Plan your kids' year

Swimming by the lesson, piano by the term, the uniform once a year: it never turns up in one place. Put in what you pay for each child, as often as you pay it, and see the year ahead in one place, so nothing catches you out.

Free, with no sign-up. Nothing you type leaves your device.

How it's worked out

Each cost is what you pay, times how many times a year you pay it.

How often	Counted as
A week	52 times a year
A week in term	40 times a year: four terms of about ten weeks
A fortnight	26 times a year
A month	12 times a year
A term	4 times a year
A year, or once	Once

The month and week figures under the total are the year spread evenly. It's an estimate, not a budget: prices change, and a one-off like a laptop doesn't come round every year.

Questions

Is anything I type sent anywhere?

No. The calculator runs in your browser and never sends what you type to Idle Ideas or anyone else. Your numbers are kept in this tab so a reload doesn't lose them, and they're gone when you close it. Share the total only goes where you send it.

Why does term time count as 40 weeks?

Lessons, the canteen and before and after school care mostly stop in the school holidays. Australian schools run four terms of about ten weeks, so 40 is a fair round number. Your school's year might be a week or so either side.

What about the Child Care Subsidy, Medicare and our health fund?

Put in what you pay after them: the gap, not the full price.

Why doesn't it fill in typical prices?

Because the spread is huge. School costs run from a voluntary contribution to tens of thousands of dollars a year, and the same sport costs different amounts from one club to the next. Your own numbers are the ones that tell you something.

What's Adds Up?

An app for keeping this up to date as you go, not just adding it up once. Each kid's week sits in one place, with what to bring and who's driving, and what you spend on them is kept per child, with budgets and school fee instalments. It's nearly ready. Read about Adds Up.

Adds Up keeps it up to date.

This calculator is a one-off. Adds Up keeps a running total as you go, per kid, next to the week's timetable, so you can plan for the things they love. All of it stays on your phone. Register your interest and you'll get one email when it opens.