Third child- finances

[Orangeflower7]

Hi there, I am a mum of two little boys aged 2 and 5, and we are considering another...possibly... I am wondering if we will be able to afford it or not. I just checked the tax credits website, trying to look at changes after this tax year ends, and happened to notice that it seemed to be that if you have 3 children it increased by about £2,000 on our income level (£30,000) whereas with the two it is a really small amount.

Just wondered if anyone noticed this when they had their third, if they were in a similar situation..we may be able to afford it..

TBH for me, and I only speak for myself here, I get better at spending with each baby that comes. I dont buy the most expensive, but nor do I go the whole economy range but I do see where and how I can spend a little wiser to make those needed pennies go a little further.

If its something you really want you will make sure you can afford it

Our third baby hasnt cost us anything really so far .

He is only 6 months but we already had all the stuff, toys, clothes and I breastfed. He needed nappies and wipes obviously but the CB covered those

I realise this will change as he gets older

Finances worry me a lot - we have 3 now and entirely sure if we've finished.
We've got better at spending - luxuries (eating out, cinema, coffee, gym - not that I did that before! new furniture or telly) have gone and holidays are a lot more modest (ie not camping in France but sticking in the UK) its the big and necessary stuff like food, cars, utility bills and house that worry me more and school uniform, trips and clubs to come but we are affording the 3 we have at the moment and managing to save some for emergencies.
I haven't noticed any change in tax credits based on number of children - I know for example childcare vouchers stay the same regardless of how many you have in childcare but maybe I need to revisit it to see if we can get anymore breaks

Hi thanks- I checked the table again and think it is just that around the 25,000-30,000 seems to be a cut-off and that with two you just get about £545 per year and with 3 about £2000 more per year but well, that could change, they change things all the time, I know the baby element has not gone.

I don't want to had another just to get the money of course, it just might make it manageable.

Verybusyspider, the school costs are not so bad, there are things like secondhand uniform sales, or we do things like get a couple of jumpers with the school crest on and the rest from M & S- ds has used a 3 pack cotton shirts (shortsleeved) which cost £5- since last summer! I am just considering a new pack as they are getting a little worn but still ok.. also some of the afterschool clubs are cheaper than others, there is one at the moment called 'Wild and muddy' based on forest schools...is £3 for the term..others are the same or more per session.

Thanks for your replies. And yet we'd be the same not having to get stuff...x

I posted this reply on your thread on sunday!!!!

that doesnt sound right tbh, we are currently expecting our 3rd child but i KNOW that theu have got rid of the extra baby amount that you got for the first year.
I have also looked into what we will get after april (baby due in MAY) and despite our income being 22500 and our childcare costs rising by £100 per week in AUG we will only get about an extra £40 per week in total from TC (so about 2k a year) but obviously that takes into account rising childcare costs and our lower income compared to you.

Think you start to feel it more as they get older As babies and younger children they don't mind what they wear As they get older they are very certain about what they would like to wear and which electrical devises they would like to accessorise their lives. Although their is not the childcare costs Maybe it evens out??

Aha and maybe not getting the electrical devices will do them good in the ling run too..

long run

And thereby Orangeflower7 lies the central issue of the larger family - stuff v relationships ..... (that was a dramatic pause).