Wednesday 23 July 2014

How much does it cost to feed a 15 year old ?

Feeding a teen is considered expensive by many , so it seems unless you don't feed them enough they get incredibly grumpy but with a bit of magic it is possible to feed a teen cheaply.



Now Natwest considers that it will cost you £50 to feed a teenager who is 15 , I thought this incredibly generous at first as I thought that a huge chunk of this has to  a snacks allowance.

A menu for our week might look something like this, meal planning does help with a budget.

Monday Spaghetti  Bolognese

Tuesday Homemade Chicken Kiev . Dessert Eaton Mess

Wednesday Pulled Pork Salad.

Thursday Rolls made with pulled pork leftovers.

Friday Homemade burgers

Saturday Chicken and Potato Hash


Snacks made Strawberries and cream fridge cake flapjack

Natwest has asked several bloggers myself being one of them  to look at their spending habits and see how much they spend on their respective children ~ it does vary with age. Their child cost calculator estimates that J will cost me £50 a week , he is in the 13-17 age bracket.


I got to thinking about what I spent of a week on shopping and it is around £40 a week which is mainly on line. My husband does a top up shop ( which might be exciting items like shampoo, toilet cleaner or cat biscuits)  Now sometimes I will not even do a shop in one week as there is enough in reserves to keep us going for a couple of weeks, I do have to top up essentials bread, milk fruit & veg.

My son does have £10 a week for his school meals which is a cashless system and I can track what he is eating at school,  this is obviously only in term time. I could squeeze the cost all the more and sent him with sandwiches but he want to eat with his mates and I don't mind. Things will be different if you have more than one and my husband is one of 7 and has many a tale of 'interesting' foods that were eaten including milk and tripe, lard sandwiches, weetabix with butter!

As it is the holidays at the minute the money also that is saved from the shopping is used to stock up on my teens school wear , making sure he has a good pair of shoes which will cost anything from £40 to £80 in the year. The cost can be halted by buying from outlet shops or waiting for the sales only snag is the older they get the less choice you have.

And then there is the odd meal odd we never have starters or desserts instead choosing to have a dessert at home and for a family of 3 the meal at the local village pub is about 35 including drinks , price will vary according to what we have , it had come in at £15 before now if we have the lighter option.

What I am basically saying budget is largely down to choice and how you live your life , with a little planning you can still enjoy a luxury or 2 or 3 and your teen is still getting fed and there is enough in the wine pot for me *occasionally always drink responsibly *


Some of the costs  when it comes to childcare are really really scary but I have been lucky as i work in education and my husband has a fairly good job. The only thing is as I am part time I am not as well paid but I am lucky to have the job I have that has been so good with the flexibilities over the years.


The calculator says the school fees for this age group will be £40,000 which is huge and I am not at that figure as he is an a state school .I moved to get him into the school he is in in lieu of sending him to a private school which would have been all the more expensive. So thinking about it I am actually at that figure * excuse me while I cry into my pinot grigio.


There is no way I spent £150 a month on his clothes more likely £50 at times this will vary , such a the dreaded school uniform time but I have just got his blazer which is new off ebay for £8 and sewn the school badge on * well I don't sew but the husband does.


 and his pocket money is only £5 a week , transport I have left as we go all over the place for his sports , for I have left, books and technology have stayed the same.





My teenager playing football.


So what is the total cost for me having one child from 0-17 £297,078.67p


!!!!!


Have a go with the calculator yourself and see how you fare !

Disclosure: NatWest kindly sent me some vouchers to test out the calculator by spending on food, I have not been told or instructed what to write.

24 comments:

  1. Lalalalalalaaaaaaaaaaa I'm not looking at that, because I have three and I'll cry :'(

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  2. Ps. Strawberries and cream fridge cake? That's just adding to my mental torture!

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  3. I refuse to look at it as well as I will cry although interesting xx

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  4. I have three children, and I would say the major expense has been lost earnings due to the special needs of the two younger ones. As a College Student, my eldest is the most expensive right now....but she has a job and pays for many things herself. I'd say I spend a maximum of €50 a month on clothes for all of us, and I don't give pocket money. But I do spend a lot on food, mainly due to fussy children and my need for treats :)

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  5. I guess it is down to your lifestyle.... we're not into gadgets and the latest gizmos.... buy clothes at the carboot/charity shop, cook from scratch, etc... sure we could spend an awful lot more than we do!

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  6. I have a 2 and a 5 year old, and I dread to think what it costs to feed them, I swear they have hollow legs. I am not even thinking how much that amount will grow when they become teenagers!!

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  7. I have four children so I dread to think how much it will cost over the years. Our food shop is never that bad though as I plan well ahead and buy fresh.

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  8. I have one child. And it is expensive.The food, the clothes, the uniforms, the school suplies, the health care, and then the entertainment...

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  9. Very interesting but I am not sure I actually want to know. Ignorance is bliss :) x

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  10. Crikey that is scary! I'm best not looking at it like that and just coping day to day I think!

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  11. Wow that is crazy - I hate to think how much my parents spent on having me - the poor things! x

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  12. Mines 16, and he takes a lot of feeding. I could definitely save money by making cakes and snacks instead of buying them in. It's his sports that cost the most after school uniform, but fortunaltey I won't be buying that any more! Woohoo

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  13. Oh no, I've got three kids and I really don't want to know either. I think it's going to be scary so am best off in ignorance!

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  14. The estimate for a toddler's food is £40 a week so I'm not sure how a 15-year-old is just £10 more? I think it's really easy to say: "we don't spend that" but I'm finding it comforting to see all these figures because it explains why we never have money!

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  15. I can't look either. I have three and the cost of uniforms, trips, dinners and everything else will depress me if I see it written down!

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  16. Bloody hell! I'll pass on the calculator thanks, after reading that I'd rather not know... (I also have 3)

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  17. I don't think I want to look at the calculator. Kids are expensive!

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  18. I think you are right.....a bit of planning when it comes to the food budget can help no end.

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  19. Feeding a teen is so costly I see how much my nephew eats. Aaron has days when he grazes and days (like yesterday) when he eats often and portions like an adult. He ate my Big Mac the other day like a gannet. This post is so so incredibly informative thank you xx

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  20. I would absolutely hate to know what I spend on mine!! I should probably look into it and look at where I could make cuts though...I'm sure a bit of planning would go a long way!

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  21. I'd rather not know how much my children cost, I just want to enjoy them rather than worry about how much they eat!

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  22. There is no way I am looking at how much my children are costing me! Although they are only 5 and 3, they are already very talented at bargaining and striking 'deals'!

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  23. Eeek! I refuse to look on the grounds that it'll make me cry, and his hugs are payment of sorts. They're a dear do kids aren't they!

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