How much do you need to earn for 3 kids?

[Allthegoodnamesaregonegone]

When you don’t live in London and have very average expenses?

for arguments sake, I googled and saw the average mortgage is £1400
average heating for 4/5 people is £200 a month (British Gas website)

assume no ‘bad debts’ and no private school

id love another kid, if possible, but I do see on here often on the cost of a third and that being a large factor, so I’d like to understand what is the amount people think you need to earn pre tax to live comfortably with 3.

What I’ll say - and I can’t give a figure, but we have 3 who are now young adults and a teenager - is that the early years and the later years are the tortuous ones financially. Primary school age is the cheapest. Having 3 teenagers who want to go into higher education can be breathtakingly expensive. As is giving them a decent standard of living (breadth of experience being more important in my view than the latest gadget, but even the basics x 3 is hugely costly).

£99 spent on 12 year old dd’s winter coat this afternoon

i used to be able to pick one up for tenner off FB marketplace!

Surely the difference in costs from 2 children to 3, is minimal really.

What brand is that?

i don’t even spend that on my own winter coat?

I think it’s a different scenario as a single parent though, it’s all on you.

I know it's depressing but I do think it's worth considering how you'd cope as a single parent whether due to divorce or death, I know that's morbid, but something to consider as going up to 3 makes that more challenging. Also the risk of something going wrong or health issues, additional needs, of course that can happen with any pregnancy but the risk now is you have 2 other children to consider.

Surely the difference in costs from 2 children to 3, is minimal really.

If you have a frugal lifestyle maybe, but if you holiday abroad, require childcare, are over the threshold for max loans for university, want them to go on school trips, want them to do extra curriculars, it'll all add up. Our high school trips are £1000 per child, I want my children to have that opportunity. Much of that is discretionary which is why OP needs to consider the lifestyle she wants for her family first and foremost.

We earn £120k with 3 kids. Take home is around £5,500 pm Mortgage more like 1800 since it went up.
We have a uk holiday once a year
We are struggling at the moment tbh.
Kids in secondary and far more expensive than earlier school days due to bus passes, clubs, expensive days out as free playgrounds are a thing of the past etc. food for them now is really high as they are all eating large adult meals and lunches.
If someone told me we would be on this much as a family and still feel like we had little disposable money I would never have believed them!

Is that without qualifying for UC? If you do get UC, what does that make it a year (looking at take home after tax plus UC and then working it backwards to see what you'd have to earn pre tax to have the same situation)

Is this based on both of you working?

because base take home is 6.2 and our base salary is 112k

super dry

probably because you aren’t in year 7 where brands seem quite important. Bit surprised you didn’t appreciate that Op!

my coat… 4 years old and going strong!

Oh I wasn’t allowed brands at that age, but then top shop and Tammy girl ruled the world (aka the British high street)

when you have three teens… holidays will be 5 adults. I’m taking mine to CR next year. 3 adults despite them being 13 and 15 when we go! £7.6k 🙈

Have you factored in you’ll need family rooms or two rooms into your holiday budget?

ditto 😆

times have changed op as i’m sure you’ll be aware

I did do my usual bargain hunt last min holiday search (I always do last min unless a specific resort in mind) and I found places that would work for us and my comfortable week away budget (2.5-3k). did it for 3 teens and 3 kids. Although hopefully we’d have increased our earnings in that time period

Sadly I know… my skinny jeans have been folded away as have my trainer liner socks

heavens

foreign holiday for 5 adults in school holidays for £2.5-3k in total? OP that doesn’t sound promising!

how old are you?!

Well it was amenable to me, we might have different standards for holidays and that’s ok.

but it was 4 star and 4.5 on Tripadvisor and through TUI, so can’t be that bad 😅

Depends on age gaps and how many in nursery.

You make do with what you have. Things work out. 2nd hand stuff etc.

I wouldn't have three due to it being too much stress and effort and lack of sleep!

and that was for three teens and two adults in one room? on what basis? in the school hols? including flights? for £2.5-£3k

would you mind sharing the resort?!

too old

(33+1)

We earn about 70k and have 3 kids aged 12, 11 and 8. We manage comfortably but have never had to pay for childcare, think that would really put a strain on things. In fact I wouldn't have had a third in that instance.

We are about £930 per month for mortgage (but still on an extremely low 5 year fixed rate) about £200 for gas/electricity. We find the biggest cost is food. We are about £800 a month!

If you like holidays/travel having a 3rd is a huge extra expense.

One sec, I’ll send the link. I just need to re search it

We have a gross household income of £125k but can't afford a third because childcare in years 1-5 would be over £1.5k a month

need to start on dinner so i’ll leave you to it op

but you more than anyone else know your financial circumstances
and you more than anyone else on this thread thinks it’s very doable

so….