$221,000
 

The cost to raise a child?

That is what I just heard on some financial assistance advertisement.

Anyone who can afford to spend $221,000 to raise one child does not need financial assistance.

I raised 6 children and did not spend that much on all of them put together.

I have heard these figures before too and wondered how they arrive at that number and what all is considered. A few years ago it was in the one hundred thousand range so it has increased significantly, or figured by a different group. But, then I remember that figure including the price of college and a car. My kids are having to fork out some of that expense on their own.

Heck, it cost that much just to send them all to college! :rolleyes: ..... I think they raise the numbers every couple of years.

This just made me laugh!! I raised three and NO WAY did I spend that much and they lived a pretty good life;)

Aww crud. I thought this thread was going to be something like, "I will send you this much money because you clicked on my thread." :rolleyes:

I can't remember the amount but I know it was even more than that when
I heard the cost of rearing a child from birth to adult hood (whenever that
is). It varies from child to child:rolleyes:
$221,000 isn't even four years of college!

:D:D:D
Are they talking "skinkids"? Cuz Furkids cost that much!!!!! lol:D:rolleyes::D:p:D

:eyetearss:sidesplt::

I don't know about that... I bet if you sat and were able to look over every reciept for every thing that you bought each and every one of them it would shock you! Think about it, every item of clothing, food, toys, birthdays, school supplies, hair cuts... EVERYTHING! I have three children, I dropped $2000.00 just on Christmas alone, not including my daughter's birthday that was just two weeks before on the 11th! And trust me, My husband and I are far from rich! Just factoring in my WalMart totals every week and everything, I sometimes wonder how we do it. The funny thing is, you just make it work. No one is ever REALLY prepared financially for a child, or a pet for that matter (which is why my husband gives me so much crap for buying my new Yorkie puppy this month!)... but it's like I told him, it will just work out. You know why? Because they are worth all that... plus so much more! :rolleyes:

I would say I have spent that already on mine and they are no where near grown. My cost of food a month is more than any bill I have put together.. and we are not eating steak..

Thank you for saying what I was thinking! :)

:thumbup:

UMMM don't tell my parents that or they would've cut me off long ago.

I know they probably spent at least half that to send me to college at University of Miami for four years and I had a THREE QUARTERS paid scholarship...which made it cheaper than state university! Oh, and now that I can't get a job because the economy is terrible I'm in graduate school and that costs 15k a year...although that's student loans.

But considering a decent carseat/stroller combo costs $400-$500 now...it really doesn't surprise me. I heard somewhere that it was actually more like $300-400,000 when you count prenatal medical costs and the cost of medical insurance and all those other little things you typically don't put a specific price tag on...vacations, feeding an extra mouth at dinners out, etc.

I know my fiance wants kids sooner rather than later...but the whole budget thing is my way of putting him off...I think we're more on the 10-year SkinKid plan for that reason!

PS- forgot to add in the cost of my wedding this summer. And we're being very frugal with our budget decisions--only inviting family, doing invites ourselves, etc. But still, the budget is enough to buy a nice car...mostly because everything is so darn expensive now!

Just another reason to stick with the furbutts instead of skin kids:)

That seems right...think about college tuition, private school, daycare, food, all the stuff for babies, school supplies, field trips, vacations, doctor visits, insurance.....