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Old 05-09-2009, 01:33 PM
 
Location: Victoria TX
42,579 posts, read 86,624,998 times
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How much do your kids spend and cost? Count their actual spending money, including what they earn from outside sources, plus everything you spend directly on their behalf (clothing, school costs, etc.) but do not count a share of the rent/mortgage/utilities or the family car unless they drive it.

I live on Social Secuirity, and I pay rent, utilities, food, car. I'm wondering how many middle-class suburban kids (especially teens) actually spend more every month than I do.
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Old 05-09-2009, 02:20 PM
 
Location: Monroe, Louisiana
806 posts, read 2,951,034 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jtur88 View Post
I live on Social Secuirity, and I pay rent, utilities, food, car. I'm wondering how many middle-class suburban kids (especially teens) actually spend more every month than I do.
Many.
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Old 05-09-2009, 03:20 PM
 
3,842 posts, read 10,481,564 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jtur88 View Post
I live on Social Secuirity, and I pay rent, utilities, food, car. I'm wondering how many middle-class suburban kids (especially teens) actually spend more every month than I do.
How much a month do you spend?

And since you don't want to compare how YOU live (utilities, rent, car) with how THEY (spending money, clothes, etc) live, what is even the point?
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Old 05-09-2009, 03:22 PM
 
11,642 posts, read 23,817,522 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jtur88 View Post
How much do your kids spend and cost? Count their actual spending money, including what they earn from outside sources, plus everything you spend directly on their behalf (clothing, school costs, etc.) but do not count a share of the rent/mortgage/utilities or the family car unless they drive it.

I live on Social Secuirity, and I pay rent, utilities, food, car. I'm wondering how many middle-class suburban kids (especially teens) actually spend more every month than I do.
My teens probably spend more than you do. They are in private school, take many showers a day, participate in sports (all cost $$), they eat like pigs, and they like to go out occasionally with their friends. My husband makes a lot of money so their costs are pretty high. We could spend less on them if we needed to do so.
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Old 05-09-2009, 08:53 PM
Gue
 
24,118 posts, read 10,109,120 times
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So right...But I have always felt that you have a window of opportunity with kids.

My kids have had karate lessons, viola, violin, voice, softball, Tball, basketball, soccer, GirlScouts, BoyScouts, religion classes, tap, jazz, ballet, driving classes at the high school, junior proms. senior banguets, and a graduation Europe trip & now I am starting Sylvans for the 13 year old because I think she needs math help. Even though she is in AP math~well she won't be next year, LOL.

Now thats's 3 kids. Not all at the same time & I am pretty much done with the older 2 except college. & of course oldest DD has 2 proms coming up...2 dresses, hair, nails, tickets, limos.....

I think I need math help to add this all up!
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Old 05-09-2009, 08:57 PM
Gue
 
24,118 posts, read 10,109,120 times
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So right...But I have always felt that you have a window of opportunity with kids.

My kids have had karate lessons, viola, violin, voice, softball, Tball, basketball, soccer, GirlScouts, BoyScouts, religion classes, tap, jazz, ballet, acting classes, & now I am starting Sylvans for the 13 year old because I think she needs math help.

Now thats's 3 kids. Not all at the same time & I am pretty much done with the older 2 except college. & of course oldest DD has 2 proms coming up...2 dresses, hair, nails, tickets, limos.....
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Old 05-10-2009, 11:08 AM
 
Location: Maine
650 posts, read 2,174,989 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gue View Post
So right...But I have always felt that you have a window of opportunity with kids.

My kids have had karate lessons, viola, violin, voice, softball, Tball, basketball, soccer, GirlScouts, BoyScouts, religion classes, tap, jazz, ballet, driving classes at the high school, junior proms. senior banguets, and a graduation Europe trip & now I am starting Sylvans for the 13 year old because I think she needs math help. Even though she is in AP math~well she won't be next year, LOL.

Now thats's 3 kids. Not all at the same time & I am pretty much done with the older 2 except college. & of course oldest DD has 2 proms coming up...2 dresses, hair, nails, tickets, limos.....

I think I need math help to add this all up!
I'd make her wear the same dress to both proms or pay for the second one herself, but I'm just mean like that! Same for hair, nails, limos; those things are not mandatory so she would have to pay for them herself or do without.

My kids take a lot of classes such as dance (3 classes, 1 kid), TKD (2 kids), swimming (all 4), gym (1), violin (1) , piano (1), science class (1). That's not even counting the camps that they will be attending for the summer for science. (for 3 kids), and field trips for the older kids. I took a job teaching classes at our local YMCA to get a reduction in our membership fees, and my kids volunteer in classes as well.

We homeschool so even though many of their activities are costly, we are using them as school related activities. Oh, and we have curriculum things to buy too.

My kids are cheap when it comes to other things though. We do a lot of their shopping at Goodwill or second hand shops, and the younger ones wear mostly hand-me-downs. We use our local library for books instead of buying them, and because the library offers a ton of free programs that are fun for the whole family.

We at home most days and nights because it is way cheaper and healthier than eating out. Feeding a family of 6 at a restaurant is very costly, and I'd rather see the money go to other, more beneficial things.

I don't think having kids has to break the bank. You just have to pick and choose and find a good balance.
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Old 05-10-2009, 01:05 PM
Gue
 
24,118 posts, read 10,109,120 times
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Sorry for the double post~

She actually insisted on paying for one prom dress~The one to wear to his prom & she is paying half the limo.

My oldest is a sweetheart~

Both girls are at the point where they can wear the same clothes~even though they are 4 1/2 years apart. Taht helps!
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Old 05-10-2009, 11:18 PM
 
Location: Upstate NY
1,289 posts, read 2,712,747 times
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I was good friends with this girl whose father worked small jobs due to his disabilities, was on unemployment for a while until he could finally find a job that he could do that payed enough to pay the bills that wouldn't put too much stress on his body.
The girl, however, was always "daddy's little princess" and was always begging for money and would spent it on the stupidest things and things she really didn't need. On top of that, she was "always broke" and would always try to bum money off her friends.

Eventually, after she dropped out of college (and screwed up her financial aid so that now she owes the state a few hundred bucks) and got a job, she is still always asking her father for money.

Part of the reason I stopped hanging around with her was because I couldn't stand to be associated with someone who'd blow through money so quickly--and she always poked fun at me for being stingy and collecting change I'd find on the ground, which is something I've always done. I remember as a kid saving up my holiday money/birthday money and either putting it all in the bank or saving some of it until I had enough for something I really wanted.

I hate to see so many wasters these days. My brother is horrible with money and it really bothers me. He makes just about as much money as my mother and should have no financial hardships at all--including paying back student loans (because he lost his financial Aid after flunking out of two colleges and then decided to go to a private tech school), and yet he's always saying that he's broke or asking for a few bucks because he can't afford gas or something. It drive me nuts!

My mother taught us very early how to be a bargain hunter and how to save money. I admit I've gotten careless a few times, but I can always afford gas for my car, pay my phone bill on time and buy something for lunch somewhere once or twice a week if I need to (and being a poor student, I only make minimum wage, although I don't think I've had to pay a cent for college because of gov't grants).

My sister on the other hand, payed her own way through college and will probably pay her own way through graduate school.

Last edited by Puru; 05-10-2009 at 11:26 PM..
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Old 05-11-2009, 08:41 AM
 
Location: Right where I want to be.
4,507 posts, read 9,030,720 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jtur88 View Post
How much do your kids spend and cost? Count their actual spending money, including what they earn from outside sources, plus everything you spend directly on their behalf (clothing, school costs, etc.) but do not count a share of the rent/mortgage/utilities or the family car unless they drive it.

I live on Social Secuirity, and I pay rent, utilities, food, car. I'm wondering how many middle-class suburban kids (especially teens) actually spend more every month than I do.
We're pretty frugal here, the kids earn their own money (either from us or working other jobs), we don't give them any spending money. $0. They are mid aged teens.

All of these figures will be per year with the monthly average at the end.

I'd say over the year, straight cash for spending (not counting what they put in for savings or charity) would be $300-$600 (depending on the kid, they earn different amounts) per year, maybe $200 in gift money (birthday and Christmas). We spend another $100 for school (including field trips, school supplies, etc. We probably don't spend that much even), $250ish for clothes (each), $975 for food (each). They aren't taking any classes or extra curricular that cost money right now (school keeps them busy enough) but I'll throw in another estimated $100 for classes or educational opportunities outside of school. Anything else to add in?

So, for each kid that averages $650 they earn or are gifted, $1425 from us, per year. That brings the monthly average to $172.91 (unless I am missing stuff in the calculation you wanted). Kids don't have to cost a lot.

As they will pay for their own vehicles and insurance (when they are old enough) we aren't expecting an increase in cost there. We will probably bump up the clothing allowance in the next few years though.

To add context, according to wiki definitions we are near the upper end of middle class income but not upper middle class. However, we have always felt that our kids should earn what they have, for the most part. We don't pay allowances here...if you work you get paid, if you don't work you don't get paid.
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