Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Nursery fee increase to £100 a day

91 replies

WildWhippet · 05/04/2023 19:50

£100 a day.

The nursery is fantastic but that’s almost £26,000 after tax. £2,125 a month.

How on earth do people afford a second child in the South East?

OP posts:
Randomness12 · 05/04/2023 19:53

Mine too, I’ve got an elder child in wrap around care at the same place but it’s crippling. I’m counting the months until it reduces when she turns 2 and then again at 3 and not spending much elsewhere in the meantime. It’s very demoralising.

TomatoSandwiches · 05/04/2023 19:55

We had 4yr gaps for a particular reason.

MelchiorsMistress · 05/04/2023 19:55

They space their children out and don’t have a second until the first is at school. Quite common round here.

VivaVivaa · 05/04/2023 19:56

How on earth do people afford a second child in the South East?

Bigger age gap (3.5 years), working more days than I would like prior to second maternity leave and no holidays/expensive cloths/treat items is the only way we will manage when DC2 comes along in summer. SE but one of the cheaper parts as well!

Overthebow · 05/04/2023 19:59

That’s a lot more expensive than my nursery in the South East. Ours is £80 per day, everything included. Is there a cheaper option?

Crunchymum · 05/04/2023 20:00

What was it before it went up? £100 per day sounds horrendous but I'm betting it wasn't too far off that before?

FeelsLikeALodger · 05/04/2023 20:01

have you thought about using a childminder? Much cheaper

Tohaveandtohold · 05/04/2023 20:02

Bigger age gap. I’m not living in the south east but I have a 6 year gap for this reason. We initially wanted a 3 year age gap but as soon as the 3 years was almost up, we realised we needed a big cushion when it came to savings, need to buy a bigger house, so just decided to hold off.
When the second one was born, we used a childminder for the first 2 years as it was cheaper.

EscapeRoomToTheSun · 05/04/2023 20:03

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Original poster
WildWhippet · 05/04/2023 20:03

@Crunchymum it was £92 a day previously. So a £170 a month increase.

@FeelsLikeALodger we don’t have any childminders locally, the housing is too expensive for them I think. I’ve looked - nothing sensible close enough.

OP posts:
kegofcoffee · 05/04/2023 20:08

FeelsLikeALodger · 05/04/2023 20:01

have you thought about using a childminder? Much cheaper

Good luck finding one in the SE commuter belt where I live. There's so few childminders and such high demand.

Unfortunately a childminder salary doesn't cover the cost of a mortgage on a house that's suitable for childminding in my area. So they are few and far between, with no indications that anymore will open up soon.

Original poster
WildWhippet · 05/04/2023 20:09

@Overthebow all very similar. I’m not sure wha the other two within a realistic distance to our house are charging.

but, given waiting lists, I’m not sure I’d be able to move anyway. Took me a year to get this place.

OP posts:
WhatFreshHeckle · 05/04/2023 20:10

We had DCs in the SE. I was a SAHM when they were little for this reason. Even back then nurseries were circa £90 / day where we live. It would have cost us money overall for me to go back to work, so I didn't.

Teafor1please · 05/04/2023 20:10

MelchiorsMistress · 05/04/2023 19:55

They space their children out and don’t have a second until the first is at school. Quite common round here.

I mean I've done this, but I pay £75 a day and can't afford it, how can this really help anyone afford 100 a day!? Unless their earnings are v high I suppose.

cocksstrideintheevening · 05/04/2023 20:11

I paid &90 a day back in 2011, I'm not surprised.

SpringBunnies · 05/04/2023 20:11

DC1 is in secondary now but it’s not a new problem. We space out the children so we don’t have two in nursery at the same time. Many do that. A four year gap in school is no longer uncommon.

kegofcoffee · 05/04/2023 20:13

I feel for you OP.

We timed it so DD2 started around the time DD1 turned 3 and got funded hours.

That said what we didn't factor in was nursery fees increasing by around 15%, and the 'top up' fees being so huge. So it still worked out around £150 a day for them both.

SpringBunnies · 05/04/2023 20:15

Also, I take home more than £2000 a month when DC was at nursery. With two lots of childcare vouchers and the 15 hour (later turn into 30 hours) reduction, it became easier. It’s been expensive for many years now, see those quoting £90 a day even 10 years ago. You really have to earn quite a good salary to afford childcare. It’s terrible for women who wants to continue working,

Ponderingwindow · 05/04/2023 20:16

Money is the primary reason we only have one child.

Original poster
WildWhippet · 05/04/2023 20:16

@SpringBunnies I fear that I started so late having children (thank you London house prices) that a four year gap might be pushing my luck…!

OP posts:
Coffeellama · 05/04/2023 20:17

It’s £50 a day here OP, I wouldn’t have been able to afford 2 in nursery at the same time even on that. I guess you just have to space out having kids, it’s rubbish though I agree.

Albiboba · 05/04/2023 20:17

How on earth do people afford a second child in the South East?

It’s a very short age gap if you have 2 kids in nursery before the funded hours. Just don’t have your kids that close together.

This price is expensive even in the south east. Im in London and only know 1 single person paying 2k a month, most pay significantly less than that including myself.

Coffeellama · 05/04/2023 20:18

Coffeellama · 05/04/2023 20:17

It’s £50 a day here OP, I wouldn’t have been able to afford 2 in nursery at the same time even on that. I guess you just have to space out having kids, it’s rubbish though I agree.

I should mention I’m in the north though! Not getting those prices in the south

3WildOnes · 05/04/2023 20:18

FeelsLikeALodger · 05/04/2023 20:01

have you thought about using a childminder? Much cheaper

Childminders where I live charge £10ph so no cheaper!

psychDr · 05/04/2023 20:24

Christ! That's insane. We are north England and I pay £43 a day. How on earth can anyone afford £100 a day 😳

Swipe left for the next trending thread