[Closed] I've got no kids so where's my £460k gone?

The term is childfree. Childless implies a loss. Its certainly no loss not having children.

Well it could be described as a loss to the Genepool (or not I suppose).

Childfree just sounds like word 'spin' to me; if you choose not to have a child why try and dress it up with a new word, if you are childless couple there is nothing wrong with that, so why try and twist a statement of fact; childfree sounds like you are trying too hard to justify your life choice and why should you.

It would be interesting to know what proportion of the total cost of childcare is actually picked up by the parents. For example if every parent had to pay for their children's healthcare and schooling, would the average cost per child be £20k PA? £30k? More?

All I know is that we agreed that if we couldn't have kids we'd have a smaller house, both work 4 days a week and retire at 55.

I'm sure the two kids are worth it.
I'm sure the two kids are worth it.
I'm sure the two kids are worth it.
I'm sure the two kids are worth it.
I'm sure the two kids are worth it.
I'm sure the two kids are worth it.
I'm sure the two kids are worth it.
I'm sure the two kids are worth it.
I'm sure the two kids are worth it.
I'm sure the two kids are worth it.
I'm sure the two kids are worth it.

😐

The term is childfree. Childless implies a loss

When I first read this I thought it was nonsense, but as I say the words childless and childfree in my head, they do imply different things to me too. Childfree sounds like a choice has been made, whereas childless sounds like the choice has sadly been made for you.

Childless sounds like a blessing to me 🙂

Esp every time I hear someone else's screaming sprog, or my colleagues come in looking utterly jet lagged after yet another night without sleep!

It would be interesting to know what proportion of the total cost of childcare is actually picked up by the parents. For example if every parent had to pay for their children's healthcare and schooling, would the average cost per child be £20k PA? £30k? More?

Who knows, however it would screw everyone who is retired or thinking of retirement, as who do you think pays for this? The older generation pay for schools and the younger generation pays for retirement.

That's why China is so screwed as it doesn't have enough children to pay for its ageing population and immigration is so low. I believe 1 in 3 Chinese will be retired by 2040, as a consequence of the one child policy so taxes are going to have to go through the roof.

Childless sounds like a blessing to me

Esp every time I hear someone else's screaming sprog, or my colleagues come in looking utterly jet lagged after yet another night without sleep!

By focusing on the small amount of 'bad' stuff you miss the good stuff. To draw a shit comparison, Would you never ride your bike because you need to repair it every now and then? Or is the overhead worth it in the long run?

It would be interesting to know what proportion of the total cost of childcare is actually picked up by the parents. For example if every parent had to pay for their children's healthcare and schooling, would the average cost per child be £20k PA? £30k? More?

It would be a difficult thing to quantify – these sorts of questions often lead to Childless people saying things like “see, I have to subsidise other people’s kids though taxation.”

Really though, the Child pays for their own education / healthcare etc later in life when they're a tax payer in the same way they pay for their own state pension at the other end of their life.

It worth also remembering, in case this sort of argument starts that we all need Children, even those who decide not to have any of their own - you might have read or heard the phrase "a rapidly aging population" and how it's one of the biggest challenges facing the UK and the Developed World in general.

P-Jay - Member

Childless people saying things like “see, I have to subsidise other people’s kids though taxation.”

i love it when people tell me what i think...

richc - Member

To draw a shit comparison...

you're right, that's a shit comparison.

i love it when people tell me what i think...

something like that...

you're right, that's a shit comparison.

🙂

Its not bad for me and I've been up since 5am 😯

It would be interesting to know what proportion of the total cost of childcare is actually picked up by the parents. For example if every parent had to pay for their children's healthcare and schooling, would the average cost per child be £20k PA? £30k? More

There is a market out there - you can see the cost of private schooling (per year 😯 ) easily enough

It's 'only' about £1600 per year, per kid for state schooling though.

I just find it quite sad that we seemingly have to have a monetary value for everything. If I ever worked out how much my dogs had cost me I bet it'd be a lot too. Thing is I don't care. I didn't have dogs or my son based on any financial decisions. Christ, if we're talking expense my kid has cost me a lot less than the Newfoundland we used to have. Didn't even think of the money when she needed treatment.

It's not a figure of value though, it's just a meaningless average cost including all the big spenders (distorting any meaning of 'average')

Hmm.... we had 2 kids in shildcare 3 days per week until september this year. £1200pcm. Now down to £600pcm with the eldest in school, but we are lucky to have wraparound care done by family (or that would be another £200pcm). Childcare is more than our mortgage, and was almost double mortgage.

Plus clothes, food, xmas/birthdays, 4 for holidays etc etc. 11k/yr sounds a lot but I don't think it's an order of magnitude out. Not sure yet what it's like when they get older!

we'll each be ~£150 month cash better off when we stop having to cover costs with childcare vouchers.

Our total spend at the local nursery between birth and starting primary school was just shy of £50k.

At one point a colleague helpfully worked out that if our childcare costs were deducted direct from salary I would have been working for 20p per hour.

Childcare costs have now gone down to occasional out of school club but instead been replaced with rugby / football / beavers / guides / judo / ballet (very spendy) / swimming / various music lessons / biking etc.

It's 'only' about £1600 per year, per kid for state schooling though.

I think we get around £4k per student (sixth form college) funding. Schools get a bit more.

I've seen the breakdown of the figures on some of those click bait headlines. Some are frankly ridiculous.

If I remember a large percentage was due to people with kids having to buy a large(r) house. Becuase all singletons live in a one-bed flats...

Also add £25k for a people carrier, replaced every couple of years (obviously...). I think that was on top of the normal family car for the father to go out an earn the crust for the family.

Mum would stay at home thus losing £40k a year in salary, though obviously the kids would need to go to nursery (mum needs to go to the gym regularly...). I even think there was additional cleaners costs too 😛

Basically its all made up crap.

Mum would stay at home thus losing £40k a year in salary, though obviously the kids would need to go to nursery (mum needs to go to the gym regularly...). I even think there was additional cleaners costs too

If I were you I would find some new mums and point out how they have a cushy life of going to the gym, waiting for people to clean up after them and drinking gin at long lunches with friends; and let us know how it pans out for you 😛

I've not got any kids so only work a few days a week in a relatively low pay/stress job for a charity.

So, I guess I'm missing out on potential money

Sounds pretty bang on to me. Even as an average.

Usual costs of food/clothes/child0-minding nursery
Larger house,
Opportunity loss on wife's income.

Rather understates it in the case of me and my ex. And we don't pay School Fees.

4 for holidays

Good point. I used to have annual ski holidays, but there's no way I can could afford to take the 5 of us to the Alps every year. Last time my wife and I skied together was in Alpe D'Huez 6 years ago and it cost us about £500/600 each for the holiday (chalet) plus ski hire and lift pass, beer money etc, so probably around £1500 all in. A quick search for a similar holiday for the whole family in February half term this year would be £5000. Adding on ski hire, lessons and lift pass would easily be another grand on top of that. That's a good chunk of the £10k right there.

Any hopes of ever going skiing with the whole family have just been extinguished #FirstWorldProblem

That's a good chunk of the £10k right there.

Plus one week is never enough, so budget for New Year and Feb half term....

I used to have annual ski holidays, but there's no way I can could afford to take the 5 of us to the Alps every year. Last time my wife and I skied together was in Alpe D'Huez 6 years ago and it cost us about £500/600 each for the holiday (chalet) plus ski hire and lift pass, beer money etc, so probably around £1500 all in. A quick search for a similar holiday for the whole family in February half term this year would be £5000. Adding on ski hire, lessons and lift pass would easily be another grand on top of that. That's a good chunk of the £10k right there.

So having kids has [i]saved[/i] you money... 😉

Plus one week is never enough, so budget for New Year and Feb half term....

😆

No kids, a small mortgage and 2 full time incomes meant we once had 2 ski holidays in one year. We felt very swish 🙂 Trading that in for 3 kids has been a pretty good deal though, bless their little cotton socks.

So having kids has saved you money...

😆 probably

I often wonder if we'd still be going out to the pub every weekend if we had no kids. That's probably £2,500 a year straight off.

No children, no grandchildren, no wife, no relatives, no anything and I'm lonely as hell, yet I'm absolutely loaded - more money than I could ever hope to spend. Guess who's situation on this thread I would prefer to be in?

Xico.

Loneliness can be a right ****er. No idea why, but [url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/new-years-eve-plans#post-8183435 ]some of your posts have stuck in my head,[/url] so hopefully things improve soon.

p.s can you lend me a tenner if you're minted? 😉

Xico.

Loneliness can be a right ****. No idea why, but some of your posts have stuck in my head, so hopefully things improve soon.

Thanks, Jamie, that was a kind reply. Perhaps I'll pluck up the courage to post something about this myself in future!

Yeah, do matey. There are plenty of us with no kids, wife etc with something to contribute to any random musings.

(Jamie doesn't need the money btw 🙂 )

and I'm lonely as hell

Sorry to hear that. Have you tried any of the online matchmaking sites, joining any local clubs that pique your interest? Where are you based? I'm sure there'd be plenty of folk on here (me included) who'd meet up for a drink or bike ride.

(Jamie doesn't need the money btw)

I haven't got a pot to piss in, or a Wife to Hug 🙁

Hug your...sausages?

Sorry to hear that. Have you tried any of the online matchmaking sites, joining any local clubs that pique your interest? Where are you based? I'm sure there'd be plenty of folk on here (me included) who'd meet up for a drink or bike ride.

Thank you, I really appreciate your offer. However, I'm signing off now as I don't wish to hijack the thread.

No kids, a small mortgage and 2 full time incomes meant we once had 2 ski holidays in one year.

We go on two ski holidays every year - they are essential to fill the void left in our lives by not having children.