Tell us when you’ve forked out for your DCs - £100 voucher to be won NOW CLOSED

[EmmaMumsnet]

As you well know, having children isn’t exactly cheap… Just when you thought there wasn’t anything else your DC could possibly need, something else crops up and rinses your account.

Since your DC entered the world, at what points have you found yourself shelling out for things? Maybe when your DC got older, you had to splash out on a new buggy, or your second DC arrived and you found yourself looking for a new home?

What have been the major purchasing decisions in your child’s life so far? Have you had to cut back in some places in order to afford what your child needs? And how have your buying habits changed over time? Maybe you used to spend money on holidays and now you spend more on childcare? Finally, what have been the products you’ve spent the most money on as a result of having children?

Here are a few topics to think about:

• Health
• Childcare
• Education
• Home & Garden
• Cars
• Insurance
• Technology
• Travel
• Baby Products

All MNers who post on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks, and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

My girls are growing a bit slower now but the outgrowing of shoes & clothes up until this point has been constant. Now it's to keep up with the latest fashion & I'd say I sacrifice my own love of clothes in order to make sure they look nice ;) the biggest expense is probably hobbies. I want to encourage them to try new things but classes aren't that cheap, I normally work more hours when I know fees are due

I thought the biggest shell-out would be before the baby was born, or in the first few months, because you are led to believe you won't be able to live without so much stuff... especially with your first. But I found that experience shows you much of it is unnecessary and babies needn't really cost that much at all. I think it's cost more and more as time has gone on and they become more aware of what the WANT rather than need! Then it becomes a question of negotiation!

My kids are older now and I am till having to shell out. More recently for example, petrol to go and visit far flung universities to see which is best.

When having a baby I never anticipated having to pay for a psychologists at £200 ph or extra tuition for maths/English.

Also the vast amount of sports equipment and coaching and music lessons. And extra music tuition to ensure a decent mark in the exam.

Also the cost of school travel because we didn't choose the nearest school, and DSs college travel will come to £2500 next year, although secondary uniform hasn't actually cost much. £100 for the lot for DD!

All our choice... The DC didn't need most of it but I would feel crap if they didn't have these things.

I sometimes wonder what life would be like if we'd only had one DC and stayed in our small first home and had paid off the mortgage by now....

I also didn't expect DD to microwave DHa car keys. That wasn't cheap

I find that there is always something to buy. From the best buggy and car seat while pregnant to sleep aids for a newborn. Then weaning came along and we shelled out for a high chairs. As she approached a year, we bought a new lightweight stroller. Then as she approached two, it was a micro scooter and big bed. Now I'm pregnant again and we've bought a double buggy... Does it ever end?!

The biggest expense has to be childcare. My wages pay for my two to go to nursery/pre-school 3 days a week. Its barely worth me working but we had to look at the long term and it was important that I kept my job so I work to pay for the childcare. Ridiculously really but its meant that we can get a bigger house so its not all bad.

I find that as a family where my OH has been out of work for 6 months and we are quite short of cash, having to fork out £60 at Clarks for my daughter's school shoes because she is a size 7 and only 11 is quite disheartening. Yes I know some of you will say buy cheaper at Asda, etc, but she has narrow feet and walks inwards and I have been advised to buy sturdy shoes for her, otherwise she will start having problems. There should be a way to prove you've had to buy school shoes for a child and receive some sort of tax rebate.

Baby proofing the house has been horrendously expensive. We bought a 'doer upper' and had finished to a reasonable state, but then when you actually looked loads of it wasn't safe for a baby. Have replaced all the doors, the conservatory, spent 1000s on levelling and fencing the garden. That's without actually purchasing anything for the baby.

I don't know where to start. Children are hugely expensive!

Our first big purchase was a car as we had a two seater sports car as our sole vehicle. This was followed by a car seat, isofix base and travel system. Then nursery furniture and monitor system. After DC1 was born further expenses included things like a jumperoo, playmat and it's been never ending since. We now have a DC2 as well and just things like clothes, shoes etc all add up. Childrens parties are another expense by the time you do hall hire and soft play hire etc. Even eating out there is normally an extra £10 on the bill.

Childcare is our biggest expense right now at almost £100/day for two.

Prior to having children we were able to save money each month so actually we've not had to sacrifice a huge amount, we just don't save as much anymore (we still put aside a few £100 but before we were able to put aside £1000 some months). We had children later in order to save up and buy a house - so now instead of saving for a house deposit we spend that on them. Hopefully the outlay will reduce once they are both at school (no childcare) as we hope to be able to save for more expensive long haul holidays with that money instead.

Our number one child-related expense is childcare (it's only second to the mortgage).

Also, so far we've gone through 3 car seats, 3 prams / buggies, and 4 'beds' (Moses basket, cot, toddler bed, full size single bed).

Clothes & shoes are another big expense as they constantly grow (obviously).

We used to spend a lot more on our social life including meals out, gigs, weekends away etc., but we hardly do any of those things any more.
We still do activities and go away on holiday etc., it's just with the little people too now!

Has to be the clothes that they want as they get older, named clothes come at a price!

I would say that the major expenses are related to extra activities. To give my DD (9) opportunities I pay for numerous clubs and activities ranging from dance, swimming, gymnastics, music and drama. This is quite a monthly commitment as well as involving a tutor to help her with Maths weekly as I am worried about her progress within her state class.

I don't spend that much on clothes, food etc as see this as part of the overall budget, and I probably just shop less for myself and more for my daughter now.

Other costs perhaps relate to travel, I will now take a direct long haul flight rather than the cheaper one with 2-3 stops. Probably stay some,we here better and not the basic budget accommodation I would have got before! This is probably a combination of a holiday been much more about leisure and relaxation now as a parent (without children it was more adventure and travelling)

I think there are different expenses at different ages but things tend to become a whole lot more expensive when DC get involved in a new hobby or pastime. DD is very much into horse riding and the equipment and cost of lessons is astronomical but we find the money each month as she is so passionate about it.

DS1 loves gaming and roller skating...skate wheels wear out quickly and need replacing plus he is still growing so we buy new skates every 3 months or so.

DS2 also loves gaming and it's a costly business! New upgrades etc.

All three DC contribute from their pocket money, though, to teach the value of things they want and don't actually need.

Forking out for endless extra curriculum activities to broaden their horizons and keep them occupied after school and through the holidays!

What doesn't one fork out on with DCs? With a tween and a teen I can say that expenses related to them ramp up rapidly once they reach double figures....

The treats have gone by the wayside as they've go older for sure...In the past year aside from enriching extra-curricular and school activities, we've started giving DC1 an allowance

General resourcing of trips out to help their learning experiences (and no I don't mean tutors!) add too..

And things are only likely to get more expensive as DC2 hits secondary school age.

And this is probably still the tip of the iceberg compared with when university is on the horizon..

Yy to glasses. Both DS1 and DS2 wear glasses, DS2 is usually lucky in that he can find a cheap pair that fits but DS1 has a broad nose and we always end up having to pay more. Even more annoying is the fact that his prescription keeps changing every 6 months so this is a regular expense!

Replacing household things that have been ruined/drawn on/jumped on/vomited on etc. Painting walls that have chocolate marks!

I think for us the biggest expense was loss of earnings as I went from a full time job, changed my hours to part time and then eventually left work all together. Childcare was eating up all of my salary anyway and the guilt of putting dd in nursery wasn't helping my PND....
So going from a dual income to a single one was hard and we had to cut our cloth accordingly.
However dd is now at school so I'm back at work (school hours only so still pt.) but I'm hoping to go ft once she's at secondary school. So it's all kind of cyclical in that there are waves of poverty but eventually we'll get back on our feet.
School is bloody expensive too ALWAYS wanting money for something charities/recorder club/cello/cake bake/etc etc
Swimming lessons/Beavers Brownies etc/Streetdance/netball
It's all worth it. She's worth it

Have just forked out for a new wardrobe, was not what I needed the wrong side of payday

School trips!

My life has stopped since I've had children, date nights and socialising are now rare occasions. The majority of my money goes on childcare and activities for them like swimming lessons etc. (but I think swimming lessons are very important)

2 kids here. 5 year age gap
Big things;
Became a sahm to avoid childCare costs
Got a car
Moved to a bigger house
Paid for lots of private interventions.for ds1 (£5k prob)
Recently £220 on 2 men b jabs
Holidays - we go in the UK twice a year but still means £2k per year

Eldest is moving to secondary school this year and the cost has been absolutely crazy. The PE kit alone cost £120 and that is not including trainers, hockey stick, shin pads and gumshield. The school is very strict and their uniform is extremely specific and can only be purchased from 2 different retailers and as a result can charge crazy prices.

On top of that she attends drama and dance. To be honest it isn't that expensive but it's the getting to and from it that is. Plus last year they sprung their exams on us with 1 weeks notice for payment.

Well I spent about 50k on fertility treatment to have him. Does that count

Once when my daughter was a toddler I bought an expensive pair of shoes and when I went for our first walk with them she through one out the buggy and I couldn't find it anywhere.

Now she is grown up and going to secondary school I am finding myself spending a lot of money on school uniforms.