How much does a baby cost?

Question

What are the approximate monthly expenses for having a baby: clothes, food, toys, diapers, etc?

Answer 1

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year,

* $741.38 a month, or
* $171.08 a week.
* That's a mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if you want to be "rich" Actually, it is just the opposite. What do you get for your $160,140?
* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!

* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:

* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs, and
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:
* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watching Saturday morning cartoons,
* going to Disney movies, and
* wishing on stars.
* You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Chris tmas, hand prints set in clay or Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:
* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat to history to witness the:
* first step,
* first word,
* first bra,
* first date, and
* first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.



In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, So . . one day they will like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren

Answer 2

Babies are really expensive! Don't forget "start-up costs" like baby furniture, sheets, blankets, carrier, carseat, stroller, etc etc. OK, here is my estimate for ongoing expenses during the month:

Formula: A friend is getting us a free supply, but if we paid it would be $216 (dairy and soy free formula, regular would be $57)
Prescription: $40 (zantac, for acid reflux)
Doctor: $15
Toys: $15 (most of the toys we get free from friends with older kids)
Diapers: $57 (you can get cheaper diapers, but I find they don't work as well)
Clothes: $35 (I get the multiple packs of onesies and rompers at Target)
Laundry detergent (no dye or perfume): $6.50
Misc needs (something always comes up): $50

So my total every month is about $218.50, if we paid for the formula it would be $434.50

Answer 3

monthly expenses? ha ha, well, it all depends how many food stamps or other government subsidies you get. Formula alone costs 150.00 a month, easy. Diapers? another 100.00 not to mention clothes, bottles, doctor visits, gas, daycare is nothing less than 100 a week. it adds up pretty quickly.

Answer 4

I was lucky and got a lot of clothes for the baby. It cost me anywhere from $250 to $350 a month for formula, diapers, bottle liners, ect.. It isn't cheap that's for sure.

Answer 5

it all depends my baby is 3months old and goes through 2 tubs of milk a week and 28 nappies a fortnight at birth he went through one tub of milk and 40 nappies a fortnight it all depends how much your baby eats and goes to the toilet at the moment my baby costs me no more than £50 a month but babies grow at different rates so im not counting baby grows and vests bathing products medicines ie: infacol, calpol start stocking up on these things as early on in pregnancy as possible especially baby wipes these are like gold dust the more you buy now the better

Answer 6

Depends on where you live. For me, living in Massachusetts, my husband and I pay $275 a week for daycare alone. So $1100 a month for daycare and I would say to add another $200 a month or so for everything else. My daughter is 15 months.

Answer 7

I have heard on the television show 30 Days that just raising one child cost around $10,000 a day and this includes all their expenses like diapers, formula, books, and toys.

Answer 8

This really depends.
Are you going to nurse or formula feed?
Are you going to buy only new stuff or get handmedowns?
Are you going to buy lots of toys and stuff?
It really all depends.
Some things are necessary - car seat, bed, diapers.
Others can be bought or not.
Many things can be got as hand me downs or cheaply at a second hand store - check safety first, but most are safe.
It depends on your life style and your choices.

Answer 9

Its a lifetime commitment

used to be over 1 million $ to raise a baby to adulthood

Answer 10

We have an 10 1/2 month old and this is our breakdown for her expenses per month...

Formula/Food- $100
Diapers/Wipes- $75
Clothes- $50
Toys-$50
Day Care- $450
Misc-$50

Total:$775.00

Hope this helps!