Costs to keep a child.

[MrSmith]

Where do these figures come from?

 

BBC news.

 

A baby costs its parents £10K in first year

A toddler costs £14K a year

Then from 5years old it costs £7.5K a year

From 17 to 21 they cost £17.5K a year

 

I would love to know who spends this kind of money on a child because we didn’t get close to these figures.

[butterball]

I can imagine it gets more expensive as they get older with hobbies and school trips, pocket money, clothes aren't as cheap and their over active social lives lol. However no, 10k on a baby was not what we spent, nothing like it. Good job really because number two came just 14 months later and I'd gone part time back to work so we didn't have much spare cash banging around. Our double pram was expensive and car seats can be pricey but there is absolutely no reason to spend masses amounts of money. With out first we probably went overboard but this time (number three on the way) we have to be a lot more frugal because I'm earning a fraction of what I used to earn and statutory maternity pay sucks!

[willman]

I would imagine within those figures will be the additional expense of utilities,washing machine usage etc etc not just disposable income or commodities such as clothing.

[MrSmith]

I would imagine within those figures will be the additional expense of utilities,washing machine usage etc etc not just disposable income or commodities such as clothing.

 

We had two kids and those figures represent more than our household income.

[willman]

I had one kid, that also represents more than my household income at the time.

But then again my mortgage was £32 not £1132, petrol was 25p per litre, my utilities weren't over a tenner a month as opposed to £100 each currently.

 

Obviously my salary was significantly less but i can imagine a new born child costing a quarter of some peoples salary back then excluding child care and easily a third or more of my present salary including childcare costs. (we didn't need childcare back in the good old days).

 

I do agree however that is does seem excessive,even though i appreciate where the numbers may have come from.

[Mecky]

It'll be an average child that doesn't even exist. A percentage brought about by some selective dodgy data

[the_rudeboy]

Maybe the figures take into account the mother's loss of earnings if she gives up work or goes part-time?

[Moosey]

Bear in mind things like nursery fees.

 

Your average nursery is about £500 a month (ours would be around £534, but we get a work related discount). That's £6000 a year-ish. Most people who work where I do and have kids pay those costs. Only means another few bits and pieces, a few hours lost at work, and I can see that being true.

[Ms Macbeth]

Bear in mind things like nursery fees.

 

Your average nursery is about £500 a month (ours would be around £534, but we get a work related discount). That's £6000 a year-ish. Most people who work where I do and have kids pay those costs. Only means another few bits and pieces, a few hours lost at work, and I can see that being true.

 

I think you've hit the nail on the head. Nursery fees for our grandchildren were expensive when they both went. But take heart - once they get to three, there are some free hours (around 15 I think?). Now the older one has started school, the costs have really gone down.

 

If families go on holiday with school age children, these need to be taken during the school hols when prices rocket. That could be included in the costs too.

 

However, most children's clothes are more affordable than when my kids were young in the 70s, with supermarkets selling even school uniforms at very low prices. Casual tee shirts for a couple of pounds etc. But shoes are still pretty expensive. I was in the Clarks shop looking at some for a 3 year old yesterday and at £28 they weren't the dearest.

[Suffragette1]

As others have said, childcare is hugely expensive. Back in 2000, we were paying about £1,200 per month for two children's nursery places on a 4 day per week basis. This was in London. All good preparation for when we're stumping up for university!

 

As Ms Macbeth says, most toys and kids' clothes are very affordable these days if you're not designer label/brand mad (as some are, ie those who kit their kids out in Boden, Oilily and the like). The initial outlay for babies can be as expensive as you want it to be. Most things can be bought 2nd hand and babies do not need top of the range prams/buggies/car seats etc. Also there are a lot of things which are just not necessary, such a changing tables (a changing mat will suffice), those baby bottle warmers (a jug with hot water is more than adequate) and nappy disposal bins etc etc. It's a veritable industry, along with the wedding one - there is simply no need to spend so much on either.

 

There's a window post pre-school care and in the first years at school, before you're restricted to holidaying during term time and pay that premium (unless you're a teacher), before they get brand conscious and start getting into gadgets, games consoles etc, where they don't cost as much, then the costs suddenly start to rise, pocket money, school trips, iPods, mobiles, laptops etc etc.