are babies really expensive?

Question

Im doing a class on how to take care of a baby and I wanted to know if they were expensive from when their babies until their adults? Could you please tell me thanks. That will be great.

Answer 1

You can go to: www.babycenter.com/costofchild
to get a "Cost of Raising a Child" Calculator.

Or...

The USDA reported that in 1999 it cost approximately $160,140.00 to raise a child for 17 years. That's compared with $25,230.00 in 1960.

You can do a Google search with the words "the cost of raising a child" and it will give you all that you need.

Or...

Author Unknown, The Cost of Raising a Child:

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140! That doesn't even touch college tuition. And that is per child.

For those with children, that figure leads to wild fantasies about all the money we could have banked if not for (insert your child's name here). For others, that number might confirm the decision to remain childless.

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 $24.44 a day! Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice says don't have children if you want to be "rich". 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 sticky.

A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sandcastles, and skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.

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 Christmas, hand prints set in clay for 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 the bike, removing a splinter, filling the 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 anyway.

You get a front row seat to history; witnessing 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.

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 with 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 with out limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost.

Answer 2

A lot of articles you read are over stated - you do not 'need' everything on their lists, and you might pick up some second hand bargains. the bigger items like prams and cots (cribs) can be used for second or subsequent babies. Babies do not need designer clothes. They need to be fed and warm and clean. They need somewhere to sleep, and a way of getting about. Safety in the car and at home is vital. Most of the rest is just extra. The biggest expense is giving up work or paying for childcare. People also like to tell you how hard and expensive it is, so that you don't rush into having a baby if you are too young- worth considering. If you don't get your home together and have a bit of fun, maybe travel a bit while you are young, before baby, you will have to wait a long time. Babies are great, but they are just as great at 30 as they are at 20.

Answer 3

I think that Ellie's mom gave a great answer.

My own take on it, though my son is only 14 months, is that yes they are expensive. How much, in terms of dollars, depends on a lot, but mostly a) where you live and b) what do you consider to be a need vs a want. The cost of living varies tremendously by city, state/province/country. Are you counting car(s), trips to exotic locations, post secondary education, brand new TVs for bedrooms, etc as needs or wants? Do you mind buying second-hand, selling big items once they're no longer needed?

In all honesty, the first year of my son's life was far less expensive than I was afraid of. I breastfed him, so no formula, saved a lot! I made his food, no jarred baby food! Diapers I buy in bulk knowing it'll be MONTHS before he's in the next size, but I don't skimp on them, not worth it in laundry costs. But now that I'm back at work (Canada is the land of the one year maternity leave, heaven), daycare is three hundred and forty a WEEK. Elsewhere it's more like 80 a week. Most of his outgrown big-ticket items (swing, exersaucer, etc) I have sold, will also sell his crib and pack and play. So keep in mind, much of what goes 'in' you'll get back - I sell at 60 - 80 % of new price.

But it's totally worth it, even the daycare cost. His smiles, his giggles, his wet slobbery kisses, endless hours holding him while he gets pure joy out of saying "Light!" and turning switches off and on. Watching him learn to balance on a bouncy mattress! Even his cries I treasure; they're usually either because he wants to be held and I can't hold him, or because he fell and wants me to hug him, or he's trying to do something he can't yet, and wants help.

HOpe that helps.

Answer 4

It has a lot to do with how you raise your child. My sister's children are way more expensive than mine. I use cloth diapers and breastfeed my baby. She pays full price for brand-name disposables, formula and bottles. I embrace hand-me-downs, my sister prefers new clothes (preferably from the mall). Her kids play with a Gameboy while mine read books that were free at garage sales. Her children need to go to Disneyland and Hershey Park in order to be entertained. Mine explore caves, rivers, sandboxes and the zoo. I don't mean to sound judgemental. I'm sure Disneyland is great. My point is that you have some influence over how expensive a child is.

Answer 5

YES~ My daughter goes through about $20 in diapers every two weeks. Then she easts about $3 in food a day. Luckily I breastfed, but now I'm on whole milk, so that averages about $5 a week in milk, plus juice, dreft, snacks, clothes, toys....as they get older, I'm sure they get more expensive, requesting school stuff, more expensive toys, saving for the future (college)

Answer 6

Babies are expensive unless you are on the wic program which helps you with formula, diapers get pretty expensive, and clothes you can always put on layaway and that isn't so bad. I thought that they were way more expensive than what it turned out. The older they get though the worse it gets because of school and stuff.

Answer 7

Very expensive, the bad part is no one can say exacly how
expensive
for example I am very looky that my son who is now 18 never have any big medical expense but now that he is going to College It is about to cost me $80000.
so basically it depend on the parents (because some parents will not help pay for college or University or can't affort it ) also on the health of the child (a sick child could cost a fortune)

Answer 8

Your child does have needs and they do cost a lot of money(the needs) but if a parent really loves a child and really cares for a child with all there heart no money in the world can ever come close to the feeling of joy they have of watching there child grow. It is kinda like the master card commercial.
Diapers for three years: 5000
Food: 25000
Medical Attention: 250000
The Joy a child brings to ones life: PRICELESS

Answer 9

oh yeah! I have three kids. The first we raised, put through college and med school and just paid for a $35,000 wedding. The second just graduated from UVA , paid by us, and has one of our cars that we paid for, the third is looking for colleges over spring break. Can you add those cost up not to mention, clothes, food, housing, trips to Europe, Australia, London, Greece, gifts, wants, needs, etc.

Answer 10

My baby girl IS expensive. But I love buying nice toys and cute clothes for her.
So it's actually my fault.