People overestimate how much children cost on here?

It's very clear that they mean they can't afford to give them the life that they want.

Not just scrimping and saving for the basics.

£140 a month for basically 2 adults is around 75p a portion for each of the 3 meals a day. Thats really struggle levels and leaves nothing whatsoever left over for the occasional snack, piece of fruit or milk and coffee. Nor does it account for laundry detergent, cleaning products, toiletries shampoo, shower gel, deodorant, toothpaste, tooth brushes etc. And household things and toiletries aren’t listed as a separate item either.

It’s nonsense that you can feed and maintain 2 adults for £140 in the long term that doesn’t involve basically plain rice and porridge for many of the meals.
Can you live? Sure, can you eat a minimally balanced diet? No not at all.

No I just don’t believe for a second “£140 max” a month covered every single meal, drink and morsel of food that you and a teenage boy ate.

That leaves £165, so £1980 a year for savings. If you only pay £5 a month for your phone, then you meed to but one outright. That isn't a lot to play with if you have a big expense each year, white goods etc. To manage on that you'd need to have cheap/free child based activities/libraries/ etc close by, or life would be very basic.

It wasn’t half the price it is now though, so it wasn’t massively cheaper.

The point remains if you have a teenager who doesn’t live with you full time now then your bills really are not reflective of the costs of having and raising a baby right now.

They are deffo being dramatic. They whine about how expensive kids are but then reveal the costs include ski trips, tutoring and private school fees. My heart hardly breaks for them!

There was a thread another night about the cost of teens but the op was spending £100 a month on riding lessons!

Just pay for these things without moaning or don't!

Oh ffs can't people read. It was cheaper for food in 2023 when DS was here full tim. Other bills were about the same as now so it's not made any noticeable difference

If people on here want to spend hundreds on utilities etc let them get on with it. I prefer to spend money on nicer things like travel and experiences

No it wouldn’t necessarily be more income, lots of households don’t have more money left after paying their bills.

You’re claiming you pay for all food for £140 a month, a teenager is essentially an adult for food purposes (if not more). So if you’re now saying that actually your £140 on food is JUST for yourself then that makes your argument irrelevant really, you’re funding a 1 person household.

But they weren't any higher in 2023 when DS was there full time

Maybe you just upset at having been ripped off £30 a month for water 25 years ago lol

You live alone for the majority of the year!! Your bills are irrelevant.

I know what you mean - when I had my third I had a friend who was all "you're so lucky to be able to afford another baby, it just isn't the same for us" when her p/T salary was the same as our household income and THEN her husband earnt like 70k in top 🙄

When she then elaborated it was about how they wouldn't be able to afford to take 3 skiing etc which is fine, you choose your own compromises but don't pretend it's due to lack of decent income cos that's just plain insulting to others who are genuinely skint

If 2 adults were in the house then would be more bloody income. You told me I was lying about the utilities As you see I'm not

Not in 2025 it’s not, as you say yourself you get a discount on council tax which not every household does so even that would increase your costs.

I’d also love to know where you shop or what you eat to be able to feed 2 adults anything close to a good diet for £140 a month.

It's not drastically different to 2023 costs you know.

What costs was I talking about years ago BTW? It's YOU that was going on about £30 water in 1999 I believe. My £16 a month is current. And they put it up this year

Totally agree OP. It's huge fun when the childcare fees exceed your income and you have to pay to work! I must have been missing a trick.

Okay so are you aware comments detailing what it cost you years ago and costs now when you have a uni student during the holidays isn’t remotely comparable to what it costs to raise a child today?

Log burner is fuelled by wood from trees that were felled in my garden mainly and other wood I've collected over time.Cost nothing.

DS is here uni holidays. So the usage I showed also covers this.

It was more pointing out that it is possible to live with £500 after rent and childcare

@Completelyjo as you see below Water £16 a month and I'm in credit

You haven’t accounted for fuel for the log burner then.

You can hardly claim you live on £40 a month gas and electric.

Edit. Oh interesting you say “I had” a teenager living, “when DS was here”

So you’re posting your energy costs when you’re on your own and not running any heating and comparing it to what is a reasonable liveable standard for someone actually raising a child in 2025.
Pointless.

Not a chance you could spend £32 “max” a week and account for every single meal, snack and drink an adult and teenage boy consumes.

No standing charges Shower is electric. And both DS and I are out a lot not Sat in house. If he was there and cold he could switch the heating on. Have log burner in front room so it's hardly freezing

It’s borderline neglect to have a child living in a home and never ever put the heating on.
£48 for the last year is barely the standing charge for most properties. You would struggle to even wash with hot water at £5 a month.
I genuinely don’t see how that is remotely liveable.

I had a teenager not a formula fed baby. Get 25% single person discount on council tax

Oh and have no standing charges on my utilities

Essex . It's on a meter. Adding pic of gas and electricity usage

@Mrsttcno1

How much it costs for a baby depends on your choices. I breast fed mine, used cloth nappies and cloth wipes do my weekly cost by dc2 was pretty much zero, I had the initial outlay for 24 cotton prefold nappies and 3 wraps per size then 24 washcloths (2x pack 12) for wipes. Most clothes were hand me downs or bought by my rather enthusiastic mother. My dc co slept until at least toddlers. They ate normal food not baby food which I appropriately prepared. I think my parenting isn't that mainstream but it does illustrate how costs can't be presumed.