how much do children really cost?
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
Forum Description: For mums, dads, parents-to-be, grandparents, friends -- you name it! And you name the topic you want to chat about!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=34070
Printed Date: 22 August 2025 at 2:37pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: how much do children really cost?
Posted By: _SMS_
Subject: how much do children really cost?
Date Posted: 15 June 2010 at 2:55pm
|
I have all Taylahs baby gear, clothes, blankets etc.
If i was to have a girl i would need NOTHING. A boy would only need clothes & blankets, although i have a bit of unisex stuff. How much does it really cost to have a 2nd child? i have cloth nappies, but i do use them for Taylah so i might need to buy more, so all i can think of is nappies, wipes, what else??  -------------  
|
Replies:
Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 15 June 2010 at 2:59pm
|
We had to get another cot ... other than that it was just clothes as he was a boy .. we kept all her unisex stuff though.
We also needed bedding because even when she was out of a cot she went into a toddler bed so was still using her bedding. Everything else they either shared or she didnt need anymore. ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year  http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
|
Posted By: kiwi2
Date Posted: 15 June 2010 at 3:16pm
|
Immediately not a lot more if you have most of the stuff although I could see having to buy the odd thing you didn't have for the first etc. Things you would've had but didn't know about or wanted but decided not a priority. We can say we won't buy them but realistically I would end up buying some stuff.
Stroller or adaptations for stroller so that you can wrangle both kids out and about. Is one of the biggies. Down the track there is the cost of school/daycare and sports etc. But that is a while away. |
Posted By: _H_
Date Posted: 15 June 2010 at 5:44pm
|
I believe that kids cost how much you want them to. cots, clothes and everything else you need is cheap on trademe but it depends on if you want to buy secondhand or new
im saving now to buy new and good quality stuff when im UTD so i can use for our second (and if i have my way 3rd) child but i want this stuff we dont actually need it |
Posted By: pepsi
Date Posted: 15 June 2010 at 6:39pm
|
We had 2 girls, so I thought we'd be set with clothes etc.. only I went and got pregnant during a different time of year, so when the second came along all the clothes don't fit during the right seasons!.. Not that I needed an excuse to buy more clothes really haha
I think also it depends on the age gap between the kids.. We didn't have to buy a second cot, as the first was ready for a bed by the time we needed the cot.. stuff like that.. |
Posted By: Lisha
Date Posted: 15 June 2010 at 6:56pm
|
We also had 2 girls and as they were both born in December (who's idea was that?!!) we were lucky to have the same season clothes. It has saved us a fortune, but still like to stock up. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: _SMS_
Date Posted: 15 June 2010 at 6:58pm
Yah this is great. 
The only things i know i want with #2 would be a baby carrier, i also figure that was i can push dd in a pram and have the baby in carrier. So id be spending a few hundred on that but i can always layby that -------------
|
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 15 June 2010 at 8:07pm
|
I used most of DD pj's for DS. It doesn't really matter what colour blankets and things are. I have used DD socks and some singlets on DS pink or not.
All of her cot sheets we are re-using as well. Make sure you test a few carriers out if you can before you buy |
Posted By: Nikki
Date Posted: 15 June 2010 at 9:31pm
|
I spent more on clothes as no 2 was a girl, but I have used all of Jakes pjs and neutral stuff (I bought lots of white singlets and pale blues that a girl could use with him, just in case) and I could have probably spent a bit less than I have! Also got the buggy attachment and ended up with a double stroller, but that was a necessity. Don't forget about more car seats - we have had to buy two more due to needing them in both cars. And don't get me started on two in daycare!!! But yeah, initially they won't cost a huge amount more, just nappies, wipes, baby food and formula if you use it. We borrowed a highchair too, cos Jake still used his, but he was out of the cot. and there are small things like drink bottles / sipper cups / comfort toys / more bibs (mine were trashed and I still use them on Jake for dinner) etc ------------- DS (5yrs) and DD (3yrs) |
Posted By: hcsmum
Date Posted: 16 June 2010 at 2:08pm
|
We got everything (bar the pram/buggy and carseat and a couple of nice outfits ) second hand for DS3,
now that DD4mths is here, she's using everything that he has, but we were also given a HEAP of clothing for her, (why is that girls are easier to shop for than boys??!) I bought new bottles for her, and she's getting a new carseat, but other than that the only thing that we have bought for her is some clothing, formula and nappies. I'm not phased that she wears blue (she fits DS's winter clothing) atm because it's all warm and it means I'm not forking out a bunch for her in pink when she is our last baby. I also put aside all of DS's pants for her for when she grows into them as pants colour doesn't matter. What it boils down to is how much you're prepared to spend, and what you -really- need. |
Posted By: flakesitchyfeet
Date Posted: 16 June 2010 at 2:22pm
|
I swapped my pram - I've always wanted a P&T, now I have an excuse!
We got a few extra boys clothes from tm and the likes, and a kindy parent gave DH a pair of awesome boy toned animal nursery items. I purchased an electric pump this time too, had no trouble feeding last time but was sooo shy and the manual pump was a bum! And a couple of merino bits and peices. I've purchased bugger all I think...and what I have have been wants more than needs :) The only major thing would be a full new set of ittis, because DD will still be in her set of nappies -------------  http://lilypie.com"> |
Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 16 June 2010 at 9:29pm
|
Hardly anything, a new pram (didn't think ahead first time round, if I had it wouldn't have cost us more), went up a size in carseats (which we would have done eventually anyway), a few pink things and some pink clothes but all bought at sales. Cloth nappies are all used for her as DS is toilet trained.
It costs us about $25 per week per child for food, nappies/pullups etc, plus DC ($120 per week each) and clothing (which would be maybe $5 a week), so it really is bugger all. The difference for us was using cloth nappies - that saving has meant another child. I use pale blue stuff for DD, she hasn't complained lol. I think it costs how much you want to spend, we chose not to buy a 2nd cot and instead had DD in a bassinet then a portacot for a while - I saw no point as the crossover was minimal timing. |
Posted By: Renee & Lauren
Date Posted: 17 June 2010 at 9:09am
|
so when are you thinking of having #2? In a year or more? Would DD be out of nappies by that stage do you think? The only thing I can say is that we have a 5 yr age gap and because we had a girl first time around and boy this time we had to get pretty much everything as all clothes blankets etc were all girlie. We didn't have a cot anymore as we borrowed my sisters and then she needed it back when our DD was 1. All I will say is try and time in for say 2 1/2 - 3 yrs when your DD is most likely to be toilet trained and that way you won't need to buy anymore nappies. ------------- http://lilyslim.com">  http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 17 June 2010 at 9:23am
|
The only big ticket items here were a carseat and a stroller adapter. Though TBH we hardly use the stroller adapter anyway.
-------------  
 
|
Posted By: _SMS_
Date Posted: 17 June 2010 at 9:44am
|
Well im hoping the sooner the better
There will be at least a 2 yr age gap now, so we wont need a cot & hopefully i can start trying to toliet train dd so she wont be in nappies, ill hopefully start toliet training over summer when she turns 2 that way its warm & might be a bit easier. I also figured if i dont find out the sex i wont be as tempted to buy lots of baby clothes like i did with dd knowing i could buy pink hehe  -------------
|
Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 17 June 2010 at 9:51am
|
My nieces have a larger age gap 5 years, instead of saving clothes - my SIL swaped them with another mum with kids similar ages, but slightly smaller / larger than my nieces. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">   [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: SpecialK
Date Posted: 17 June 2010 at 11:50am
|
Well, we are having a 17-18 months gap and so far I have spent maybe an extra $50 on clothes (more singlets and nighties) - all on sale, got a couple more muslin wraps, and we'll be buying a new buggy which is the most expensive item.
Then newborn nappies, wipes, formula just in case... and that's it I think. If we have a girl I am sure grandparents will go nuts buying pink stuff and if it's a boy, we are all sorted. Oh, and of course the extra preggy clothes (pregnant in the winter this time round) and the ob costs. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: Mama2two
Date Posted: 17 June 2010 at 3:56pm
|
We just bought a new double pram - more an excuse really because I always wanted the P&T . Because we had a boy second time we have bought clothes, but mostly 2nd hand and have also done swaps with friends. We also had to buy a new bed for Sam so we could use the cot, but would have needed to do that eventually anyway. We havent bought new bedding for the cot, he can sleep in pink! and he is wearing her cloth nappies.
So i guess it really hasnt cost too much at all for us - which is lucky
|
Posted By: tictacjunkie
Date Posted: 19 June 2010 at 12:10am
|
As babies- I definitely agree that they cost as much as you want them to! This time we're only buying a sling and a new carseat- even if it is a boy, I've decided we have enough neutrals! Nappies, wipes, formula eventually. When they get older however... school is definitely not free or low cost even, and our almost 9yo son eats more than DH & I put together!
|
Posted By: Babe
Date Posted: 19 June 2010 at 9:03pm
|
I swapped prams coz I wanted a double - got an e3 p&t for $150 on TM
Since Jake didn't go into cloth naps til he was closer to 9 months I spent $60 on secondhand snazzipants fitteds/prefolds/covers. I had 2 boys so no prob with clothes. Jake needed a booster anyway so thats not really an additional cost. I wanted a moby so brought material for $12 and 'made' my own (actually got 2). Thats it 
I don't reckon it needs to be hugely expensive. -------------   
|
Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 19 June 2010 at 9:53pm
| if/when we have number three, we will buy a carseat and new pushchair. we have gotten rid of most of our stuff, but will prob borrow a bassinet and a sling. still have all my cloth naps too. |
Posted By: Mama2two
Date Posted: 20 June 2010 at 10:16am
|
I did forget about the car seat when I posted. We did spend a small fortune on a new Recaro seat for Samantha. She would have still fit in her Safe & Sound for ages as at 3 she is only 13kgs and it goes to 18kg. I do figure that we would have eventually had that expense either way though - so don't really count it if that makes sense
|