I am a first-time parent with a 7-month-old, and I’m trying to plan ahead financially for when he starts nursery at 9 months.
I often see people talking about nursery costs being hundreds or even thousands of pounds per month, and I’m wondering whether that varies by age?
As I understand, parents are mainly paying for hours beyond the government-funded 30 hours of childcare for working parents. I qualify for the 30 free hours once my son turns 9 months old.
Since I work from home 3 days a week, I think the 30 hours should be more than enough for us. I’ll also be providing his consumables, so I assume that helps reduce costs too.
Are there other nursery/childcare costs that first-time parents often overlook?
I really appreciate any insight into what I should realistically budget for.