What are the most unusual costs of raising a child?
A new report in the news yesterday and today says it’ll cost about $221,000 to raise that little tyke over there through age 17. The report is by the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. Here’s a link to the .pdf file of the actual report. According to the AP story about the report:
Families with more income spend more money on child-related costs, the report said. A two-parent family that earns less than $57,000 annually will spend about $160,000 on a child from birth through high school. Those with an income between $57,000 and $99,000 spend about $221,000 and those with higher incomes are expected to spend roughly $367,000 through age 17.
Most single-parent households in the U.S. make less than $57,000 and are expected to spend about 7 percent less on child-rearing costs compared to two-parent households in that same income group, according to the report.
I’ve got three more months before I hit that milestone with one of my children, which, of course, I find to be unbelievable. I have not tallied the cost of raising her. But the $221,000 price tag doesn’t really surprise me. Sometimes I think I’ve spent that much on dance classes alone. Heck, I might have spent that much on dance shoes!
That’s one of the costs I wouldn’t have expected. I didn’t expect to have to spend as much money on poster board as I’ve spent. Nor would I have expected the tally for hair stuff — bobby pins, gel, scrunchies and whatnot.
How about you? What are some of the costs you’ve borne for your children that you might not have expected ahead of time?
Kurt has been an editor at the Post-Dispatch since August 2002, working on both STLtoday and the newspaper. He's been a journalist since 1982, covering municipal government, courts, education and two hurricanes as a reporter before becoming an editor. 
Blueberries. The kid eats them like crazy and they’re not cheap.
Bandaids.
I think I’m too old to comment on this one. One thing that has never changed over the years is spending too much just spoiling them.
Kurt, The spending never stops, figure that much for each of your grandkids. It changes to spoiling grandkids and getting your butt chewed by the ones you used to spoil for doing it.
Diapers and wipes, no question. If I were to re-write 2001: A Space Odyssey, I’d include the line “My God. It’s full of diapers!”
A close second is Cheerios. Best snack on the planet. My kids could eat their weight in them every day.
I find it funny that nobody actually disputes the findings. I guess since I live in a $200,000 house and my wife and I have 2 kids, their portion will be $50,000 each? So any child born will automatically cost me $50K. Nice way of fudging numbers.
Not a cost I’ve had, and hopefully don’t, but a friend of mine has had at least one very unexpected cost associated with his toddler. He did not expect his toddler to throw a baseball at his LCD TV, but it happened. $1200 down the drain.
Also, people, the question is “What are some of the costs you’ve borne for your children that you might NOT have expected ahead of time.” I don’t understand why people are talking about food and diapers. Did you not expect to feed or clothe your child? Food and diapers are expected costs associated with a child. If you didn’t expect to buy food and diapers, than you’re probably not qualified to raise another human being.
Spending money on hockey was definitely not in the plan. At least $2500 per season by the time you figure travel costs, equipment, fees although its worth every penny!
Off the subject..kind of.. BUT….Overheard a rather loud woman in line talking on her CELLPHONE at kmart complaining about how expensive school supplies were.. that it cost her over $100 for all three of her kids and how UNFAIR it was that she couldnt get help from the govt to pay for it since she was “poor”….
When she came around her cart I noticed she was like very pregnant..
Ok– so your SOOO darn poor–but here you are having ANOTHER KID!!! Its ok thou food stamps paid for the 6 cases of SODA and the 3 bags of doritos chips she bought. Its tough being poor.
How about an article about people who don”t have kids and how much it costs them to raise other people”s kids?