Annual bill for having a kid: $8,330
Published: 8/24/2012 9:15 AM
Last Modified: 8/21/2012 8:19 AM
Before a child's 18th birthday, the average middle-class family will spend between $152,340 and $322,560, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The bitter cloud of jealously colored my face.
“Hey, you could have a car like that,” my friend reassured me, “if you didn’t have a kid.”
Well, maybe not a car that nice. But what we spend on milk alone might pay for a used Chevy, at least.
With soccer lessons here, a new pair of shoes there, parents hardly notice how much they spend on their kids. The costs are sneaky – spreading themselves out, staying hidden and sneaking up on us, so we never have the chance to add them up.
But what if it all came in one big bill at the end of the year?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers a rough estimate on what average, middle-class American families spend per child.
Here’s the breakdown for a 3-year-old, my kid’s age:
Food: $1,320-$2,000
Transportation: $840-$1,970
Clothing: $320-$490
Healthcare: $580-$1,050
Childcare/Education: $1,860-$4,040
Housing: $2,800-$5,800
Miscellaneous: $610-$1,740
Total for the year: $8,330-$17,090
But they’re worth it, right?
Right?
Michael's previous entries
Aug. 10: The first, scary day of school
Aug. 3: Pre-school books to read, and read, and read
Aug. 2: Lousy exercise, maybe -- but good family fun
July 27: Sleepless nights, worried about Alzheimer’s
July 25: TV makes children grow up big and not so strong
July 20: 'Bad Guys' are real, but they always lose, right?
July 19: A parent's worst nightmare, averted
July 13: Family dinners don't matter (well, they do, sort of)
July 11: What’s a four-letter word for 'indulged young person?'
July 9: Scientists discover ‘the Cool Factor’
July 3: Andy Griffith: The great American father figure
June 29: Boys are dumb. Girls are ‘Brave.’ But luckily, a plot twist adds nuance
June 28: Good thing our parents didn’t keep family photos on transistor radios
Written by
Michael Overall
Staff Writer
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