I am a SM only, no children of my own and no Ex.
I think that CS is for the child in all their needs. A child not only needs clothes and toys but electricity, water, a warm blanket, a car (the CP's) that runs, a roof over their head, etc.
I don't have a problem with part of my
DH's CP check going to HELP pay SOME OF the bills at
BM's house. A child is using the electricity and the water and eats food too.
However I do have issue when BM tells us that she can't afford school clothes for
SD and tells us to buy them for her, when we just handed her a check that is more than a week's Net Pay for my DH, and BM has just returned from the salon where she got a manacure, a pedicure, and her hair done!!!!!
BM's who use CS on themselves not the child and the child's needs bug me. Other than that I say the Cascade, Tide, Water bill, etc are just fine to use some of the CS on.
If you have extra left over I would start a 529 for the child and start saving for their college.
JM2C
R