Raising girls pricier than boys
Our children are all priceless, but new research and analysis into the cost of families from Sainsbury’s Bank has found that some children come with a heftier price tag than others. Parents of children under the age of 18 estimated that a daughter is more costly to raise than a son, across all age points.
The survey, which was conducted for the bank’s second Family Finance Report launched today, suggests that it is around £300 a year more expensive to raise a girl at ages 0-5; around £400 a year more at 6-13 years-old and around £600 a year more at 14-18.
The reasons for this may be varied but government data shows that girls’ clothing is more expensive than boys for example, and as girls grow, they begin to purchase women’s clothing, shoes, bags and accessories.
The bank’s second Family Finance Report, ‘The Family Lifecycle – The Learner Years’ was authored by Jasmine Birtles, Founder of MoneyMagpie, who joined Sainsbury’s Bank’s panel of personal finance experts along with Andrew Hagger and Melanie Wright, to offer individuals and families help and guidance with their money.
Jasmine says: “Of course, sugar and spice and all things nice would cost more than slugs and snails and puppy dogs tails, but I’m surprised that parents feel that even when small, their daughters cost more than their sons. Are parents buying more outfits for their tiny girls?”
The survey findings also showed that parents of children under the age of 25 estimated that on average, just over one-fifth (21%) of their monthly household income is spent directly on items for their children.
Family size
Three quarters (75%) of parents with more than one child said that it was more expensive to raise their first child compared to subsequent children.
These findings align with Sainsbury’s Bank analysis of government data revealing that the ‘cost per head’ of each family member decreases with each subsequent child.
The average one-child family spends £621 per week – 17% (£89.60) - more than the average UK household. While costs continue to increase with subsequent children, however, the ‘cost per head’ of each family member starts to decrease after the first child; by £29 per head for a two-adult, two-child family, and by £31 per head for a two-adult, three or more child family.
Simon Ranson, Head of Banking at Sainsbury’s Bank said: “Families can be expensive, but it’s no surprise that the first child comes with the largest price tag. There’s a lot that families can do to keep these costs down, for example reusing items such as prams and toys for subsequent children. And of course, fixed costs such as accommodation and utilities - as well as the cost of food - don’t always change significantly when there’s more than one small person in the house. Many people say it’s as cheap to cook for two as for one.”
The survey showed that 40% of childhood items are reused; led by toys (72%), books (65%), clothes (64%), cots (60%), prams (59%) and bikes (48%).
Andrew Hagger, Moneycomms.co.uk said: “Couples planning their first child may take a sharp intake of breath when they see the figures in this report but at the same time it provides an important reality check and an idea of what to expect. Whether it’s a boy or a girl, household finances can be turned on their head when the first child is born – a sudden spike in expenditure and potentially less income means that the family purse needs to be managed more closely.
“Building a financial cushion in a savings account can soften the financial impact of starting a family whilst sensible use of interest free credit cards and low cost personal loans can help you to continue to manage the costs as your children grow.”
Financial writer and mum of two, Melanie Wright said: “There’s no escaping the fact that, whatever their gender, your little bundle of joy could easily end up costing you bundles of cash. The key to keeping control of your finances is to budget carefully and make sure you know exactly what you have coming in and going out of your account each month.
“Budgeting enables you to know exactly what you can afford to spend without being pushed into debt. Remember you don’t have to buy everything new - young children don’t care whether something has come straight from a shop or if it’s been passed down from someone else, so borrow or buy second-hand whenever you can. If you’re planning on having more children, keep hold of anything that you can re-use, and sell on any items you have finished with.”
Sainsbury’s Bank launched its first Family Finance Report earlier this year, announcing the creation of the panel at the same time. Information on the Sainsbury’s Bank panel can be found here: insert web address
Simon Ranson concluded: “Our expert panel has been a great sounding board as we continue to help customers consider their finances and live well for less.”