Hellobee Boards Topic: Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second?

Hellobee Boards Topic: Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 07 May 2026 09:53:51 +0000 rattles on "Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-having-a-third-child-a-significant-expense-for-your-family-more-so-than-your-first-and-second#post-2331760 Fri, 23 Oct 2015 13:45:29 +0000 rattles 2331760@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We only have two but have always planned for 3-4. I don't think we'll feel a dramatic burden up front because we've spread out the costs. We bought a house that has room to grow. We added a minivan after LO2. We kept all of our baby gear. I think we'd need a bunk bed if we had a 4th, but we bought DD1 a bed that comes with a loft component in case we wanted/needed kids to share down the road. With three, one would just move into the guest room and use that bedroom set. Obviously we would want to save for another education account, but I think that's where we'd feel it most dramatically. FWIW, my family of seven stayed in one hotel room growing up until the older kids were teens/tweens, and then we split to a boys and a girls room. LuLu Mom on "Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-having-a-third-child-a-significant-expense-for-your-family-more-so-than-your-first-and-second#post-2331742 Fri, 23 Oct 2015 13:37:28 +0000 LuLu Mom 2331742@https://boards.hellobee.com/ we are still undecided on a 3rd. We've already decided that we won't try for a 3rd until DD1 is in kindergarten so we would only have 2 in daycare (and ideally I will be parttime or home with them if we have a third.) I sold all my gear to a friend who had an unplanned 3rd, but if we go this route we will just buy used gear. I still have our crib/furniture and our car fits 7 so no biggie there. My biggest thing is we will have to upgrade our house, which is in the plans anyway, but I refuse to have a 3rd in the home we are in now. Rainbow Sprinkles on "Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-having-a-third-child-a-significant-expense-for-your-family-more-so-than-your-first-and-second#post-2331740 Fri, 23 Oct 2015 13:37:23 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 2331740@https://boards.hellobee.com/ So far the only expense we've had is new car seats. I love my car (Honda crv) and was not ready to get a new one, so we figured new car seats that would fit 3 in a row was cheaper than a new car. So we got 3 of the slimmest car seats which cost $800. Later on down the road we will need a bunk bed or trundle bed (around $400) so the two older girls can share a room, but as of now the baby is in our room with us. When we do move her into a nursery, we won't need to buy anything. We already have cribs, a glider, changing table, etc. No need to decorate a brand new nursery for her! Obviously traveling will cost more money, like plane tickets, but I'll still put all 5 of us in one hotel room! (A double queen. Me and DH in one bed, two girls in the other, and one on a rollaway bed or on the floor.) I remember when I was growing up and we were vacationing on a budget, we fit all 7 of us in one hotel room! We loved it and thought it was an adventure--some of my greatest memories! I'm sure my parents didn't say there'd be 7 of us in the room though.... T.H.O.U. on "Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-having-a-third-child-a-significant-expense-for-your-family-more-so-than-your-first-and-second#post-2331716 Fri, 23 Oct 2015 13:21:54 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2331716@https://boards.hellobee.com/ IF we did a 3rd I think we would do a 3 year gap again. So we would have the kids spaced out over time (aka not all kids in high school at the same time.). T.H.O.U. on "Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-having-a-third-child-a-significant-expense-for-your-family-more-so-than-your-first-and-second#post-2331714 Fri, 23 Oct 2015 13:20:49 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2331714@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @mrswin: Thats interesting. I know our family of 5 growing up got told once or twice it was against fire code. mrswin on "Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-having-a-third-child-a-significant-expense-for-your-family-more-so-than-your-first-and-second#post-2331628 Fri, 23 Oct 2015 12:23:47 +0000 mrswin 2331628@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @lawbee11: Fair enough! I just wanted to make sure that no one was trying to tell you that you couldn't do it. :happy: BandDmommy on "Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-having-a-third-child-a-significant-expense-for-your-family-more-so-than-your-first-and-second#post-2331614 Fri, 23 Oct 2015 12:10:12 +0000 BandDmommy 2331614@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Truth Bombs: we thought about nanny but DH is extremely anti nanny. Too many horror stories of bad nannies. BandDmommy on "Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-having-a-third-child-a-significant-expense-for-your-family-more-so-than-your-first-and-second#post-2331612 Fri, 23 Oct 2015 12:09:29 +0000 BandDmommy 2331612@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @mrswin: even with 2 kids I find we personally need a 2 room suite. I can't imagine not having multiple rooms with 3+ kids. lawbee11 on "Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-having-a-third-child-a-significant-expense-for-your-family-more-so-than-your-first-and-second#post-2331600 Fri, 23 Oct 2015 12:00:52 +0000 lawbee11 2331600@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @mrswin: We do mostly VRBO now because it's just too tight for all of us in a room. Even if we were technically allowed, if a room only has 2 beds and 1 bathroom it's uncomfortable for all of us. mrswin on "Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-having-a-third-child-a-significant-expense-for-your-family-more-so-than-your-first-and-second#post-2331592 Fri, 23 Oct 2015 11:58:11 +0000 mrswin 2331592@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @lawbee11: I used to work at hotels and I can tell you that they cannot enforce the 4 people max capacity rule when there are minor children and you should report any property that tries that BS. sera_87 on "Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-having-a-third-child-a-significant-expense-for-your-family-more-so-than-your-first-and-second#post-2331590 Fri, 23 Oct 2015 11:57:30 +0000 sera_87 2331590@https://boards.hellobee.com/ No, I haven't been finding it expensive (so far) for our 3rd. Now going from 3 to 4 will be a stretch, but we're planning a decent age gap (3 years?) between 3 & 4. Truth Bombs on "Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-having-a-third-child-a-significant-expense-for-your-family-more-so-than-your-first-and-second#post-2331584 Fri, 23 Oct 2015 11:54:33 +0000 Truth Bombs 2331584@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We would have some big expenses if we ever had a third, a new car and an additional college expense for sure. Plus the added day care costs (though I would consider a nanny + preschool for the oldest at that point if the costs were cheaper). We would be able to take few trips home to see family or vacations because of the added flight and hotel costs. While the costs aren't much different from the first two, it would put us over a threshold that would mean it would have the biggest impact to our quality of life vs the first two. Ree723 on "Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-having-a-third-child-a-significant-expense-for-your-family-more-so-than-your-first-and-second#post-2331566 Fri, 23 Oct 2015 11:39:38 +0000 Ree723 2331566@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I haven't even thought of college tuition yet, but that's a ways down the road so we'll worry about that later. The car is going to be our big expense now as UK cars tend to be on the smaller size and moving up to a car that can hold seven people (three full size car seats) comfortably is going to be a big jump in cost. International travel to visit our families overseas will also be a tough one, and just all the general costs - like bunk beds and new furniture to accommodate my two DDs sharing a room - are adding up really quickly! On the plus side, I'm a SAHM so at least we don't have to worry about day care costs :-) lawbee11 on "Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-having-a-third-child-a-significant-expense-for-your-family-more-so-than-your-first-and-second#post-2331553 Fri, 23 Oct 2015 11:27:48 +0000 lawbee11 2331553@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I know from experience with my stepchildren that it's a lot more expensive to travel with 3 kids as most hotel rooms have a max capacity of 4 people. Mamasig on "Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-having-a-third-child-a-significant-expense-for-your-family-more-so-than-your-first-and-second#post-2331449 Fri, 23 Oct 2015 10:35:23 +0000 Mamasig 2331449@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I'm pregnant with my 3rd right now. I guess I don't think of it as significantly more because 3 was always the plan so I knew I'd have 3 daycare/tuition payments, etc. Once all 3 are in catholic school, it will cost the same as 2 in daycare. We got a new car with three car seats in mind, but honestly we may have done that anyway. I already planned to get bunk beds/new furniture for my older two even if #3 wasn't coming. If it's another boy, I am totally set. If it's a girl, then she needs clothes but gear wise I have everything. Eta: I guess my point is depends on how you look at it. Yes it's more but some things would have happened anyway. BandDmommy on "Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-having-a-third-child-a-significant-expense-for-your-family-more-so-than-your-first-and-second#post-2331415 Fri, 23 Oct 2015 10:12:56 +0000 BandDmommy 2331415@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Ree723: we are still pregnant with 3 but yes it will be significantly more. Big ticket items: 3 college tuitions, activities for 3 kids, we got a minivan, furniture for nursery, we are having to build out guest room in basement (only 4 bedrooms upstairs), more car seats, daycare for 3 kids, etc etc Ree723 on "Was having a third child a significant expense for your family, more so than your first and second?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/was-having-a-third-child-a-significant-expense-for-your-family-more-so-than-your-first-and-second#post-2331406 Fri, 23 Oct 2015 10:10:08 +0000 Ree723 2331406@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We are newly pregnant with our third and as the news is sinking in, we're starting to look at the practicalities of being a family of five....and holy cow is it going to be a hit to our savings! The biggest expense is going to be a new car as neither one of ours can accommodate three car seats, but the list of other expenses seems to be adding up already. We'll need bunk beds for the girls to share a room, new car seats, and of course, annoyingly enough, we did not move a lot of our baby stuff over here from Australia last year as we thought we were done at two, so we need a lot of the new baby stuff again as well. So, for those of you who have had three or more, did you find it significantly more expensive to add a third to your family? I didn't have to buy much for DD2 when she arrived, as I still had everything from DD1, but that is no longer the case, sigh....