Children are expensive!!

[Shining]

I take my granddaughter everywhere I go just about. She likes the library too and she loves going on the computer and so long as I know what she's doing I'm happy with that. She's on there now talking to me on MSN!

[kallis3]

We spent yesterday afternoon at a joint birthday party for a 4 year old and the 7 year old stepgrandaughter. It was just too noisy for us so we spent a lot of time standing outside with the small stepgrandaughter as all the noise made her cry - as did her grandad everytime he tried to hold her!!!!

The kids all enjoyed it though which is the main thing.

[4kidsnocash]

I think Lesley has hit on a point, the fact that we try to give our kids the things that we never had has perhaps helped get us in the financial position we are in now. I'm not saying this is the sole reason, it would be very sad if this was the case; just that it may be a contributing factor.

And I have to ask, is it because they need or want these things or are we trying too hard to replace our own childhood?

[kallis3]

I think we do try to give them more, especially if we go out to work. My mum was at home with me for most of my childhood (I have vague memories of her going back to work for a while and me stopping at my Nan's so I wouldn't have been school age). As an only child I did have more stuff than a lot of the other kids but I wasn't spoiled.

We once bought our daughter a wooden playhouse for her 5th birthday as she always used to play in it when we went to the warehouse. It cost us £300, we had it put up the night before her birthday and when she came back from school her dad brought her round the back where I was waiting with the camera - she just ran straight in the house and she hardly ever played in it! What a total waste of money!

[Shining]

I just took my granddaughter to a Primark which has opened about 25 miles away and spent £6.50 on her outfit and that does include sandals!

Things can be cheap not always cost effective I agree but on this occasion will do her fine. x

[kallis3]

That was a bargain Lesley! The only thing I hate about Primark is that it seems sometimes to be a bit of a jumble sale. I did get a nice coat from there though a couple of years ago and have had some nice Atmospher stuff from Ebay as well.

[Shining]

This is a civilised one Jan, the only one I've been to like a jumble sale is Manchester and although I go to it, believe me I'd rather not, this is one in Kings Lynn and just opened in the old Littlewoods store. x

[kallis3]

The one in Birmingham is a jumble sale and I hated it, even though I did get a bargain coat!

[Struzzo39]

I have to admit we havnt yet mastered the art of saying no yet to our boys. obviously within reason I dont see why they should suffer because of our mess that we've found ourselves in. I agree with the previous poster this has probably helped to contribute to the mess but we've learnt loads of other lessons which will help us massivly long term, that i'd like to hold onto just this one sin for a little longer

[lukeofyorkshire]

font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:<hr height="1" noshade>Originally posted by lesley_

This is a civilised one Jan, the only one I've been to like a jumble sale is Manchester and although I go to it, believe me I'd rather not, this is one in Kings Lynn and just opened in the old Littlewoods store. x

You have found a civilised Primark!?!?! [:0]

I do find because of the low prices people treat it awfully. I have seen people pick things up, go 'Naaahhh' then just either chuck it on a pile on drop it on the floor! Says more about the person doing it though and sadly Leeds is full of them. My poor Niece works part-time there and she hates it but its a job. [:D]

When I do my clothes shopping (A rarity, I make do with old stuff or my missus gets me clothes at like 10% of the price in the sales at her work) it is at Primark for price and I am in as soon as it opens and out before it gets mental lol.

[rosie_percy]

Children are VERY expensive.. I recently read this article the Guardian that estimates that raising a child to the to the age of 18 will cost you up to nearly £150,000! The article talks about the cost of raising a happy child to the age of 21 now stands at up to £218,024 with education being the highest cost

[Hair_bobbles]

Well,,we've got 4 kids. ( all planned!!) & I can safely say they get more esxpensive as they get older!! Also ,,experience tells me cheap clothes are a waste of money because they don't last & they don't need to have a massive wardrobe of clothes either!!
Vanish oxi action max & a bucket is the best investment you can make! ! Keeps them clothes stain free & in good condition!!

[carole2662]

No wonder that so many people are in IVA,S if it costs £218,024 to bring up a child. I think if my son and daughter had cost us that much we would have been living in a cardboard box under the viaduct we simply didn't earn that sort of money.

[Hair_bobbles]

I know- we got into trouble when my hubby took a 10k a year pay cut to work closer to home & then the company car tax changed & made us £400 a month worse off. That's when the rot started to set in,,,but we already had had number 4 by then,,,& even tho he worked closer to home, his hours were all over the place so I could never go out & get an evening/twighlight shift job to help out.

However!! It's the kids turn to start contributing to household expenses now...the eldest has finally got a job!! I'll be taking " board & lodgings" money off him from end of jan...it'll pay my astronomical gas & electric dd every month- & do you know what the cheeky monkey said to me when I was showing him how to use the washing machine to wash his work stuff?
" I don't need to know that mum,,that's what I'm paying you for!!!"