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Original poster

Outlay for Teen

38 replies

Dinosauraddict · 05/05/2021 07:43

I keep seeing how children get more expensive as they get older, but as mine are not yet school age I'm worried I've not budgeted for something or am in blissful ignorance of the teen years. We pay nursery fees now, and will pay school fees going forwards. He does swimming now which I assume will get more expensive, but most after school clubs are covered by school fees, as are lunches. Uniform and books we have budgeted for as well as smaller school trips. Is it just clothes/tech/bigger school trips that become more expensive? What am I missing?

OP posts:

olderthanilookapparently · 05/05/2021 07:45

I found nothing more expensive than the nursery fees!

You have uniform, shoes, sports gear, clothes, shoes, holidays , food ( they eat lots) but honestly it's still not nursery amounts

DonLewis · 05/05/2021 07:49

It depends. Will you be buying your teens expensive trainers and clothes (a tracksuit from super dry/Nike etc can be upwards of £100!) or primark? When they want to go to the cinema, or nandos, who pays? Allowance, or bung a tenner (as if! More like £30), will you be paying for a cheap £10 a month phone contract or will you let them have a £40 a month, brand new iPhone type contract?

Secondary school uniform is much more expensive than primary.

But it all depends on what you're willing to pay out. No more kids go free holidays, adult prices, but are you going on holiday etc etc...

Original poster

Dinosauraddict · 05/05/2021 08:40

Thanks - I think holidays was probably a big one I missed - we do like to travel! On clothes etc I'd buy them mid range (Next etc) but not primark as I don't like the quality, and not brands like Superdry etc as I don't think they're worth it.

OP posts:

Hoppinggreen · 05/05/2021 08:44

@Dinosauraddict

Well you might not think they are worth it but your future teen may have a different opinion. I’m not saying buy them whatever brands they want but don’t make assumptions now about where you will shop for them. My teens would rather wear Primark than Next for example and wouldn’t wear Superdry at all.

thebeach · 05/05/2021 08:47

They get bigger so they cost more. They eat more so grocery bills higher, adult portions in restaurants, adult prices for holidays. Expensive taste in tech and clothes. You can budget for lower, give as gifts, they can get jobs etc but what they want / need is more expensive.
If you're paying for private school the uniform, activities and trips are likely to be expensive.
Then they need driving lessons

BarbaraofSeville · 05/05/2021 08:49

You need to plan to contribute if they go to university. It sounds like you have a high income, which means that you will be expected to pay towards living costs as their student loan will pay the fees and some living costs, but a parental top up (and/or paid work) will be needed just to pay rent, bills, food etc.

The other big increase in cost will be holidays in the school holidays, which will be much more expensive than going in term time and choosing when you go according to the availability of cheap flights.

But I agree with Don. Many costs are flexible and there's a range in what you can pay. Just because you can afford it, doesn't mean that you have to pay for everything and buy the most expensive version of everything.

It's good for them to learn that money doesn't grow on trees and for most people, if you have the high end phone, it means that you have to make a saving elsewhere to be able to afford it. Very few people can afford expensive branded clothes and the latest smartphone contract and an expensive hobby and to buy their lunch every day instead of taking a packed lunch. Most people have to make choices and can't afford to have the best of everything.

KaleSlayer · 05/05/2021 08:56

Clothes, trainers, iPhones, computers, AirPods, allowance, holidays with the school, DofE award, driving lessons, university. All things that we spend a lot of money on currently or will be in future (uni). We didn’t pay nursery fees as I was a SAHM so for us it’s definitely more expensive now they’re older. They also eat a lot more. 🤣

MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously · 05/05/2021 08:57

University is a big one. The state treats students as if they were children for finance purposes and do the amount of loan your children can get will be calculated on household income. You will be expected to top up the difference, which is a significant amount given that the loan rarely even covers accommodation. It's a really unfair system that takes no account of parents' other responsibilities.

Tbh much of your teen costs will hinge on what is fashionable amongst your child's friends. What brands they value and how much you are willing to accommodate that. With my boys, they weren't especially brand focussed and I got away with a lot in terms of expensive clothes but they did cost a fair bit in terms of hobbies and activities. DD is much more fashion (and phone) focussed at an earlier age - trainers are expensive, she buys clothes at every opportunity, has an iPhone and airpods and money when she goes out with friends. That's before you get into holidays and driving lessons etc.

thebeach · 05/05/2021 08:57

My youngest DC (nearly 12) last summer chose T-shirts from Asda. This year he'd like Tommy Hilfiger he's not getting them!

MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously · 05/05/2021 08:58

I forgot - Christmas! As they get older the presents become smaller (so less impressive looking than when they are small) but much more expensive. You can spend soooo much on tiny little playstation games!

NursePye · 05/05/2021 09:06

It's the food!!!! I feel like I shop constantly and yet it's all gone so quickly!

Luckily they haven't had friends over to eat but when that happens it's even worse!

Also as others have said if you do go out to eat (we can dream that this will once again be part of life) it's adult portions for all which adds up.

Trainers! And whatever some parents say, very few teenagers are going to be happy with "own brand" ones once they reach a certain age.

Holidays- how I reminisce about when we could all fit in a Premier Inn family room!! The last Tim we used one DD's feet were hanging over the end of the 'extra bed' and we begrudgingly had to agree to not making her do that again.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 05/05/2021 09:08

When DD was 3 a balance bike was under £100.
Her bike last year was £550.

Even a simple pair of trainers (Supermarket, not designer) has gone from £5 to £11 as she needs a size 3 now.

Clubs... Admittedly I don't know Private school. But school clubs are no where near the quality of private clubs if they are good. (Basic sports like Football, rugby and cricket maybe. Mine have done skiing, canoeing, Scouting etc). Dance and gymnastics seem particularly expensive.

SeventyEleven · 05/05/2021 09:14

Most of your income will be spent on food.

Clymene · 05/05/2021 09:27

@SeventyEleven

Most of your income will be spent on food.

It really won't. The OP is sending her children to private school. That's where most of her income will go. She just needs to budget for food, expensive clothes and gadgets on top.

Original poster

Dinosauraddict · 05/05/2021 09:56

Food and meals out are definitely good ones thank you. I guess it's a case of assume you're buying for 3 adults food-wise during the teen years. Holidays during school hols I'm hoping won't be so much of an issue as we could use the longer summer hol and go before the state schools break up I assume. Uni-wise I thought about that but think that the amount we'll pay on school fees per month would definitely more than cover a monthly contribution for maintenance, so I guess I have to assume that childcare/school fees etc just carries on budget-wise until they're 22. My own view is if they want superdry etc as a teen they can contribute towards the extra or have it for birthday presents or something. (Perhaps I'm naive.) Bikes definitely sound more expensive than I thought though!

OP posts:

redmapleleaves1 · 05/05/2021 10:48

Food (I am amazed at volumes that active, late teen lads eat), phones (secondhand, but DS's phones die of wear and tear or falling from skateboards in 18 months). Educational support. (I work in education and much of the difference in results between high performing schools and others, are that parents in high performing schools are forking out for tuition in subjects where their children are struggling. Particularly in high demand subjects this comes expensive - £40/hour for A level Physics round here.) As others have said, support for university maintenance is a massive hidden cosh (and particularly, if like me, you're a single parent.) The Grand Tour round university Open Days in normal times. Depending on child and subject, can involve trips round 5-7 universities all over country, plus a parent, plus travel /accommodation, plus return for interview. We left things like driving lessons till the gap year, so children could pay towards them from earned income - not ideal plan during Covid.

eroica · 05/05/2021 11:55

The food! OMG, the food.

And if they get into hobbies such as music or expensive sports, playing/competing around the country requiring transport/overnight stays... that starts to add up.

cherrytreecottage · 05/05/2021 12:24

Only difference we've found with 2 teen daughters is the constant pressures of latest iPhone, fashion, make up etc - we typically give these at Xmas and birthdays and then they earn money throughout the year if they want other bits.
I've only got girls so not sure what it's like with boys but so bloody frustrating when all they do is watch influencers who get gifted £300 trainers and then want the same!? Urgh.
It will be driving lessons next though!!

janinlondon · 05/05/2021 13:54

Assuming they will finish university at 22 may be optimistic....a degree now is what an A level was when I was young. Depending on their ambition.....many employers are now looking for a masters as a basic qualification, but all you need is an aspiring architect or doctor, and you are in it for the long haul OP!

EvilPea · 05/05/2021 14:13

Its nothing like nursery fees, thats predictable and constant.

Mine started secondary last year (not teens yet) £1000 on uniform and kit, which shes grown out of twice this year so another £500 on replacing those bits - which havent been worn due to covid.

Ducksurprise · 05/05/2021 14:15

Meals out, they inhale starter, main and dessert and still raid the fridge when we get home. Meeting up with friends, cinema, meal out travel etc can easily mount up.
Agree with the pp who said your children may refuse to wear Next, its all good and well saying that they will get what they get given but it's rarely like that. Money for gaming, hobbies especially if they are good at anything.
Although senior school fees where I am are 25/30k a year so what I'm talking about is probably a drop in the ocean.

ODFOx · 05/05/2021 16:04

Well yes, if they want designer gear they can put some towards it, but as you'll be the one providing an allowance it's still costing you!
Plus at private school a larger proportion of their peers will be in more expensive kit and you won't want him to stand out.
And even if he gets a job you'll be chauffeuring him about (more petrol but less opportunity to drink wine so the cost evens out).
Budgeting for 3 adults for food won't help: teenagers eat twice as much as adults, and they have friends, friends who visit and eat. Of course you'll want your DS to feel he can bring his friends home so that's ok, but then they come and they eat.
A few years ago one of our DDs brought the netball team home after school while we were at work. They baked a whole sack of potatoes. A whole sack! And ate them with butter. This was girls: boys are even hungrier!
4/5 of mine are adults now, but we still have a second fridge freezer in the kitchen full of foods for the teen: for the after school 'there's no food in this house only ingredients' which used to happen most days. None of them have been overweight: that just eat and grow and burn it off in sport and angst.
Sports kit/hobby equipment. A car at 17, (incl driving lessons, car, Insurance and fuel/servicing. Uni at 18.
Good luck!

Original poster

Dinosauraddict · 05/05/2021 16:06

Wow - I'm not sure I realised how much teenagers ate

OP posts:

sansou · 05/05/2021 16:35

Nothing will be more expensive than secondary school fees. At the moment, it’s easily £20k+ pa for a day school in the south. And that’s per child. Everything else is a drop in the ocean by comparison.

ItsReallyOnlyMe · 05/05/2021 16:41

I was one of the few parents not buying my private school children a car for their 17th birthday.

They received driving lessons and insurance to drive my car (which was expensive enough).

An awful lot of these parents also gave a personalised number plate with the car.

Teenagers are expensive !

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