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Costs of having a baby

2

Comments

  • Abbafan1972
    Abbafan1972 Posts: 7,177 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Rebecca01 wrote: »
    Don't forget , pram, high chair, bumbo chair, cot , car seat etc

    what's a bumbo chair?
    Striving to clear the mortgage before it finishes in Dec 2028 - amount currently owed - £19,575.02
  • Another big cost can be changing car if you need to (although obviously not many people will have to- only if you go from 3 to 4 kids and need a 7 seater or presently drive a 2 seater sports car) and the associated change in insurance and petrol costs.

    Week to week costs I think you just absorb by adapting other things.

    Holidays become more expensive- what used to be a nice hotel for two is now a cramped caravan for seven with us (probably the same price as we used to pay but our standards had to drop alot to find a holiday on the available cash for more people!)

    Babysitters if/when you decide to use them to get a social life back unless you have a very kind grandparent/aunt/friend.
    :j BSC #101 :j
  • daska
    daska Posts: 6,212 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    what's a bumbo chair?

    Something you don't need LOL. BUMBO Some babies love them but not all. Wait until you've had the baby and try someone else's before forking out.

    How about cost of playgroups etc. while you're still on maternity leave. Usually 50p-£2 each so can add up if you go to lots. Check out your local NCT and Sure Start.
    Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants - Michael Pollan
    48 down, 22 to go
    Low carb, low oxalate Primal + dairy
    From size 24 to 16 and now stuck...
  • daska wrote: »
    Something you don't need LOL. BUMBO Some babies love them but not all. Wait until you've had the baby and try someone else's before forking out.

    Entirely agree, I bought one with my second because they were new and supposedly wonderful. It took him all of about a fortnight to figure out how to get out of it (although little blighter walked at 9months too) All his siblings after him have perfected escaping in a few weeks use too... either I have exceptionally sneaky kids or they're not as essential to baby kit as some would have you believe.
    :j BSC #101 :j
  • izzybusy23
    izzybusy23 Posts: 994 Forumite
    alleycat` wrote: »
    I thought it was more that higher tax earners didn't get the same "breaks" as they did before that date?

    I didn't think they were now effectively "closed" to new comers.

    Ahh its this bit I was thinking about; therefore if higher rate tax payer you cannot benefit from £243 but it will go straight to £124 so effectively that is closed for babies not born til after April:

    If you are expecting a baby after April 2011, unfortunately you cannot sign up for childcare vouchers until your baby has been born
  • michelle1506
    michelle1506 Posts: 301 Forumite
    You won't need the high chair for a while, but a baby bouncer is always useful - I got mine for £25. I shopped on cheap sites such as kiddicare and precious little one. Mothercare had a sale on only last week when I looked, and they were selling 2 for 1 on baby clothes. I wouldn't get a bumbo personally. Don't buy them too many toys either. Boots were also offering 3 for the price of 2 on baby stuff only recently. Best to go straight to the cot and get a cot divider if necessary. Yes, you will need a car seat and/or a sling/pram/pushchair. Not to mention sheets for the cot.
  • Radiantsoul
    Radiantsoul Posts: 2,096 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Prams, high chairs and cots are pretty pricey. I would start looking on ebay and at NCT sales(the membership is worth it as it gets you in 15 minutes early and by that point the good stuff has gone).
  • Plans_all_plans
    Plans_all_plans Posts: 1,630 Forumite
    Remember you'll get child benefit of £80 a month and possibly other benefits: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Expectingorbringingupchildren/index.htm
  • Spendless
    Spendless Posts: 24,803 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Years ago I read a link on here, that gave the areas that parents spent the most in broken down. From memory it roughly went something like this
    Birth-12 months - equipment (cot, highchair,car seat, pram etc)
    1 yr - 5yr - childcare
    5-11 years - actvities (brownies/cubs, swimming/music/dancing lessons)
    12+ clothing
  • **confuzzled**
    **confuzzled** Posts: 4,228 Forumite
    fannyanna wrote: »
    Now I don’t think I will be comfortable breast feeding (no lectures please I do appreciate breast is best but I don’t think it will be for me – although I haven’t completely written off the idea) so will be using formula milk.
    I'm not preaching but once your supply is established(after 4 weeks) then you could start using formula too, I did this as I found BFing difficult(mentally more than physically) but combination feeding was fab for me as it meant I could breastfeed til baby was 4.5months old:) and didn't have to worry about getting my baps out in public as I formula fed when out & about:)
    Bumbo, wouldn't bother either! The most useful thing I bought was the baby bouncer, she's been using it since day 1 and are still using it 6 months on, definitely worth it's weight in gold, I imagine we'll only stop using it when she can either crawl or walk out of it:D
    If you use your car for most things then don't bother with a travel system, you can get a 0+ car seat and then a buggy that you can use from birth for around £100, we stupidly spent over £200 on something that we barely used and takes up the majority of my boot space.
    Clothes, don't worry about that either, if you have a nice family you'll be forever given clothes, DD is 6 months and the only thing I've had to buy for her are vests:D

    HTH
    1.11.09 - debt = £45k:eek:
    [STRIKE]Car Loan = £0[/STRIKE] CCCS Total = £30,246.88 Total Debt Paid off - 32.78%
    DFD [STRIKE]Nov[/STRIKE][STRIKE]Sept[/STRIKE]Aug 2018:o Only 75 payments to go:)
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