To know how much it costs to raise children?

[smileygrapefruit]

I've googled and seen the statistic is something like £230000 per kid up to age 21. AIBU to think it can be done much, much cheaper than this? At present we only need to use a childminder 10 hours a week as DH and I work opposite times, different days off iyswim, so I appreciate that makes a big difference . We have been given lots of toys/clothes and anything we need to buy I get second hand or in the sales. For birthday/Xmas presents I shop around and keep the budget low (although I appreciate this will increase as children age). I shop in Aldi and asda managing to keep the weekly shop under £80p/w inc nappies etc. Basically the kids really don't cost much at all... yet! We are not rich at all but at the moment living this way we have enough left over to have days/meals out every now and then without worrying. I'd really like to know how much it really costs once they start school, assuming I continue all the above?

Threenme I guess people have different attitudes on this and that's fine. I have never cared what label I wore and I was certainly never bullied or made to feel inferior over it and I was still at school 9 years ago so it's not like times have changed that much. My kids will be brought up to understand the value of things and that their parents have to work bloody hard for the money to do and buy nice things. Even now at just gone 4 my eldest understands that she can either have say a new toy or we can go out somewhere fun. I don't think there's any harm in teaching those kind of values. I'm not saying we couldn't afford to do both things but that's just the way we do it so they hopefully grow up understanding how money works.

It's one thing being a 4 year old and choosing between a toy or a trip out.

It's another thing being a teenager and being bullied for wearing the "wrong" clothes/shoes etc.

The shoes are expensive.

Today I got three pairs of kids shoes in Clarks and now I have to remortgage.

Mine don't wear 'designer' clothes, but I still spend more on them than I do for myself and waaaaay more than when they were pre-schoolers.
When they hit adult clothing sizes (for mine when they were around 11-12) the costs shoot up. 3 pack of tshirts in tesco for a child may be less than £10. They're around £10 each in adult sizing. And why would you not want to buy them things they want rather than what you think they should have? I've learnt that lesson the hard way. Within reason, obviously.

Everything is a little more expensive, reading books cost more, haircuts cost extra, they need full size meals in restaurants. On and on.

And high school uniform costs make me want to cry!
It really is a 'how long is a piece of string' question.

Just worked out I've lost about 60k net in earnings and still shelled out about £28k in nursery fees.

My eldest is 5!

I'm sorry I just don't buy in to this "they'll get bullied for having the wrong clothes"
That never happened when I was at school/uni, only left uni 5 years ago. And it doesn't happen to relatives or other teenagers I know.

I'm sorry I just don't buy in to this "they'll get bullied for having the wrong clothes"
That never happened when I was at school/uni, only left uni 5 years ago. And it doesn't happen to relatives or other teenagers I know.

munchkin ouch!!

Mine didn't get bullied for wearing the wrong clothes. I did a bit, but tbh it wasn't so bad that it would have been worth my parents going without to ensure I had the right trainers.

Besides, I was also bullied (at various stages) for being fat (I wasn't) and swotty (I was), so there is absolutely no guarantee that I could have bought my way into popularity by just wearing the right trainers.

I'm personally happy to skimp on "stuff" but not in experiences. I didn't have kids to just keep them alive and sheltered. We do lots of free activities of course, but I wouldn't be happy to not have them learn to swim or not have bikes or hobbies or trips away with brownies etc. So that sort of thing costs about £300 a term if you balance it out, and we do do it cheaply, second hand bikes etc.

It costs your soul, thats the acurate price.

The smaller the kids, generally the cheaper they are. As they grow, so do the expenses.

I agree guilty, these threads seem to focus on saving money on babies, but that's the cheapest and easiest age!

Haha your soul!

Tinsel I totally agree with the experiences thing. I'm much more happy spending money on days out and making memories, learning new skills than I am on expensive clothes or toys that get played with once. And I totally understand them becoming more expensive.. hence the thread!!

So specifically, we've just paid £119 for one extra curricular activity (up to x-mas). Another is still due £40. One kid has out grown their bike (Our roads are notoriously dangerous so while I will buy cheap or second hand, I insist on proper servicing which is not cheap). There's an "optional" trip coming up from one of their hobbies which is £16, and the other it'll be in a show at end of term: £10 each to go see it and we buy the grandparent tickets too so £50 on top of term fees, there will also be costume hire and extra tights and bits. There will be Halloween discos and the kids always want to go ice skating at Christmas. s

Thats before any family outtings

Thanks Tinsel it's good to get an idea although obviously everyone's numbers will be different. I kind of just wanted to know whether they were going to start costing me hundreds more a month and where the hidden costs are! By the sounds of it the main things that go up in cost are clothes/food and activities. Think we can handle that... I hope!

I made a spreadsheet and calculated between $6000-8000 per year per childcent, and that imclides contingency money and childcare 3days/week until 5yrs, then afterschool care. I needed to see costs before we chpose to have another bub.

Thats AUD for my costslate sorry, forgot to mention.

Babies cost virtually nothing, compared with the secondary school/university stage.

How much do children cost to raise? All of your money, and much of your sanity

My sanity is long gone and my eldest is only 4 😂