Home Middle-income family spends $221,000 to raise baby

[lovegem]

I thought this maybe of interest to the PS community. Especially for someone who is planning about having a baby.

cost of raising a baby to age 17.

linky yahoo news

 

[D2B]

If the thought of the article and the monies mentioned is going to put anyone off children, then maybey they arent ready for them.

As long as you can support yourself basically and honestly, have a loving and stable relationship, you can have children. the idea of puttting a monetary value on children is so bizzare, it is like saying having a husband costs you $XXX as you may forgoe job opportunities to move interstate to join him, or the bigger house you will need for the two of you to live in, the special meals you will cook to cater to his allergies etc etc etc ..... I am sure you get my drift.

Interesting to read, but the benefits of a family and a child/grandchildren cannot be valued by money.

db

 

[janinegirly]

admit to not reading whole article but this kind of study is so silly to me. First of all 221k over 17 years is not as bad as the nunber totalled and is put out there for shock effect. I''m sure if you calculated money spent on groceries, gas, shoes, toilet paper over 17 years you''d be horrified. And I still dont'' get where they get that figure from. I don''t see myself spending 13K a year for a very long time (and if it happened would most likely be related to schooling!). My LO isn''t a year yet, but I''ve been surprised how little she "costs" and of course the pleasure she gives is priceless anyway.

 

[Aloros]

*shrugs* That''s actually cheaper than I expected.

 

[MustangGal]

We''ve budgeted 10k per year, so not much less than the article mentions. And I would imagine each extra child would cost less (discounted daycare, hand-me-downs, etc.).

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 8/5/2009 9:54:20 AM
Author: janinegirly
admit to not reading whole article but this kind of study is so silly to me. First of all 221k over 17 years is not as bad as the nunber totalled and is put out there for shock effect. I'm sure if you calculated money spent on groceries, gas, shoes, toilet paper over 17 years you'd be horrified. And I still dont' get where they get that figure from. I don't see myself spending 13K a year for a very long time (and if it happened would most likely be related to schooling!). My LO isn't a year yet, but I've been surprised how little she 'costs' and of course the pleasure she gives is priceless anyway.

13k a year can be easily spent on childcare alone...

 

[Jas12]

actually lower than i expected

and ya, silly. I spent very, very little this first year on my son. I get, and will continue to get, free childcare but expect to pay lots for sports/activities/trips etc. sometime in the future. Who really knows how it''ll all pan out...

 

[Camille]

Date: 8/5/2009 11:18:07 AM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 8/5/2009 9:54:20 AM
Author: janinegirly
admit to not reading whole article but this kind of study is so silly to me. First of all 221k over 17 years is not as bad as the nunber totalled and is put out there for shock effect. I''m sure if you calculated money spent on groceries, gas, shoes, toilet paper over 17 years you''d be horrified. And I still dont'' get where they get that figure from. I don''t see myself spending 13K a year for a very long time (and if it happened would most likely be related to schooling!). My LO isn''t a year yet, but I''ve been surprised how little she ''costs'' and of course the pleasure she gives is priceless anyway.

13k a year can be easily spent on childcare alone...

Ditto, tuition alone 20K@ year [2kids].....w/Bankrupt State, no other option

 

[janinegirly]

true, childcare is where it adds up. In that case I assume the parent makes an income that is in sufficient excess to childcare costs in order to make it worth it. So the 221K number just tells us majority of people need/want 2 incomes even when faced with high full time childcare costs (and I bet high commuting costs).

what I don''t like about headlines like is the first reaction is to assume children are expensive, but it''s really the lifestyle that needs to be maintained that is expensive.

ps: I am also a working mom, so can relate and not judging.

 

[Mara]

i saw this and was like WHAT...but also i noticed they said most expensive cost was housing.

i guess if you have like 3 kids and need a bigger house, then that would factor in as ''cost'' for the kid, but we already have a 3 bedroom house and don''t plan to move for a while. definitely not since we are having a kid. so for us why even count housing because we''d still pay the SAME for where we already live regardless of having a kid.

so obviously there are variables going on there!

 

[D&T]

Date: 8/5/2009 11:30:07 AM
Author: janinegirly
true, childcare is where it adds up. In that case I assume the parent makes an income that is in sufficient excess to childcare costs in order to make it worth it. So the 221K number just tells us majority of people need/want 2 incomes even when faced with high full time childcare costs (and I bet high commuting costs).

what I don''t like about headlines like is the first reaction is to assume children are expensive, but it''s really the lifestyle that needs to be maintained that is expensive.

ps: I am also a working mom, so can relate and not judging.

ditto, In five years I will have spent about $50k just on child care alone excluding all other things -

 

[swingirl]

Date: 8/5/2009 1:39:38 PM
Author: Mara
i guess if you have like 3 kids and need a bigger house, then that would factor in as ''cost'' for the kid, but we already have a 3 bedroom house and don''t plan to move for a while. definitely not since we are having a kid. so for us why even count housing because we''d still pay the SAME for where we already live regardless of having a kid.

Are you having a kid...like, right now???? Or is this just the plan. Pink cupcakes or blue cupcakes?

 

[musey]

That''s it? Wow.

 

[clammer]

Of course, this comes out the day after I tell my husband I may want to have another child and he tells me he thinks one is enough.