The cost of having kids - primary school to teens

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This is when school uniforms and P.E. kits can get expensive. Check out the large supermarkets such as Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco for cheap basics. Also your local charity shop may have second-hand uniforms or you may find clothing for sale in your local paper.
This is often when kids start talking about pocket money but just because they've started asking for it doesn't mean you have to give it. You might prefer to set an age limit, for example when they're 10 or 12.
If they've joined a group or club where they need kit or sub money you might find that there's an alternative group that costs less to join or that is closer to your home so you save travel costs. You may also find a good deal on the web on uniforms or sports kit. You might want to think about getting them to earn money so they can contribute to the costs.
If you can start saving it's worth setting up an education fund to pay for extra school books, private lessons for GCSEs and foreign school trips.
If they've started to get pocket money make sure you teach them to budget and save - that way some of the regular items that they want such as stickers, books, magazine, club membership, they might be able to pay for themselves.
Search online for competitions and coupons especially for some of the expensive items such as video games and MP3 players. Shop around and look at price comparison sites for the expensive items..

Reward them for babysitting or cleaning the car or housework with a free favour, such as letting them have their friends over for a DVD night or letting them stay up later than usual on a Friday or Saturday.

This is a good time to teach them independence so encourage them to get a part-time job if they are old enough to work (14 or over) then they can buy their own clothes.
If they're constantly on the phone or texting and you have to pay the bill, now is the time to put your foot down. You can look for better deals with your phone provider or you can ask them to pay their share.

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