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Parenting

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Original poster

Financially how does it compare for 3 children from 2

26 replies

luckylady · 05/07/2006 10:50

no sure if I worded the question properly.

We are seriously talking about number three.. DH worried about financial aspect.... I am not. we are in a bit of debt nothing major...that we cant handle...

Our children are 9yrs 8months and 2 Years.

Have those of you with three children noticed a big increase in spending....

TIA

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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SecurMummy · 05/07/2006 10:55

Not yet - but when they are moving into teenager hood and the otheres are getting into all those after school clubs....

I think it will be more expensive, but we have set rules eg, they are all only allowed two paid for after school clubs each, although they can have as many free ones as they like, things like that so that I have control of the spending on bigger things right from the start.

I am terrified of the day when I have to go out and buy four sets of deisgner trainers though

Original poster

luckylady · 05/07/2006 11:01

LOL...
Thanks secur,
really though as there is such a big gap between dd and ds I should only really be dealing with two lots of designer things at a time.... and after school clubs....etc

OP posts:

SecurMummy · 05/07/2006 11:04

I have a reasonable gap between dd1 and 2 and then ds and dd3 so like two sets of two IYSWIM, so I am hoping to avoid the worst of it!

TBH I wuldn't worry about it, assuming you are getting out of debt and not into it then you have a long time to go before you would have any noticable additional cost (assuming you still have your baby kit!).

I have no money at all - but myu children are very very happy - and I wouldn't have it any other way

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Original poster

luckylady · 05/07/2006 11:08

I have the main things still like the pram, carrycot, carseat, cotbed. so the expensive stuff really..

OP posts:

SecurMummy · 05/07/2006 11:15

Right, so, go with the more riskey plan, arrange a drunken night out and hey presto

Original poster

luckylady · 05/07/2006 11:24

LOL .... loads of drunken nights here in Cyprus!!!

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harrisey · 05/07/2006 11:25

We didn't notice a big change from 2 to 3. Like you we already had a dd and a ds when dd2 was born, but we still had alll the baby kit and I was so disorganised we still had all the clothes etc and the baby toys, so there was pretty much no additional cost.
Our kids are 2yrs apart, then 22 months apart, so I am sure that when they are teenagers and (help us!!) at University etc it will be more expensive but tbh I love having 3 and wouldn't let the money get in the way!

SecurMummy · 05/07/2006 11:26

Do you think that DH has any valid worries? Have you gone through them. I knwo it is easy to say "oh it'll be alright" but if your partner is the sensible type then they need facts and figures - unfortunatly babies don't come with profit and loss accounts so I think he may just have to decide if he wants one or not and let the rest take care of itself

(BTW I am an "oh it will be ok" type too!)

cupcakes · 05/07/2006 11:28

I'm pg with no 3 and initially I do expect it to be more expensive then when I had my second - mainly because the pushchair I used for the first 2 needs replacing. I also want to get a new first stage car seat.
Other than that I have a stack of boys clothes and girls so that should provide some relief (till I want to go shopping ).

Original poster

luckylady · 05/07/2006 12:07

Secur, tbh it is normally him who is things will be ok and I am the one sitting working out how much things will be and what we have eetc. Finanacially he is worried that we cant have big holidays to Disney land for example. W e do live comfortably, and if we had a third it would be a case of no we cant eat out every week and big holidays would prob be once every 2-3 years. I have said I would be quite happy with going camping to the south of france , spain, italy etc.... and or just getting late deals.

This will be easier when we leave cyprus also as it is sooo expensive out here, (£6 a small pack of nappies), our grocery bill doubled when we got here due to the cost, it is dirt cheap in germany compared to here.

Can you tell my mind is made up just need to talk dh round

OP posts:

SecurMummy · 05/07/2006 12:10

I think that you already have your answer. Just make friends with lots of women with small babies and invite them over when DH is around - see if they can win him over!

RubyRioja · 05/07/2006 12:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

luckylady · 05/07/2006 15:55

Thanks all,
we are lucky in the car department as ours is only a year old and we could sell up and get a bigger car like a grand scenic or an eastate for less than we could sell ous for,... oh and we get it tax free....

Think DH is coming roundwe will just have to wait and see.........

OP posts:

NomDePlume · 05/07/2006 16:01

I have 3 kids - DS1 (14), DS2 (12.5) and DD (3.10). Financially we didn't have to make any major adjustments, other than moving house to get the extra bedroom, but we were planning to move anyway. WRT to cars, we have 2 cars, one is a normal 5 seater estate and the other (mine) is a normal 5 seater hatchback. We have absolutely no problem getting all 3 kids in the back of either car.

I suppose the answer to your question depends on how closely you are living to a tight budget with 2 kids. A slightly roomier family budget will stretch to a 3rd addition without too much fuss (especially given that you have a 2yr old, and so will prob still have all the baby equipment). Whereas if you live neaer to the hand-to-mouth end of things, obviously a 3rd to feed/clothe/pay for school trips/holidays etc will take a heavier toll on your finances.

fennel · 05/07/2006 16:09

I think no 3 saved us money. We had all the stuff, even the nappies, and i was bf so that didn't cost much. we already had a big enough house. and we didn't go out or on holiday for ages as we were so tired so that saved us loads

we got a smaller car, traded down our VW camper for a mere 7 seater MPV, which was cheaper anyway. camping being not much fun with 3 little ones.

suspect one day we'll notice the difference but so far it's just been a 3rd lot of childcare costs which has been the only significant output.

sugarfree · 05/07/2006 16:09

Luckylady,late deals don't work with 5 of you once the youngest is out of a cot.Most hotels only allow 4 in a room and the ones who take 5 are booked months and months in advance.
Otherwise you're looking at a suite(more expensive) or two rooms and hope for adjacent ones.

Original poster

luckylady · 05/07/2006 16:11

Thanks ndp, no we arent at the hand to mouth stage.... Regards to housing my hubby is in the forces so we will be given 3 bedrooms were ever we move and if available four if I had another girl as they wouldnt expect DD to share. But for the first couple of years DS could share with a baby girl if need be....

I defo think I have answered my own questions as I seem to have a nswer for everything.

Thanks again all much appreciated. Must go and bath DS bedtime is looming..

OP posts:

Original poster

luckylady · 05/07/2006 16:14

sugafree, thanks for that, with that in mind you can book really early then pay monthly instead of in a oner..

Fennel wouldnt have childcare as I dont really intend on going to work for a good few years (if ever!!!), Hubby has warned me that for the next 4 years we could be moving every year!!!

OP posts:

keyboard · 05/07/2006 16:41

Hi luckylady
I have three kids who are quite close in age, the eldest being three and a half years older then the third one. Financially I haven't noticed much difference mainly because I already had one child of each sex so number three wears hand me downs and dh and I both come from large families so the children get lots of new clothes and toys for special occasions. What I find hard to deal with is giving attention to all three at once, one child always seems to get left out. For example when I am out alone with all three, I only have one pair of hands so one of them, usually the eldest, can't hold my hand. Or when they want to sit on my lap, having one on each side is ok, but I can't manage all three. Or when we go to places like Legoland, dh goes on the ride with one child whilst I wait with the others then dh goes on the ride again with the second one and so on. I don't regret having the third one, but it's so much easier with just two.

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 05/07/2006 16:52

I have 3 too and didn't particularly notice extra cost when they were small - lots of passed down items. But now they are all, almost, teens the costs are on the increase. Stuff like the more expensive school trips, driving lessons and uni fees - if all three go to uni we may well be bankrupt.

The holiday thing really gets my goat, always having to pay for one as an adult and the huge underoccupancy supplements. Also, why do people who run competions to win holidays assume that a 'family' holiday is 2+2. Grrrrr!

WellKnownMemorablePeachyClair · 05/07/2006 17:03

Not really, so far- same car, same house (DS3 shares with DS2). I AM noticing an increase in food bills, as DS3 eats 'proper' size meals and I have to buy extras of food packs that seem to always be designed for 4 people. And as someone said, holidays are a tiny bit harder to match- bigger cottages or whatever. part of the trick might be to have 3 of the same gender tho, so we cut down on food!

I can imagine if they went to Uni it would be an issue

tallulah · 05/07/2006 17:23

It's the holidays/ trips where you notice the difference, espcially once you have to pay for all of them. DD was 5.5 when we had our fourth, so we had a long time of not paying then it hit us hard. Any family ticket/ family room is 2+2.

We are experiencing the opposite situation now. DD has already left and DS1 is about to. More often than not we only have 1 or 2 of the younger boys with us when we go out/ away and there is a huge difference in eating-out costs going from even 5 to 4 or 3. (again you don't notice all the time you can buy children's meals, but buying for 6 adults is horrribly expensive)

Alan · 05/07/2006 17:24

Saggarmakersbottomknocker, beg them not to go to uni, remind them they will be labelled in stoke as a snob forever

sugarfree · 05/07/2006 19:15

I'm already worrying about having to do an ox roast or 12 chickens and a lorry load of spuds at a time.We already go through gallons of milk and sometimes a loaf a day.

WellKnownMemorablePeachyClair · 06/07/2006 09:38

a loaf a day? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

2 here
and still two of them are borderline clinically underweight

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