The real cost of kids

If prospective parents realised how much they were going to end up spending on their children, no-one would ever start a family - they'd see it was far too expensive and that there's no way they could ever afford it. A recent study put the cost of raising a child to the age of 17 at £307,083. If you're planning on having a couple of kids, you'll need to somehow find a spare £600,000 in your budget - and who on earth can manage that?

Of course, the joy your children bring you far outweighs the costs but I think we'd all rest a little easier knowing we're keeping an eye on our spending! Fortunately, there are lots of easy ways to bring these costs down - and we've teamed up with NatWest to give you some helpful tips on cutting the costs of raising kids.