What age kids become expensive?

[Glassofredandapackofcrisps]

Just that really. My dd is nearly 2 costs creeping up slightly and so wondering is it a gradual rise or does it come as a massive shock around a certain age? Thank you!

Unless of course you choose to support some VERY expensive hobbies

My dd was always very tall for her age so the kids clothes and shoes are long gone.
She's 11 last year of primary. Size 5 shoes.
Eats an adult meal when we eat out.
High school uniform is all logo this, blazer that. Will cost a bomb.
Soon will be adult price for holidays.
Then there's going out eith her mates. Until she can get a job, that will cost us.
I'm not sure whether she'll go to uni but as the squeezed middle no doubt we'll get stung for that.
It is what it is though.

I'm really not looking forward to train and bus fares doubling. We spend A LOT of money on public transport.

There doesn't seem to be any brand snobbery among children where I live, my dc are 8 - 13 and still not a peep from them about brands.

1k per month per child? Wow, I hope not.

But I spend £100 pcm on pocket money
£50 pcm on phone contracts
another £50 pcm on extra cash handouts for various outings
£150-200pcm on clothes approx (I buy uniform, shoes and basic street wear. if they want designer tat they pay for it themselves. Which they increasingly do.)
Averaged out £25 pcm on toiletries, haircuts etc
£280pcm on clubs and interests (music lessons are £££)
£200pcm on travel (very expensive locally)

That's £850-900+ without adding the extra costs of bigger food bills and any things we choose to take them too, nlike trips to cinema, gigs etc.

That's a lot more than I realised. But that's between them. That's £110 each pw, roughly £15 per day. Not so much when you look at it like that.

@FaFoutis - I hope that lasts. My DC used to laugh at people who were brand snobs, then at 16 they suddenly changed their minds .

And I thought I'd got away with it.

I know. My mistake was to feel smug about it. My DC aren't so shallow as to think labels matter. No, wait. Just delayed shallowness.

They can change their views on brands if they like. Doesn't mean I'll be giving them the money for them.

I'll be buying any brands requested, like an idiot. I was bullied at school so will do anything I can to ensure my dc are not.

I will wait until I am there, my eldest DC is only 12, we have not hit teenage yet. My only reference is what I had, that was the point I was making.

Still in kids clothes and shoes - actually, some of my clothes and shoes are kids clothes and shoes. My winter coat is a kids age 15-16, I’m an adult size 12 and above average height. I have kids trainers too, size 5.

DC is yet to have allowance or specific spending money, yet to spend any actual money on a mobile other than having our old non-smart PAYG which has only been topped up once in a year. I’m sure we will get there, I’m just wondering when.

Public transport, the DC cost the same at age 5 or age 17 if they are in education here, so that’s OK. For train journeys all together, the railcard makes their tickets pretty much free. It’s most expensive here, oddly, when they go out by themselves and I go out by myself eg commute as all the family ticket deals, cheap travel together, railcard deals etc stop.

But they walk to school and we have lots of amenities in the area so it’s rare to need much public transport for us.

Public transport costs a big issue for us - will cost literally thousands a year once children turn 16.
That's the major cost, to be honest. One DC has a serious activity that is usually pretty expensive, but as is very good at it, she gets most things paid for.
University is where it gets really expensive - as no significant scholarships or bursaries are available.