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You have read those cost projections for raising children. MSN, back in 2001 projected a cost of $249,180 (over $350,000 in 2010 dollars) for a family with a $65,800 or greater income. The Baby Center web site tells us the cost of raising a child from baby to adulthood is $266,698. The Wall Street Journal estimated the cost at $222,360 last year.
While I am not one to dispute the research of such prestigious publications, I simply can’t believe that the average parent with the average baby one might encounter in an average grocery store or sporting event or church service is really going to spend a quarter of a million dollars raising that child. Something somewhere is flawed. [click to continue…]
photo credit: kennymatic
Both of you work outside the home. You are expecting your first child and the wife would like to be able to quit her job and be a stay at home mom with the baby. This is very important to both of you, but can you afford all the new baby expenses?
This is a big decision, both emotionally and financially, and certainly not one to take lightly. Failure to consider the financial ramifications of this change could create huge debt and huge problems for you, but exactly what is the process of knowing whether you can afford it or not?
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