Survey: UK families spend nearly £4,000 on baby in year one

April 28, 2010 by Shawn Douglas  
Filed under: News, Product News

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A survey conducted by Philips AVENT found that UK parents spend almost 4000 pounds on their first baby during the first year, but they typically spend less the second time around.

It seems that when it comes to a couple’s first baby, the would-be parents are all in, often putting quite a dent in the pocketbook.

According to survey results released to the Telegraph by Philips’ baby division, Philips AVENT, nearly one out of every three parent surveyed said that they “got a bit carried away” with spending on their first baby.

Deneice Harwin, who handles media inquiries for AVENT, told the Telegraph, ”We know that new parents can often get caught up in a ‘new baby shopping frenzy’, as a third agreed that they spent more than they needed, buying things they didn’t even use.”

”By doing a little research into what they will really need, and buying good quality items which will last, new parents can save an average of 136 pounds when baby arrives,” Harwin added.

The survey broke down average spending across several categories, including nursery items, toys, clothing and food. Toys were a considerable expense at 661.20 pounds, with one in three parents stating that they thought they overspent on such items. Average spending for baby food during the first year was found to be 861.36 pounds while 271.59 went into the baby’s nursery items.

When it came to clothing, 741.24 pounds were spent on average. The survey also noted that one in four parents thought they bought too many baby clothes, with some clothing not getting used at all.

Encouragingly, AVENT noted that parents who opted to have a second child were a bit savvier with their spending, with 73 percent of respondents saying they learned from their first baby experience. ”By the time a second child has come along though, parents are more cash-conscious and make more informed purchases, based on what they learnt first time around,” said Harwin.

One way that parents may attempt to save money is to buy secondhand items. However, Debbie Bird, editor of babyworld.co.uk, recommends that would-be parents be careful with their analysis of such items.

“Secondhand things may have been subjected to general wear and tear, or even accidents, but show no external damage,” said Bird. “Make sure you know the history of the product. They don’t always come with instructions.”

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