How much does a child cost?

[007fair]

Hear hear.

I grew up in a very frugal atmosphere - Mum, Dad, and two of us in a one bedroom flat, until I was 10. I don't actually remember craving or pestering for expensive things, maybe I was a bit slow! I saved pocket money for stuff (£10 once, for an Action Man, it seemed to take for ever, but every week I emptied the money box and counted it all. I think I was on about 50p a week!), and otherwise, new things were got at Christmas and birthdays. Clothes were home made mostly - I didn't care much about clothes, I think my sister probably pestered for fashionable stuff more than me, but then she's still into clothes, and I'm still not.

And the great thing is, I still get a thrill from spending £20 on a treat, where many would barely notice. I can be delighted by a tiny cheap gift, if it's chosen with care. Of course, it's likely that my underlying temperament has something to do with it, but I'm sure my careful upbringing has served me well. And it's possibly significant that we didn't watch ITV. Advertising just wasn't part of my life. Other kids had stuff, but it didn't bother me, I just enjoyed what I had.

And my nephew (4) was as delighted by the £3 lego dragon I got him at a carboot last week, even though it was missing a bit of tail and the top of its head, as he was by anything new I've bought him. So hopefully my sister is carrying on the good work.

Definately something to be said for a simpler / cheaper / less media centric life style.
But then everyone works hard to try and 'better' themselves and the more well off they get the more they want etc Vicious circle!

 

[swee'pea99]

Definately something to be said for a simpler / cheaper / less media centric life style.
But then everyone works hard to try and 'better' themselves and the more well off they get the more they want etc Vicious circle!

I don't see anything circular about it - it's a straight linear rush for a cushy grave, isn't it? And lots of people work hard to better themselves without imagining that 'better' means 'better supplied with stuff'. I may have a 16 year old Golf but my daughters think I'm funny. And they trust my judgment, ask for my advice, and take me seriously when I tell them they're out of order. Seems to me that's more important than a brand new Beemer every three years.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

And my nephew (4) was as delighted by the £3 lego dragon I got him at a carboot last week, even though it was missing a bit of tail and the top of its head, as he was by anything new I've bought him. So hopefully my sister is carrying on the good work.

Excellent stuff, Arch. My upbringing was based on the fact that if I wanted something I had to save for it. My folks would buy it for me (after much haranguing, probably!) and then keep a book about how much left I had to pay them back... much like a catalogue, but with no interest charges! I got myself a bike, a keyboard, toys and various other things this way and it taught me the value of money and saving... although that seems to have long since left me

My Nephews are lovely lads... but when one was riding his bike a while ago and left it near the roadside while he ran into some bushes after the mate he was messing about with... and the bike got run over by a Range Rover... he just shrugged his shoulders and said that he'd just have to get a new one from his parents. No concept of earning / saving for stuff... Mummy and Daddy simply buy it for him (he's 12 now and has had a PS3 and X-Box for a few years... in his room!!).

 

[Arch]

There was some discussion at work recently about reassessing our pay, with a view to raising it. Yay! Except, we're a charity, so where's the extra coming from? However, that's not the point.

The point was that a colleague and I were discussing this later, and came to the conclusion that while more money would always be nice, we were quite content. We live within our means, we do something we mostly enjoy, and that we believe in. While it probably wouldn't do to say to the committee "hey, we don't need a payrise!" actually, well, we don't - as long as we can still afford rent and food and heat, and a bit of fun, we're ok.

But I think we're a rather special bunch of folk, and our particular lines of work tend to mean that we're non-consumerist - a self selecting sample.

Says she, waiting for her latest Ebay purchases to arrive....

 

[Unkraut]

... I think my sister probably pestered for fashionable stuff more than me, but then she's still into clothes, and I'm still not.

Do you manage to carry on with this proclivity even in the bleak midwinter?

Someone said to me years ago that if you wait until you can afford children, you will never have any. I'm not sure you can really look at this from a financial point of view, except perhaps it might be wise not to have a quiver full of kids if your income is very low. There are other 'costs' in terms of time and energy, your beautiful home turned into a tip etc., but surely the 'benefits' must outweigh these?

 

[subaqua]

cost is nothing compared to the fun , nightmares,grief,heartache,hours of pratice but most of all the love they bring you

+1

 

[subaqua]

could be worse....could decide they want to take up diving...."how f**king much!!!"

ain't that the truth. just been looking at the twinset, 15 12 and 3Ltr pony ( yes I know i will die a horrible death using a pony) all due for full hydro and 02 clean ££££

 

[Arch]

Do you manage to carry on with this proclivity even in the bleak midwinter?

I knew someone would say something like that...

I spent most of my childhood being about 6 months behind fashion. I had flares, when everyone else had tight jeans.

I didn't really care, and now I wear what's comfortable - jeans, t-shirt, fleece. I have a 'smart' outfit, that's had 2 outings this year, and that's because I had a christening and a wedding to go to....

 

[ufkacbln]

There was some discussion at work recently about reassessing our pay, with a view to raising it. Yay! Except, we're a charity, so where's the extra coming from? However, that's not the point.

The point was that a colleague and I were discussing this later, and came to the conclusion that while more money would always be nice, we were quite content. We live within our means, we do something we mostly enjoy, and that we believe in. While it probably wouldn't do to say to the committee "hey, we don't need a payrise!" actually, well, we don't - as long as we can still afford rent and food and heat, and a bit of fun, we're ok.

But I think we're a rather special bunch of folk, and our particular lines of work tend to mean that we're non-consumerist - a self selecting sample.

Says she, waiting for her latest Ebay purchases to arrive....

I was offered a job last year at a higher salary, but as you say, If you are happy, that is worth an awful lot

 

[cyberknight]

I knew someone would say something like that...

I spent most of my childhood being about 6 months behind fashion. I had flares, when everyone else had tight jeans.

I didn't really care, and now I wear what's comfortable - jeans, t-shirt, fleece. I have a 'smart' outfit, that's had 2 outings this year, and that's because I had a christening and a wedding to go to....

only 6 months?

I grew up in hand me downs , i remember having to wear flares to school as it was the only"good " pair of trousers i had , this was in the age where everyone one else wore drain pipe ? i think they were called .

Kids do take everything you have, we cannot afford child care as my wife due to her past chemo+radiotherapy can only work part time , £60 a day child care would wipe out her monthly income in 4 days .