Crippling hidden costs of having a baby – and how to curb them | HELLO! (2025)

Having a baby is not cheap, I can personally vouch for that. There are big bills to fork out for that you'll be fully aware of, but there are also hidden costs that creep up. New research from Compare the Market has shockingly revealed that parents are spending an average of £3,241 on unexpected costs. Here's what they are and how to save on them…

Charlie Evans, Money Expert at Compare the Market has commented: "Many expecting parents will feel the pressure to spend large sums to ensure that they are well-prepared ahead of their baby’s arrival. Yet, even with the best plans, there are still certain costs which may be overlooked and could be expensive surprise costs for new parents."

The average spend on baby essentials

On average, parents said they spent £178 on baby clothes when initially preparing for their baby, £437 on a pram, and £146 on a car seat, £133 on changing items, and £264 on a cot, bedding, and blankets. Parents also spent an estimated £117 on toys when first preparing for their baby, £103 on a highchair, £217 on baby proofing their home, £100 on baby classes, and £125 on baby bottles and feeding equipment.

The price of preparing for a baby was larger than expected for many parents, and here are the percentage of people who were surprised by these increased costs.

The cost of prams (39 per cent), car seats (39 per cent), baby clothes (38 per cent), and changing items (36 per cent). Others noted the surprisingly high cost of a cot, bedding, and blankets (31 per cent), as well as baby bottles and feeding equipment (31 per cent) and toys, including a mobile and rocker (29 per cent).

Around 67 per cent of expectant parents said they were concerned when they found out about these extra expenses.

Childcare costs

£3,167 was the average amount spent on nursery and childcare fees, while parents also estimated that they lost around £4,418 in potential earnings through taking parental leave.

Almost half of parents were surprised by the cost of nursery and childcare fees being higher than they expected (46%). The UK is one of the most expensive countries globally for childcare, making up a fifth of average income according to estimates from the OECD in 2022. However, taking advantage of the government's free childcare hours initiative could help parents save considerably. You just need to check eligibility.

How can you save on baby items?

Many parents took action to make savings on the hidden costs of preparing for a baby. This included shopping around for deals (44 percent), using discount codes (30 per cent), buying items in sales (30 per cent), buying in bulk (28 per cent), and through asking for practical gifts from friends and family (26 per cent). Others only purchased essential items (25 per cent), bought second-hand items (24 per cent), re-sold items once their child outgrew them (23 per cent), and borrowed items from friends and family (16 per cent).

How I saved money when having my baby

Having a baby shower was not only an amazing way to celebrate a very exciting stage in our lives but also worked out so well in terms of fabulous gifts that really helped set us up for our little one's arrival. Shout out to those who gifted us nappies and wipes as they were needed in abundance. On the topic of nappies, other top tip I have is we use cheaper nappies in the daytime and premium Pampers for the nighttime – this considerably cuts costs. Also, when buying Pampers, it's best to wait until they are on offer – which they often are at supermarkets. I'm also a huge fan of Vinted, and I've bought designer Oshkosh dungarees and tiny baby Nikes on there for a fraction of the price. Babies are in clothes for all of five minutes so the stuff is often in pristine condition.