Teenagers are costly

[Honeyandapple]

I only have young DC but already thinking ahead to the teenage years. We don't have much saved and I'd like to start putting something aside monthly as I hear that kids get expensive when they reach their teens!

So what is it that cost a fortune?
I can see how various things would mount up

Man size clothes/Shoes
Man size portions and endless appetite

I would imagine shoes which are already expensive for children.
They may be into clothes.
More pocket money.

Teenagers want expensive things, but that doesn't mean you have to let them have them. The problems start when all their friends have things and they want to fit in. Phones/clothes/shoes/make up etc really add up when you can't buy a cheap tshirt from asda anymore

Oh plus they want to go to Costa/shopping/cinema etc with their friends and
they need money to do it.

I agree. You don’t have to buy them expensive things. My parents never did! The most costly expense will be car related, uni related, first house related.

I have 3 teens food is expensive clothes are bigger than mine so expensive School uniform Eye watering expensive Books for 6th form I’ve spent hundreds of pounds since September Thankfully the two most expensive have jobs so they buy their own luxury items I cover all the basics still. Saying that apparently some parents charge rent so maybe I’m doing it wrong!

Clothes/shoes and food mainly on a day to day. They grow very quickly and the clothes get more expensive once into adult sizes.

Hobbies. Those football kits and subs to the team(s), the golf, piano and judo lessons. Factor in petrol costs for taxi services for these hobbies.

If they are lucky to find a PT job at 16 this eases things considerably but if they can't and you still want them to have a social life they will need the money.

Driving lessons-much easier to learn to drive at 17 than to try and do it later on. Currently anything up to about £35 an hour. Then there's the car insurance etc.

University. Kitting them out with all the stuff they need, and then (again if they don't have a PT job) you will be paying for rent or living costs if the student loan doesn't cover everything.

Well, they can't be much more expensive if you haven't got the money.
It depends on not only finances but your opinion on certain aspects labels/ no labels, latest gadget/ hand me down gadget, paying for uni/ expecting them to stand on own two feet, the list is endless.

We have four - they grow really fast, so clothes, shoes, coats etc. Clubs and after school activities are all extra (rugby, fencing, handball, riding, Scouts, CCF etc)They all have phone contracts. They constantly need money for going out to see friends and three teenage boys eat a huge amount! Over lockdown, we actually have saved a fair amount due to the lack of after school activities! My eldest is going to need driving lessons in the Spring....and then we have uni to worry about. Its relentless but wouldn't have it any other way!

Food, clothes, tech and activities

Food, clothes, sports and hobbies. And the things they want for Xmas, birthdays tend to be be smaller but more expensive!

Bus passes!

Clothes and food are the main expenses, particularly for teenage boys. My oldest could eat three fully cooked meals every day plus limitless snacks. He eats more than me and his dad put together 😂

Clothing
College (not talking uni), bus pass. My DC is with a host family and that costs.
Food -lots
Driving lessons
Phones
Laptops for school/college
Petrol for sports -annual subs

What everyone else has said, plus supporting through university if they are unable to get a job or their course makes it difficult to work.

Then there is the mental cost - teenagers need you more emotionally than small children do. DD certainly put me through the mill once she went to secondary school - bullying, health issues, friendship issues, boyfriend issues, more bullying, depression, self harm, borderline anorexia, exam stress.

I don't know how large families get through this multiple times.

Oh yes bus passes. £600 for the year for the school bus. I don't miss that bill. And all the bills for replacing the bus pass when it got lost a lot.

School uniform was from one supplier and that was ££££s.

Primark sells men's t shirts for a few quid and I shopped there a lot. Ds's went into adult men's sizes at about 13. Shoes were about the same time where they go into size 7+.

But again Primark for joggers, jeans, hoodies, pjyamas/lounge wear. The issue comes in if they are easily swayed by marketing shit where they want a SuperDry t shirt.

My sons do not have phone contracts as they have android phones for less than £200 and then a PAYG, 17 year old is about £10 14 year old isn't allowed his phone in school so his is £7.

Food is the big one in our house. 2 teenage boys. They are hollow.

They eat non stop, and then grow. And mens clothes/ shoes are so expensive compared to children's ones. DS1s 'cheap' shoes cost nearly as much as I used to pay for Clarkes.
Depending on school and how much choice you have about where you send them, uniform is insanely expensive compared to primary. Primary everything was from Tesco/M&S. Now everything is logoed. DS1s logo polo shirts are £18 each. DS2 can have supermarket shirts, but has to have a logoed blazer at £40ish and a logoed rucksack which is £10 (and if last year is anything to go by it will fall apart).

Everything else is negotiable imo. Mine are happy with Primark clothes, but don't have the cheapest most basic phone packages because they wanted mid range tech. Tech needs charging so there is always something plugged in here!

And food. Did any one mention food!!!

Food. Entertainment. "Family" meals out.

The amount of food they get through! DS1 is 18, from 14 to 16 it seemed like he just never stopped eating. It wasn't greed, he genuinely was hungry. And growth spurts that always seem to come just after you've already replaced shoes or a winter coat.

Travel, sigh. Gone are the days of "child" airfares. Cannot squash them into a bed with 2 siblings or even the same room or onto a moderate size sofa. Entry prices everywhere you might go on hols are adult prices.

Annual bus fare to secondary school or train fare to college = £550.

Organised sport ends up being more & more expensive.

Depending on your earnings the government expected contribution to their maintenance at university (if they choose to go) is something to look out for.

I'd say our two are cheaper than the days of paying for nursery fees. We give them £15 and £50 per month (the older one is 15 and buys her own clothes with that money), shoes and clothes for the youngest which average £30 per month I would say. Food is more expensive , but we also dont do day trips anymore which also used to add up. We eat out less than we used to as that's more expensive now that kids meals aren't an option. Christmas and birthdays are probably about the same as they donr have parties anymore.

For us, we have dd17 and dd16, it’s train fares to 6th form, driving lessons (car insurance) and looking towards uni. Hobbies are fewer but more expensive.

Both have part time jobs, which helps with social lives.

Clothes etc they usually get for Christmas/birthdays.

...but yes we are finding these ages most expensive yet!

What happened to teenagers having jobs? When I was 16 I worked after school 2 days a week and Saturday during the day. I then had sat night and sun up myself