Costs of having a child

supermassive

kathrynha wrote: »

No, it was because of extra use of the washing machine. How can using a washing machine lots be poor management of facilities? They didn't have a tumble dryer and they weren't washing every nappy seperately or anything. They went from washing twice a week to washing daily, and it increased their electricity bill.

How can using a washing machine lots be poor management of facilities? Well the £25 increase, that's how.

Not sure how it can go up by quite so much unless they had triplets and the world's worst energy package.

ViolaLass

supermassive wrote: »

How can using a washing machine lots be poor management of facilities? Well the £25 increase, that's how.

So parents might not need to heat the house more or wash more clothes (theirs and baby's)?

Jagraf

It cost me my sanity :eek::D

My brother, who decided not to have kids, has just had the most fabulous extension. I'm going to put my daughter next to it so that I can compare which has been the best investment. Is a close call, but he does have underfloor heating .....

meer53

How much do children cost ?? This is an unanswerable question i'm afraid.

I've had 2, mine cost next to nothing when they were babies. They didn't care what they wore or where they went. When they get older, welllllll.....

Totally different situation. Clothes cost more, my son was in adult shoes (size 11) when he was 12. Xmas and birthdays in general cost more, they are no longer happy with the box that other gifts come in. A games machine typically costs upwards of £250 these days. The games to go with them, about £40 each. That was son sorted. He's 27 now so i don't have to fund him anymore.

Daughter is now aged 14. She dances. She's danced since she was 5.
I wish she didn't. She is currently rehearsing for a panto and a show. So far, in the last 2 months, i've paid out :

£20 for Character dance shoes
£30 for a costume for the Panto
£49 for tickets for the Panto
£12 for a costume for the show
£14.50 for accesories for the Panto
£9 for accessories for the show
£3 per session for rehearsals for the Panto (every Monday from October until the end of December)
£5 per week for Dance School Fees
£9 for tickets for the show
£11 for the DVD of the dance show

There will be something i've forgotten i'm sure. I'm a single parent who works full time. I have to.

I wouldn't dare try to calculate what my kids have cost me so far, but if you wait until you can afford them, you'll never have them. My advice would be to not look too far ahead, thinking about University fees when you're not even pregnant is taking planning too far.

LilElvis

It cost us nearly £25,000 just for me to get pregnant, so anything else that we've spent on our daughter feels like chickenfeed!

She was worth every penny too

meer53

I knew i'd forgotten something School Ski trips at £900 a time.

supermassive

ViolaLass wrote: »

So parents might not need to heat the house more or wash more clothes (theirs and baby's)?

No. What I mean is there are alternatives to blasting your washing machine.

Wash the nappies, go for it, but why not take larger loads of general clothing to a launderette where it might work out cheaper (it does in my town at least!) or why not look into less expensive ways of washing the nappies?

peachyprice

meer53 wrote: »

Daughter is now aged 14. She dances. She's danced since she was 5.
I wish she didn't. She is currently rehearsing for a panto and a show. So far, in the last 2 months, i've paid out :

£20 for Character dance shoes
£30 for a costume for the Panto
£49 for tickets for the Panto
£12 for a costume for the show
£14.50 for accesories for the Panto
£9 for accessories for the show
£3 per session for rehearsals for the Panto (every Monday from October until the end of December)
£5 per week for Dance School Fees
£9 for tickets for the show
£11 for the DVD of the dance show

Consider yourself lucky! Since September my little ballerina has cost me:

£26 New RAD leotard
£48 for matching skirt
£42 for pointe shoes
£12 for tights
£109 for grade lesson fees
£83 for pointe lesson fees
£81 for show lesson fees

I haven't even got the costs for the show costume, shoes and accessories and tickets, I'm dreading that bill, tutu's don't come cheap! But as it keeps them fit and healthy, it's worth every penny.


OP, pray for a boy!

meer53

supermassive wrote: »

No. What I mean is there are alternatives to blasting your washing machine.

Wash the nappies, go for it, but why not take larger loads of general clothing to a launderette where it might work out cheaper (it does in my town at least!) or why not look into less expensive ways of washing the nappies?

Why would you use a launderette when you have a working washing machine at home ? The last thing you need to be doing is trekking to a launderette with a baby !

Birdie85

supermassive wrote: »

No. What I mean is there are alternatives to blasting your washing machine.

Wash the nappies, go for it, but why not take larger loads of general clothing to a launderette where it might work out cheaper (it does in my town at least!) or why not look into less expensive ways of washing the nappies?

meer53 wrote: »

Why would you use a launderette when you have a working washing machine at home ? The last thing you need to be doing is trekking to a launderette with a baby !

Agree with Meer! Who has the time or inclination to go to a launderette with a baby when they don't need to?! Just accept the fact that yes, reusables and the other washing created by a tiny person mean that your bills will increase! We used to do 3 loads per week (whites, darks and DH's rugby kit) but now we do at least 5 (and we don't use reusables). This week our DS has been sicky so it's closer to 9 and the electric bill shows this!