Does parenting get less expensive or more expensive?

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I'm wondering about our future trajectory! Life got a lot cheaper when my 8 year old left nursery and since then the only things that have gotten more expensive are the amount of food she eats, the fact that we have to pay for school dinners now she's in year 3, and she's signed up to a couple of expensive hobbies. But generally she's much cheaper now than she was as a toddler.
I have a 2 year old as well and I'm looking forward to the end of nursery fees as something that will give us more financial wiggle room, but I'm feeling a sense of foreboding that I'm wrong about that.
Is there stuff that gets more expensive later on besides general uptick of groceries consumed?

Oh, and university. £800 per month for basic accommodation alone.

From what I hear from friends with slightly older kids, it’s almost impossible to find work for teens nowadays. We are assuming we will need to fully fund everything not covered by loans.

It really depends on what you view as money spent parenting. Some people will say it only gets more expensive, but they either have never paid childcare or for some reason don’t count it.
Clothes, toys, activities etc have obviously gotten more expensive as my children have gotten bigger, but even when they are teens I’ll never be paying the childcare equivalent that I did a few years ago every month.

They start getting more expensive in their teens. University is peak cost, as part time jobs are very hard to find now, no grants and the loan doesn't cover the full accommodation cost in many places anymore. At least a 3 year degree is shorter than the nursery years.

My 17yo dd has been in adult sized shoes and clothes for years now. Cost a fortune while he was growing rapidly with all the school shoes, trainers, football boots for school etc. Even with buying second hand. Bug expenses in the last few years have been music lessons, swimming club membership and school trips. None of this is much compared to the driving lessons and University fees etc which we are about to embark upon.

A lot of expenses as they get older are choice not essential.

Dance lessons
Music lessons
Riding lessons
school ski trips
own horse
horse transport
driving lessons
car
car insurance
university - loan doesn’t cover accommodation costs. Temporary jobs are hard to come by

DD now lives and works in London and I’m constantly subbing her buts that’s my choice.

Even the max loan doesn't cover accommodation now and it is harder for students to get work whilst there and/or in the holidays. Everyone I know has to top up their kids whilst at uni even for a basic standard of living.

I could cry when I think of all the tat I bought DC when they were little. I wish I had saved more so I had more to give them now they are young adults.

More expensive!
bus travel to school £6.50 a day, dinner money £3.50 a day, going out with friends £2.00 in the evenings, clothes branded clothes, £100 trainers!!

Loans are based on parental income (don't take into account outgoings)

It is the Government's expectation that parents make up the shortfall if students don't get full loan. As others have said the full loan might not even cover accommodation, then you have food etc on top.

Jobs for students both whilst at uni and after uni are very hard to come by. DS was lucky that his hospitality job was kept open for him during holidays, but others aren't always that lucky.

So uni might be expensive but also life after uni might be expensive if your DC can't find a job

Parents may also fund driving lessons. cars, house deposit (help them move out of family home)

If you aren't going to help fund things like uni, driving lessons etc, then childcare years are probably the most expensive as might include both childcare costs and loss of earnings. But teens are expensive to clothe and feed!

It really does depend. My youngest dd was cheap as chips growing up As where my two middle sons. But my eldest dd very much wanted designer clothes etc while the rest were happy with George type stuff or stuff I find in sales. But now it’s just the youngest left at home she’s developed an addiction to AJ4 trainers and formula 1. Thankfully we’re can afford it but none of it is cheap 🫠😂🤷🏼‍♀️

We don’t eat out nearly as much as we used to as it’s so expensive for 4 of us. The teens probably eat out more than we do with their friends (McDonald’s, 5 guys) but they both earn themselves extra money with part time jobs and babysitting. Clothes cost more as they’re now into brands, but new stuff is for Christmas and birthdays and they both shop on Vinted.

Most expensive is university (the threshold to get more than minimum loan is a lot lower than you would think; and even the maximum loan doesn't cover just rent and bills at some universities; there are typically more students wanting jobs than there are jobs).
Next was probably teens, increasing as they get older.
If you are paying a lot for pre-school childcare that probably comes next.
Primary years or early secondary probably the cheapest.

In our case our income means DC won’t get the full loan for university, but as we live in London that income doesn’t go as far as it would elsewhere (we have been saving so it’s not too big a shock).

https://yougov.com/articles/27635-age-seven-53-children-uk-own-mobile-phone

over 50% by age 7...

horrendous, but modern life...

Well nursery fees are £1.5-2k for some a month. It never gets that expensive again once they leave!

But yes, I think costs begin to rise as they get older because of things like phone contracts and food and clothes costs. Toiletries and days out are often more expensive in yen teen years.

then bus/train fare to school and college.

revision books, school stationary etc.

id say ds was cheapest between4 when he started school and 11 when he started secondary! Make the most of it!

It depends, yes and no. Once they are at secondary school you aren’t paying for childcare in the holidays, big savings if you work. But … if they have expensive hobbies they tend to get even more expensive once they hit the teen years. They start asking for more tech, memberships, pocket money, get picky with clothes. Most the teen expenses though can be realistically managed, but might not make you popular

Ofcom have it as 24% by aged 7 in a more recent study. I think attitudes to technology and children have changed a fair amount since 2020.

It gets very expensive when they go to uni.

More expensive- uni, driving lessons, hobbies, school trips, school lunches, buses, clothes, food, phones, laptop….

Two most expensive phases are nursery and university!
They can be quite cheap in-between, if you cook from home, buy 2nd hand clothes etc, avoid Centre Parks.

Good point...
either way - too many at that age, and still a choice for OP as to when they start to pay for it...

It’s stayed similar for us.

Most of our costs are optional, lots of big holidays, university, restaurants, every activity they have ever wanted to do, not that much on clothes, food bill is high.

I bought my 30 year old a flat so that was an expense year.

Is there stuff that gets more expensive later on besides general uptick of groceries consumed?

Mobile phones
Laptops
University
Driving lessons