How much does your teen cost?

[candlelightees]

I am a teacher and yesterday I overheard some cheeky chappies saying the government pays for them in the form of child benefit. This opened a discussion. Other students chipped in. It seemed some were self aware, others not so much.

I added up my own teen cost minus the grocery/household share. Didn't realise how expensive they actually are.

Transport- £20
Lunch money-£60
Counselling- £180
Clothes-£50 (always something wearing out)
Horesriding-£100
Pocket money-£100
Phone bill-£50
Total £560

Plus the commom texts. ' please can I have £20 to go out with so and so?' Can I get my nails, eyelashes, highlights done?

I realise a lot of this could be cut. But I think lots of people spend a lot on teens. They are bloody expensive.

My teen DDs costs.
£60 phone & contract
£40 for her ipad- I got for design then her college said no apple products 🤣
£400 (100 a week towards busses, lunch, breakfast etc as she's out of the house 12 hours a day if she travels)
£25 for her toiletries and the odd bit of basic make up.
£50 for driving lessons from me. My ex pays half.
£80 pocket money- it's topped up by the lunch and travel fund as I tend to drive her to college and back 3x per week.
£200 every 2 months for clothing usually includes 1 pair of trainers and a few cheaper bits of clothes.
£25 for savings.
£20 gym membership.

I couldn't imagine DD being naive enough to think that was from child benefit

Yes! 💯 👋

Not that much really. DS 17 & 19
Phones x 2 £5/month with sky
Clothes: joggers & T-shirts adult size for ages as they are adult sized and have been for a couple years.
Food: normal adult meals
DS19 uni accom but then again he’s not eating at home 👏
Biggest saving: driving lessons as I taught them myself. The perks of being a driving instructor has saved me around £4000

But that's £600 a year assuming a years contract. Much more if 18 or 24 months.

You can get a more than sufficient handset for a teen at £300-£400 and set up a £5-£10 a month tariff.

Yes, the handsets are best part of £1000. No thanks. I'll stick to his better phone.

Too much!
DS1 is at uni...we pay his catered accommodation @ £1000 a month. He has a loan for fees and pays everything else by working part time.
DS2.. £70 a month lunches
£100 a month tution
£50 a month gym
£30 phone
£80 train pass
£80 pocket money
£130 month driving lessons
£20 month DofE
Then the rugby kit, trainers, rugby boots, school uniform, school trips etc...easily £800 a month.

Single parent home-educating a teen with very helpful Grandparents:
Horse riding x1 per month £40 month
Scouts £10 month
Drama 1 £10 month
Drama 2 £75 month
lifesaving- my mum
maths tuition- my dad
online piano every other week- £30 month
singing lesson every other week- my dad
pocket money £20
choir- my mum
clothes £75 per month
English Lit GCSE Tuition £30 per month
English Lang GCSE Tuition £30 per month
Biology GCSE Tuition £30 per month
Spanish and Sociology Tuition £48 per month
Film GCSE Tuition £30 per month
food £100
Spotlight (acting) membership £10
National Theatre online £10
ad hoc online voice coaching £15 per month on average
books/equipment £25 per month
activities £80 per month = approx £670 per month

Dd 17 £167 a month
£50 allowance
£40 lunch money
£10 scouts
£30 gym membership
£17 phone
£20 clothes
Then I give her the odd £10 when she's broke.

17 year olds do not need nails, lashes, hair coloured (FFS). That’s not a parental responsibility in my opinion. Providing shampoo/conditioner and other essential toiletries, yes. Paying for a trim/haircut, yes. Not all that other stuff. If they want it, they should pay for it themselves.

Surely that’s a choice each individual makes for their children? Some will be willing to fund these things, some won’t. Different strokes for different folks. No need to be judgmental about it.

I mean, I did say “in my opinion”. 🙄

I also think it’s painfully sad how many young girls think they need massive fake lashes to look good/acceptable/fit in. 😢

DS2. (15)

£100 a month lunches
£180 a month tuition
£10 phone contract (we bought his iPhone and watch outright)
£180 pocket money
£60 a month for 3 rugby memberships
£160 a month for supplements

This year we also had to pay for dental treatment and braces (£2,800)

£80 rugby fitted mouth guard every time his braces need an adjustment.

Then his costs of his rugby, boots, clothing, physio, physio strapping, petrol, etc… easily amounts to £2000-£2500 a year.

Food , don’t ask, it’s a lot.

He plays rugby to a professional level for union (country) and league for (county) so his costs are high.

So so many responders on this thread changed the ops question, for a reason only they know, from 'what does your teen cost' thereby inviting responses from all walks of life for interest sake, to 'what does your teen need.'

Not one single responder, whose child is leading a lovely life, has responded with 'my teen needs her nails cut' , they've simply listed it in answer to the subject 'what does your teen cost.'

If we're going with 'need' then, you can go with pretty low. Gruel for all meals, and a blanket to sleep on on the kitchen floor.

My 17yr old DD costs me so little compared to most, probably less than £100 a month if don’t include food. Both my kids have had cheap tastes, very academic so spend most time studying and home bods

You also said “FFS”.

FFS can still be my opinion. Are you done now?

What do your children do if they want money-for clothes/books/ice cream? Do they have to ask every time?

Her nails “cut”? I assume acrylics to be honest, as nobody needs to pay to get their nails cut (unless elderly/disabled/unable for some other reason).

ok then, to answer the question: I have two teens and two younger children. The teens:

Canteen card/lunch: £15/week each so about £120 a month

Phone contracts: £25 each/month

Pocket money: £5/week each plus extra as they do jobs etc/good behaviour

Clothes: I don’t budget or add this up but I get them basic clothes and school shoes, trainers, football boots as they’re needed. A fortune.

Hair cut: £20 for my son every couple of months and his sister has it as and when, at a cost of about £30.

Plus gruel to eat and blanket on floor = bloody ridiculous response.