How much do you need to earn for 3 kids?

It’s not what everyone has but what one thinks one would need with the assumption of very average expenses, that’s different.

But nobody can come up with a figure for that because it requires too many assumptions and a person's attitude to risk. I am very risk averse but I'd rather have two healthy children and loads of savings than just about be able to afford three. What if one of you is made redundant/becomes long term ill/the third child has disabilities that will affect your working?

And I'm surprised that you're only saving £50 a month per child, by the time they're old enough to drive that will pay for about one driving lesson a month. And I'm not convinced you'll get enough from a stocks and shares ISA from just paying in CB to pay for Uni. In fact I'm surprised you get CB, from your outgoings I assumed your income would be higher.

do you both work full time?

ah so eldest in school, sorry missed that

what do you do for all the other childcare needed?

how old is your eldest?

300????? Where do you live!!?? Are these houses on sale??

no it was more that the previous Op kept listing all her expenditure and savings and it just didn’t tally with income!

intrigued to know how you got these 3 holidays for £4.5k. Pls put me out of my misery! 😆

what LA?

what is your “low” childcare costs?

os your eldest at school yet?

We earn roughly the same, maybe a little more. We have one DC. When I took mat leave I lost nearly 30k in salary alone even with enhanced mat pay. We are both in public sector roles with good defined benefit pensions, sick pay, annual leave etc.

Holidays in school holidays are far more expensive than term time, I'm also fussy in that I don't go on holiday to share a bedroom with DS for a fortnight. We've booked the first two weeks of summer hols next year AI greek islands 4* rather than 5 and will still hire a car and go off exploring so will need spends on top. That's £6.5k for 3 of us for the basic holiday without extras.
We've also got a long weekend European city break booked (family wedding)

We only run one car at the moment and it's owned outright, we both work locally and DH cycles everywhere. Saving is important to me, we save £700 jointly per month, £150 for DS and I usually save a couple of hundred personally from my fun money. We've just booked to have our kitchen renovated and will pay for that cash. I hate debt/finance.

DS does the clubs and activities he wants, we go to the theatre etc regularly, if something happens to the car/house we can afford to fix it, I don't worry about money, I'd have to be an awful lot more careful with 3.

You LA massively subsides nursery fees and it’s non means tested?

have you posted before about your finances?

sounds so similar to another poster and by the end everyone was saying that you’re family income was like Mary Poppins handbag…. it just kept on and on giving despite the figures not really adding up!

We have four....childcare costs when they are little are big, but having four teens and possibly 3 at uni at the same time is very expensive - and terrifying when one's husband has been made redundant recently....! We were very comfortably supporting them all easily but had an income significantly into 6 figures.

Things to consider when they are older - phone contracts driving lessons, tech (IE laptops for school) x 4, shoes/trainers/clothes etc plus extracurriculars and school trips. Ours are/were at state grammar, so no fees but so far this (school year) we are have been asked to fund a trip to China, a ski trip to Italy, an A level art trip, DoE - on top of £1000 a month for rent x 2 for our uni students. Obviously we don't have to say yes, but the school is excellent and it's why we chose it - because they do offer amazing opportunities beyond the norm. Luckily they aren't sporty or we'd be looking at rugby trips to Canada and cricket trips to Dubai too.

we do 2 holidays a year abroad and a uk one, last year we spent 4.5k (Disneyland Paris, centre parcs and a 5 AI abroad, so not camping*

come again?! £4.5k on
2 adults and 2 children

Disneyland paris
5* AI
and centre parks

can you provide the breakdown because i can’t fathom!

how much do you pay in childcare as “low” means different things!

Is your eldest at school?

Childcare costs are low, youngest is nearly 3.

can you be sure that the family member currently providing childcare will continue to? presuming that why costs are low

is your partner also very keen?

would that be the sum total of your savings (holidays aside)

pension?

You are likely signing up to working for longer to get everyone through Uni and launched looking at my friends. Only you will know if another dc makes sense to you.

I agree with this. The cost isn't the baby stage but the teen one.
University and driving being two big ones.