People overestimate how much children cost on here?

[Bankin]

Yesterday found an old bank statement from 2019 and worked out after paying my rent I only had 400-500 a month to spend on everything else with one child.
No idea how I managed that but I did and now it has me wondering about all the threads where people say they can't afford kids because they'd only have a couple thousand left after the mortgage/rent? Am I unreasonable to think these people are being a bit dramatic?

There’s also child benefit on top. It seems hard to believe that after your rent contribution, and the UC amount, plus an allowance for one child, plus child benefit that it would only leave £400 and some months £500 before any bills.

It's true not sure why people think I'm lying I'm under 25 so take into account under 25s get less money than over 25s. Universal credit is just one payment and after the rent it was between 400-500 left.

I dunno about people overestimating kid costs, but I hate it when you get newspaper articles about 'Kids costs eleventybillion pounds to bring up' but it turns out that includes private school and skiing lessons or something like that!

I've definitely seen posts on here where people claim you need £x to bring up a child and then list optionals. Of course more money = more choice which is better. But it's still possible.

In fact, there was one thread a few years ago where someone kept telling me it wasn't possible to raise a family on whatever the amount was. My entire income was less than that. Her reasons ranged from
"Oh but I have 2 children" ( so do I)
"Yes, but I live in the SE, it's more expensive here" (so do I)
"Oh yes but I'm in x town." (Amazingly, so am I!)

Turned out she lived in a large semi-detached house in the most expensive part of town. I live in a small terrace elsewhere. She tried claiming she had to be in that area as she needed to be walking distance from the train station. I can get there quicker than she could!

Now of course, she was entitled to live where she lived etc etc. But to claim it wasn't possible at all to raise a family on less than her income was clearly not correct.

To get a high earning job you usually need to move away from family so you have to outsource everything. Outsourcing costs. Wraparound care, nannies, emergency cover etc. I live in a village where my friends have a mix of local family and far flung family and the costs of those without family are eye watering, breakfast clubs, post school pickups etc, right up to age 10.

I live 5 minutes from practically my entire family and DHs, still have to outsource everything 😂

Yeah it’s certainly not a given!