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I got my estimates/numbers from looking at prices listed on Craigslist/Facebook groups versus prices in stores/online sites in my area.
Costs will vary from person to person for many reasons (freebies from family/friends, different areas have different prices, etc.), but I decided to share this for those interested in having children in the future so they can see how much they might end up spending, which is why I created the spreadsheet in the first place.
Again, this is only for ONE child so costs might double if you have twins or choose to have a second child. It also does not include when your children have kids and you become grandparents. As many of us know, grandparents can contribute quite a bit to the cost of a grandchild. You might want to tack on a few thousand for the future grandkids if you plan on helping out your children raise their children.
I would just like to reiterate that this is just an ESTIMATE and there are MANY factors that can affect how much it costs YOU to have a child, but making this spreadsheet was very helpful for us in deciding on when we think we are ready to add to our family, and so I thought it might be helpful for others who also want to plan ahead rather than just jumping in.
Download the Spreadsheet Here
UPDATE 1
UPDATE 2
Our daughter is now a year old and honestly, I lost track of costs as being a parent and a blogger is a lot of work, haha! So I can only make a rough guess based on our grocery bill, which went up of course. It ends up coming close to $10,000 in just the first year. I don't intend to track everything from here on out, but I know a promised an update after the first year, so here it is!
We try to save everywhere we can. Instead of buying her brand new clothes and toys we opt to buy used or barter. The money we save goes into her college savings. :)
ReplyDeleteWow thank you for sharing this post! I'm 8 weeks pregnant with my first and already starting to think about savings! xo, Brittany | www.theblistblog.com
ReplyDeleteIt is so crazy to see how much diapers and formulas will cost over the years.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great resource! I'll pass it on to my daughter. Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post idea! I remember reading a similar article to this in some parenting magazine. The estimates were astronomical. I prefer to be blissfully ignorant as far as the total of expenses are concerned. ROFL
ReplyDeleteDon't dare to look at the cost. Every now and then all the baby necessities keep on increasing in price. That's so scary!
ReplyDeleteThis is great for people thinking about wanting to have a baby. Having a baby can be expensive; not to mention they still cost a lot even after they turn 18!
ReplyDeleteYou're brave! I don't think I have the stomach to figure this out myself. I know my youngest would cost more than my oldest because of all the doctors he sees. That number is enough for me :0)
ReplyDeleteWow good on you to keep track, I am hopeless at that
ReplyDeleteI knew it was a lot but never took the time to add everything up. Now that my daughter is in preschool we are paying for her to go school and for swimming lessons.
ReplyDeleteThey only get more expensive as they get older.
DeleteOh gosh. SO many things on this list aren't necessary in any way haha we haven't spend anywhere close to this much on our daughter so far in her 15 months of life. Babies are only expensive as you make them (medical costs aside).
ReplyDeleteIt was meant to be a universal list. We didn't buy a lot of the items on it either (which is why I put optional in the notes on a lot of things). I was just trying to give a general idea, hence I emphasized "ESTIMATE" Did you even read my spreadsheet, or just look at the list of items?
DeleteThe sheet also included medical costs, which is where a LOT of our money went.