What do you budget for tweens?

[Led921900]

Just that really, I have three daughters aged 5, 3 and 8 months and obviously costs pretty high at the moment. When they’re all school age and beyond what should I budget a month for them (no bus fare costs to schools but lunch costs once they’re in year 3+).

Everyone keeps telling me they don’t get cheaper but baby is £800 a month childcare, age 3 about £400 a month and school age about £250 on average. Plus clothes, swimming lessons, bits and bobs.
Do they get more expensive? I was hoping when all kids in school things would come down because full time childcare so pricey!

I think some of it is still necessity and some depends on your lifestyle.

We have DS9, so have yearly costs for new school uniform bits, bits for pe, trainers, school shoes, swimming stuff, normal clothes for weekends, school bag, pe bag, water bottle for school etc

Then clubs - at the moment cubs, swimming lessons, taekwondo, and board game club.

Weekends are a mix of paid activities now he's older and free stuff, so a proper day out could be something like £50-£60 but other weekends we don't spend anything.

Then things like how much you treat them to in terms of books, toys, magazines, do they have pocket money? Mobile phone, games console, tablet when they're older etc

They get loads cheaper!

Only have my 15 year old daughter still at home and she gets an allowance of 350 quid a month which covers everything she needs really - clothes, hair appointments, lunches if she doesn't take a packup, school trips, cinema with friends etc. I do pay for her mobile phone and Spotify on top but that's only another 25 quid.

She says she has more than enough money and has even saved quite a lot from her allowance.

Food costs can't be much out of the weekly shopping as she doesn't drink alcohol (unlike me).

I used to have 3 in full time nursery/wrap around care for years so they are definitely cheaper now!

I have a 15yr old and a 10 yr old. They are not very expensive tbh, both quite small so don't grow out of uniform quickly and clothes are passed down. Neither do clubs, I go clothes shopping in spring and autumn after a clear out, we go to cheaper shops, they like H&M, New Look, Primark and Matalan, never really had any quality issues with them.
15yr old has £30pm spends which tend to go on crap from Co Op, she has £50pm school lunches and that's about it for regular outgoings. They like their toiletries so I let them go mad in B&M every now and again.

At great thanks. I was hoping for hand me downs helping us out but my middle daughter is a bit of a disaster and not much is surviving stain free 😂.
literally thought we’d never go on holiday or exchange our car again!

So I've always had to watch my spending so budgeting has become a bit of habit. This is what I budget generally over and above housing, food, transport etc. For two children age 9 an 13.

£80pm Xmas & birthdays
£35pm school uniform
£50pm family days out (we usually spend over this though!)
£75pm clothes &haircuts
£80pm sports clubs
£40pm eldest school lunch money
£20 pocket money
£100pm youngest childcare (1 day pw).

Hope that helps. It can feel tight. Eldest is becoming more expensive as he wants designer clothes etc I'm finding I have to top him up more.