nappies to be as good as the leading bands. Huggies were my favourite but once I discovered the Tesco ones I never looked back.

Hey you could be having to use terry nappies!

[kallis3]

We always used to take her to have her feet measured - I think that is quite important for growing feet.

I never compromised on her shoes, but then I could afford it when she was young.

Soooooo glad my daughter is now old enough to sort her own stuff out!

[MrsKnight]

Before my IVA they were always in Clarks & I was brought in Clarks.
But since being in our IVA & only been set off on a very low I&E our Clothing allowance which is 35 a month for a family of four (boys are aged 5 & 7 now) we simply cant afford it.
But I used to work for Clarks many moons ago & know how to measure feet & found a foot measure on internet. So I measure them & then take them to places like sports direct as they have branded leather shoes at discount prices - but do struggle as often dont have 1/2 sizes & the different widths. In the summer months they are in cheap trainers & sandals - as they wreck them in about a month!

Nappies - Sainsburys Basics range are suprisingly good! And Tescos & sainsburys own brands are brilliant. Only wish Id found them sooner! I use the own brand ones for night pants as those dry nights are just ridiculously expensive! Ive got boys n its been a nightmare getting them dry at night ;-(

[Skippy]

Am I glad that cats don't wear nappies or shoes! A bag of Catsan every now and then and that's it!

[minime]

Clarks for my two (aged 3&6). But they both have very wide fittings so not much choice else where. May get them measured next time and look on ebay, but they both have high insteps so really need to be fitted.
Cant even get them in normal trainers ( unless there a really wide fit) so its clarkes all round.
Think I'll be making extra money probably selling items on ebay! to buy their next shoes.

[Skippy]

Once they have been measured it might be worth looking at the Clarks website as they often have clearance bargains on there.