£18k to have a baby?!

[EstherOnions]

gurgle.com say that the average cost of having a baby is £18k for one year and £27k for three! only if you're Madonna, maybe - or do you reckon it's a fair price? You can work out what it'll cost you to have kids too with this budget calculator they've got: www.gurgle.co.uk/tools/baby_budget_calculator/default.aspx

yes Riven...they're called "My Little", we can afford several for my DD, even on my modest salary

My Little are the expensive ones. You can get cheap knock offs.

'I'm pregnant with my first and no-one mentioned the need for horses!'

And they serve the dual purpose of providing sustenance should you fall on hard times.

Only the best for my wee darling Athene

expat - excellent point. I'm afraid in extremis a guinea pig could never be anything more than a light lunch...

I've never added it up, but easily spent more than £18K in first year. John Lewis got about £3k before she was even born! She is my PFB only plan to have one so didn't really think about it too much. People can and do spend less - not sure why it's necessary to put a price on everything tbh.

In my case, 18k would have been about 16k over-estimated, possibly more . I didn't give up a job (was a student) and had most of my baby equipment bought for me. CB covered most of the rest.

It may well depend how determined you are to buy it all yourself, or whether you have people around you able to provide you with second hand stuff. As DH and I are in our mid-thirties, loads of family and friends have castoffs. We have now acquired, on long-term loan

a) a chest of drawers with changing area on top
b) a drawer-full of clothes, some more appropriate for a girl than others!
c) a travel cot
d) a cot
e) a crib for when they're tiny
f) a baby gym
g) oh yes, and a zoo-full of stuffed toys from excited grandparents.

But I appreciate we are really lucky. Best friend was first in our circle of friends, and first in both families, so the situation would have been very different for her.

I think know children probably cost more once they go to school and get involved in more activities. My dd's swimming lessons cost in the region of £300 a year, not including travelling costs, costumes, goggles, certificates/badges and holiday classes. That's just one activity.

I suppose you can't really count things like holidays in the overall cost as you would probably go on them (maybe to different resorts) even if you didn't have children.

im not sure what my dc cost when the were small but i know they cost me an arm and a leg now they are older.........in fact when dd starts uni next year she alone will cost us the earth ......then theres the 3 other ones wollowing suit .........arghhhhh......there was me planning on working part time and retiring early

I've had this conversation on another message board, and a load of posters were discussing how "parents these days" insisted on every bell and whistle and everything new, unlike in my day etc. etc. ...

There were a few of us putting them straight and pointing out that what really bumps up the cost to silly levels is:

possible fertility treatment (we spent a small fortune!)
loss of one earner/childcare costs
loss of earnings and pension if one parent works part-time
housing that has space for the children
a car that has space for the children (not an essential in a lot of cases I agree, but it makes life a great deal easier and so most people who can, do)
and for some families (now a lot of families) there are university costs.

Riven - will your ds not get to go to college (and only college) for the child's price? I thought if you were in FT education you could do this.

Just remembered (because she just asked) £10 a month credit for her mobile phone. I also took her last week to buy her some trainers for her bday which came to £35 (she isn't one for brands but liked the adidas ones) so i will give her £15 in cash as the kids have £50 each for bdays.

If you never had a job/were on the dole then children don't have to cost much. We were content with second hand baby equipment etc.

(cheap pony... well it's purchase price was very little about 16 years ago and it was partly used by the riding stables of lessons so cost £35 a week which is relatively cheap compared with what the two horses later cost us although the girls got so much out of that, stuff that will stay with them for life and probably will benefit them financially indirectly in much greater sum than the cost of the horses).

Univesrity etc costs are entirely up to the parent in England. In England you have not legal obligation to support an adult child (unless you're divorced when they can apply to a parent for help with university costs). You do in Scotland.