How much do kids cost?

gaillimheach

I'm trying to estimate the approximate financial cost of raising a child to age 18 approx:

A) at infancy - food/clothing/nappies/medical/basic toys/childcare,
pre-school - say aged 3-4 - food/clothing/childcare/toys/medical/social...
C) primary school age - food/clothing/hobbies/social/school books, clothing and other
D) secondary school age - food/clothing/hobbies/social/school books, uniform and other school costs/ medical/pocket money.

I've googled it, but only found generalisations. What I'd like is if parents reading this could give their own personal advice or insights on what financial outlays anyone planning to raise a child might expect.

Leave out the cost of car/housing/holidays, which will vary enormously according to the parents' budget. Also, let's assume regular public schooling, as opposed to the most expensive private schools.

Many thanks in advance. Also, in the interest of privacy, if you prefer to PM me any info, that's fine too.

silverharp

low long is a piece of string? the biggest cost in financial terms for us was losing the second income as my wife never really got back into work afterwards despite being freelance, however we had factored in that scenario so isnt a problem as such.

unit 1

All of your money and most of your time, or all of your time and most of your money.
Just accecpt it and enjoy it for what it is, wonderful, fulfilling, annoying etc etc:D

gaillimheach

OK, then, let me narrow it down.

Cost of nappies per month:

a)for a newborn
b) for a 2-year old


Cost of food per week:

c)for a 7-month old
d) for a 4-year old
e) for a 10 year old

Nevyn

The thing is it's hard to figure an average.

Is the newborn being breastfed and if so for how long?
If not then the price on formula depends on which one the baby prefers.
Then there is the cost of bottles, steriliser.

Newborns go through between 8 to 12 nappies a day so that is an average of about 300 a month. Again different brands cost different amounts that is if your not using and ecco system.

Why are you looking for these figures?


Your best bet is to look at online shops and their prices.

January

silverharp wrote: »

low long is a piece of string? the biggest cost in financial terms for us was losing the second income as my wife never really got back into work afterwards despite being freelance, however we had factored in that scenario so isnt a problem as such.

You know I read the title and thought the exact same thing! "How long is a piece of string"!

There are thousands of factors you need to take into having a child... if the child becomes ill, medical expenses, including travel to and from hospital, overnight stays for mam and dad, medical equipment, pharmacy bills etc can run into the thousands.

Basically I'll give you a rough estimate.

I have a 5 month old and a 20 month old. I spend approx 50 euro a week on nappies, wipes, formula and snacks for both (formula for the 5 month old, snacks for the 20 month old.). This does not include cooking for the 20 month old because that is factored into our normal shopping budget now that she eats what we eat. A box of formula for the 5 months old a week costs €10.39. Nappies for both is about €20 for a week (maybe a week and a half for the 20 month old) supply. Baby wipes are used for everything! Bums, faces, hands... so we go through about 4 packs a week, another ten euro. Snacks for the little one include Liga (about €2.00), Organix Snacks (€2.00 again) and fruit pots (€2.00-€3.00 depending on if there is special offers going).

Moonbeam

I have an 18 month old.

Creche fees,bigger house and changing to working part time are the huge expenses.

Nappies - she goes through about 4-5 a day so they cost about 15-17 euro a month.(Pampers mega boxes atm)
We go through about 2 packets of baby wipes a month (no baby wipes needed for creche) so that is about 2 euro(pampers sensitive)
Formula - about 20 euro a month (it is easier to commute with small bottles of formula then fresh milk)
She is fed in the creche 3 days and the other 4 days she eats the same as us but I do still buy Liga as an out and about snack.
Washing Powder - an extra 3/4 euro a month.

2qk4u

If you need to calculate the cost of raising a child you shouldnt have children.

Nevyn

I don't think it's a bad thing to be looking at it, the say the average for a first baby is somewhere between 10 and 15 grand for the first year but that is buying a lot of equipment starting out.

Tbh there are so many varibles as the child gets older, and some of them are standard of living, sure you can feed a child for next to nothing if you give them frozen food constantly but that is far from a healthy diet.

Moonbeam

That reminds me..
I remember being told a child is only as expensive as you make them.
I have learned how true this is since I have had a child!

Cat Melodeon

I have a budget baby so here's a rough estimate of costs for the first year:
Food:
breastfed to 12 months so no formula costs
1 tube lansinoh cream: €13
1 breastpump (with bottles): €36
steriliser: €56 (shouldn't have bought it, didn't need it)
baby-led weaning so minimal food costs as all homemade/homegrown stuff and bits off our own plates, max €5 a week on baby snacks like rice cakes, rusks etc
Total for year: 365

Hygiene
nappies: always get special offer ones, only costs about €20 for a bumper pack with b.o.g.o.f. a month (5 nappies a day max, normally only 4)
wipes: again, shop around for the special offers, works out about €10 a month max
cotton wool: €4 a month
vaseline: tub a month €3
sudocreme: one tub since birth €7
baby wash/oil: only on the second big bottle since birth €10 total
nappy bags: 3 boxes since birth @ €2 per box
Total: 467

Clothing
Hard to give an estimate, I didn't have to buy a single thing for my lad until he was 4 months old as we got so many gifts of clothes. I also get bags of hand-me-downs from a friend. There's also a huge difference depending on where you shop - you can get designer outfits costing in the hundreds or something that does the same thing from Tesco for 4 quid. I'd say I've spent about €250 in total, including things like bedding, but imagine that to be well less than most people.
Total:250

Equipment
Also hard to give an estimate. You can buy a cot with mattress in IKEA for less than €100 or get a funky one from Mamas&Papas for closer to a grand. Similarly with toys, you can spend a fortune and find little Johnny gets more crack out of a cardboard box and some saucepans. We got lots of stuff as presents and second hand (like a swingchair, walker, changing table).
Cosleeper crib: 200
Cotbed 350 (should last him til he's 4).
Toys have cost us about €200 total.
Currently baby-proofing the house, this will end up about €100.
Playpen: 120.
Buggy with car seat/changing bag: 260.
Carseat: 70 (second hand - I know you're not supposed to but it was brand new).
Baby monitor: €75
Sponge thing for bath: €20
Sleep positioner: 2 x €20
Dodies: €30
Total: 1465

Sundry other stuff: €300 (like painting nursery, going swimming, doctor's visit (1) etc)

Rough estimate of 1st year costs: 2847

Keep in mind I will not have thought of everything and that we got a hell of a lot of stuff from friends and family.
Also keep in mind that we're planning on having more children so most of the equipment we bought will be used by at least 2 more kids, so you could divide some of the above costs by 3.

Chuchoter

Judging by the people I babysit for, playschool for a year for a 4 year old is about 3,5k

Primary school, for books and uniforms I'm going to say 200 a year.

Secondary school for first year uniform and books I'm going to say 200 for the uniform and 300 for the books, then 150 for trips whatever. I buy all my own clothes (I'm 17) and other bits and pieces because I work, I'd say I go through maybe €400 a year on clothes and absolute crap (but I've stopped now, saving up for Italy)

How Strange

When I was buying my first car many moons ago lots of people said a car would drain my money and I'd always be broke insuring, taxing and maintaining it. Guess what; i wasn't. Now people are telling me that kids are so expensive and we'll be broke buying things. We have no intention of buying the most expensive anything with the obvious exception of buggy and car seat.

I know enough about kids to know that they don't care if their clothes are second hand, from pennys or from bt's. They will play with the cardboard box and wrapping paper off their presents for first few years and they don't need a room full if expensive toys.

I'm not overly daunted by the cost of having our baby because we intend to keep our heads about us and not spend a fortune in silly things.

littlebug

How Strange wrote: »

they don't need a room full if expensive toys.

.

I've somehow managed to have a house full of inexpensive tat My eldest was 1 when we moved into this house and her toys fitted in one small box. It's unbelieveable how much crAp you gather up over the years.
I have no clue how much they cost. Its true they're as expensive as you make them e.g some people buy a new buggy for each child while for others it's second hand all the way. Home-grown/ made food vs processed or dispoaable vs cloth nappies. Out of nappies at 2 or 3? I think it's impossible to put an average on it tbh.

pickarooney

It's a decreasing scale for most familes I'd imagine, both because you can reuse so much and because you realise how useless a lot of the 'vital 'stuff you buy for your first child is.

Our daughter's first year probably cost well under 500 euros compared to at least double for our son's.

Moonbeam

All the equipment travel system,carseat,isofix base,changing unit that is a chest of drawers,cellular blankets,cot and mattress cost just under 800 euro.
We got a present of the travel cot and borrowed the moses basket

gaillimheach

These replies are giving me an increasingly clear idea of the cost of raising a child. Thank you very much to those who have given me some feedback, particularly those who have been able to give me precise figures relating to their own expenditures.

If anyone else wants to chip in with any insight, I'd be grateful.

Sleepy

Unless you're fortunate enough to have family nearby who are happy to babysit, they make you far more time poor than money poor in my experience.

Quality

I am paying almost €10,000 a year for childcare and I only work a two day week. Thats for two of them.

One of them will start school in September and then It will drop to €7000.

Moonbeam

I pay that for one and only work 3 days a week.

Cat Melodeon

I should probably add that I'm unemployed at present so no childcare costs. I'm beginning to think I'll have to stay at home permanently if childcare costs 10 grand a year. That's practically half my yearly salary.

LegacyUser

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a healthy baby. So if you have a child with special needs, the costs can go way above what is average

Some examples (Ive been there)

Cost of petrol/fares/transport to and from appointments.
Cost of therapy such as Speech Language, Ocupational Therapy, Sensory Therapy, private Consultants etc, private assessments this list could go on and on
Equipment such as seating, HSE provides some but other stuff you have to pay for yourself, e.g. physio equpment, sensory toys,
Adaptaptions to car/house if needed, grants are available but not everyone qualifies
High possiblity that one parent may have to give up employment to care for child, if a single parent family then this can mean finanical hardship.
Special needs clothes and shoes can cost a fortune but may be needed as child gets older

There are HSE and social welfare payements to help with costs but it doesnt near cover it.

Of course nobody planning a child expects to find themselves a parent of a child with special needs but it is something to be aware of.

Sean Bateman

Thaedydal wrote: »

I don't think it's a bad thing to be looking at it, the say the average for a first baby is somewhere between 10 and 15 grand for the first year but that is buying a lot of equipment starting out.

Tbh there are so many varibles as the child gets older, and some of them are standard of living, sure you can feed a child for next to nothing if you give them frozen food constantly but that is far from a healthy diet.

€10-15K is a ridiculous estimate.

€5K would be more accurate. €1,000 covers the birth, €2,000 covers getting the home ready for the baby and €2,000 covers the items consumed by the baby. And that's without scrimping on anything.

Zen65

And they don't get cheaper as they grow up.

Older kids eat more, their clothes are more expensive, they want more expensive "toys" (which can include laptops, mobile phones etc because all their friends have these), their schooling is expensive (even free schooling costs a lot!), they may need braces/orthodontic care, their friends will expect parties, cinema trips etc etc.

Not to mention the indirect costs... the days you take off work to mind them when they're ill, to attend the parent/teacher meeting, to see the school play. More importantly if one parent gives up work completely to be the at-home parent, there's a huge cost to that.

But if your kid turns out to be a decent human being who appreciates what they've got and is a positive influence on society, ......it will have been worth every penny.


Be at peace,

Z