Sebahu.com   [pron: say-baa-hoo]

Raising Baby: Cost of raising a baby from birth onward [ 2007 ]

by Richard Boettner

What does it cost to raise a baby these days? If you do a search on the internet, you will find many different answers as some limit what they include as expense / cost of raising a child. Some chose only the most expensive categories, like child care, bigger home, groceries, clothing, car / transportation, education (college / university not included), insurance, health care and recreation. A very limiting list, considering there many other items of expense a parent pays for - no matter, if every little expense a parent faces in raising a child were to be listed it would only seem to be a greater burden.

Most websites can't even agree on what the costs are for the same categories, as listed above. Some claim it only costs (about) $150,000 to raise a child while others may claim about twice that. Then some sites only figure costs until 15 or 17 years of age, as if somehow it costs nothing after that age. Not sure why those ages are used, but then again it could possibly be to claim a lower cost than what bears out in reality. Another reason may be that some are trying to claim a low figure as they are afraid of admitting what it cost them to raise their own child. Afraid of the truth. So what does it cost to raise a child?

We first have to agree that the list already presented is very limiting and a more comprehensive list of costs is needed, like: hospital bills when the child is born, baby cloths, baby bottles, diapers, wipes, formula, jarred baby food, baby accessories, toys, car seats, stroller, sweets or treats, doctor visits, gifts for birthdays and holidays, a bigger home, cloths as they grow, shoes, childcare / baby sitting, health insurance, medical costs over insurance-each visit may cost extra, driving them around, backpacks or book bags, entertainment (a big category), education that includes college or university, dentist and optometrist visits, haircuts / styling, car insurance once they start driving, personal care items (soap, shampoo, toothpaste, razors, lotion, etc.), spending money / allowance, recreation, jewelry / watches, miscellaneous-all those little items that add up. Now, wouldn't you agree this is a much more comprehensive list? A few things might still be missing, but at least this list give someone a better idea of the types of expenses to look forward to in raising a child.

Based on the new list of categories, it would cost between half a million to a million dollars to raise a child from birth until they finish college. It all depends on what part of the U.S. you live, or are you frugal or not really. That's right, it is very expensive to raise a child and then the cost has to be multiplied for multiple children. It is true that after the first child some items can be reused, but it does not reduce the cost of raising a child by much and impacts the final amount very little. So, to raise two children you are looking at one million dollars, plus. Breaking down the expenses comes to: $22,727 a year, if you live more frugally, you could easily cut this in half, about $11,363 each year (or more if you are really good at cutting expenses to even less).

No wonder children that come from 'broken homes' or those living in poverty have a hard time making it. They just don't have the resources, not even for basic necessities. A child needs a whole lot of stability: financial, emotional, and physical.

If you found the information helpful, please consider a donation. Thank You.

Home :: Support Us :: Practices :: Reviews :: Education :: Articles