Average cost for a child

[MingZi]

Hi, I am preparing to have a child. I have no idea what are the expenses, how much a child would cost at different stages and I wonder how much should I save up before trying?

I know different people spend different amount, let's say an average standard, nothing posh, but comfortable for the baby.

There will be no help at all from grandparents in terms of child care. I will take maternity leave for maybe 9 months only to keep my job safe and also to continue getting an income. DH will take 2 weeks of paternity leave and work full time.

Please can you tell me a rough figure how much is needed before the child is born? This is mainly for preparing the baby's room, pushchair, and clothes, toys, etc, right?

What about during maternity? Assume breast feeding, I imagine there will be expenses for clothes, toys, nappy, milk powder, anything else? How much a month? Because there is no help from family, do I need to budget for nanny/baby sitting when I am not able to look after the child on my own? To be honest, I am quite concerned about looking after a new born completely on my own.

After I return to work, I will have to send the baby to nursery, which will cost about £100/day in London, I think. This will continue until child goes to school. During this stage, what's the likely monthly cost to raise a child excluding nursery cost?

Many thanks for any answers.

[jannier]

As this is a childcare board I can inly comment on the cost of childcare....you need to ring around in the areas of London your living in as it varys greatly. Dont forget you don't have to use a nursery often childminders are cheaper and more flexible. But registered and inspected by the same Ofsted inspectors to the same standards as nursery so an outstanding childminder will have met the same level 9f care as an outstanding nursery. The main difference being you get to see and talk to the person who is with baby all day you can build a relationship and baby sees them as visiting auntie

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

Nurseries in south east London ranged from £50-£120 a day- ours was £75 a day- 15/30hrs kick in the term after they turn 3 (lower income households qualify at 2).
open a childcare tax free account
claim child benefit but check the income limits- will keep your NI points when on mat leave.

formula is now c.£13 a tub- prob two+ tubs a week before they start weaning.
car seat should be new imo- £60+
everything else you can get second hand or not bother with.

most importantly is to work out your salary drop when on mat leave and discuss how you intend to have access to family money.

[RandomQuest]

If you’re in London see if there’s a Farah kids near you- it’s a charity shop but they only really high quality stuff and the kids ones have clothes, prams, toys, books etc. We especially love the book shop! Get a car seat new though.

Ikea is also great for nursery furniture, the cheapest cot plus mattress can be had for £100.

Re nursery you’re also looking at likely £1000 or thereabouts in deposit when you sign up so don’t forget to budget for that. You get it back when you leave but if you’re using the same nursery from 9 months until starting school then that’s a long wait!

Formula milk is £12 a tub-ish and just before weaning at 6 months they go through about 2 a week. Once 6 months old you can switch to stage 2 follow on milk which you can get special offers on and collect reward points.

You don’t need to budget for a sitter whilst on mat leave unless it’s for you and DH to have a night out, otherwise you generally to fit your stuff in around him like get your hair cut evenings or weekends.

I honestly couldn’t tell you the exact monthly cost though, somehow you just end up absorbing it!

[sarahb083]

We bought most things second hand:

• decent secondhand pram £75 (huge savings over a new one)
• secondhand cot £50 + new mattress £50 = 100
• secondhand changing table £15
• baby carrier (optional but I'd recommend one) £50
• car seat (it's recommended to buy new in case it's been in an accident, but you could get one from someone you know) £50 used or a few hundred new
• optional - breast pump. again, can get second hand. not sure of price.
• clothes: we got given some as gifts but you can buy bundles online such as on Vinted for very cheap, say £50 for the whole first year
• We use Aldi nappies and wipes and they're excellent and very cheap. Maybe £10-20 a month?

If you have any friends or neighbours with slightly older kids, they may pass things on to you. We've been given quite a lot and passed it on to our neighbours with a younger baby.

In total we probably spent £300 on newborn essentials, then £50 per month on random things she needed.

Our daughter is now 15 months and the monthly costs are minimal - the only significant cost is nursery. We are in south London and her nursery is £75 per day. If both you and your partner each earn less than £100k per year AND don't receive universal credit, you're likely eligible for the tax-free childcare scheme, which is a 20% savings on the cost of childcare. So, our childcare bill is £820 per month for 2.5 days per week, but we only pay £620 because of the scheme.

Staying home all day time a newborn is hard. Will your partner be working full time outside of the house? I think it's worth having a conversation about expectations now. Personally, I found being home with a baby harder than working, so I really needed a break when he got home from work. My baby would only nap on me, so I never got any free time. He would take over for a few hours after work so I could have a break. Outside of work, my partner and I split ALL childcare and responsibilities 50/50.

If you can, it's helpful to have room in your budget for help in those first few months, whether it's a cleaner, food delivery, or a regular babysitter for a few mornings per week.