Kids

[Orca Lover]

Hey 2fastnaz, what year Challenger? My boyfriends family is a bunch of Mopar NUTS!!! They have 2 Dart Sports, and one 69 Dart and a Ram Charger. I think they are getting another one too!!! Its scarey!
Ask my parents, I am expensive, my sisters are expensive, everything is expensive. but I learned in one of my classes that having one child will cost a minimum of $500,000 by age 18. that isnt including college.

OL

 

[Washington Hunter]

This is just my opinion but anybody who pays for their kid's college education either has way too much money or is a fool. Kids should pay for their own college by working and/or a loan. They will have plenty of time to pay off the loans, and the interest rates on student loans are really really low. After supporting a kid for 18 years, it ought to be the parents' right to spend money on themselves instead of the kid(s) and ideally put away money for retirement. Plus I think kids will take their college education more seriously if they are paying for it out of thier own pocket, and hopefully will learn how to manage money and not blow it all on beer, movies, cd's, video games, and chicks.

 

[Moosie]

500k ? They also say the Average price of a home now is 220k, Not around these parts

My dad helped put us through school. I will in return help put all my kids through school. Nothing fancey but the basic college. I think School is over rated, but some people need it I guess

 

[MarvB]

WHODC- Kids (I've got three) to some degree will be as expenseive as you want/let them be. I really don't think the "basics" are all that much and, like ohter have said, you absorb the costs over time and "get used to it."

Its all the extra's that cost ya...kinda like a good hunt or side orders at a restaurant! If I took away sports, music lessons/instruments, family "oriented" vacations, after-school activities, scouting, etc., etc., I could stick a wad of cash in my pocket every month.

...Course the same could be said if I gave us hunting and fishing but that ain't gonna happen either!

Raising kids is kinda like car shoppin'...you can go the Kia route or the Mercedes...both will do the job and its all about choices....

...but girl ya still gotta get married first

 

[Idaho_Smiley]

Alls I know is I am glad that I will no longer be paying about 120 $ for diapers a month , I am sure they will find other ways to spend the money though , twins are expensive.

 

[WH's OutdoorsChick]

WH, Did You support yourself in college the first time??? I am asking MOM!

 

[Orca Lover]

WH, good point with the "kids should pay for their own college" but its a catch 22, to fill out the financial aid forms, you have to put your parents income until you are 25, unless you can PROVE that you had been financially indepent from them for 1 calender year prior to apply for the assistance. Its wierd, but (at least here in Washington) that is how stupid things are.

OL

 

[WH's OutdoorsChick]

It was like that in Cali Too!

 

[Nemont]

My 2 cents: if you wait to be able to afford the little tricycle motors, you will never have them. All three of my kids are heavy duty users of our household resources and the older they get (mine are 12, 10 and 8) the more expensive they become but I wouldn't trade it for anything in this world.

I think the costs are just something you do without much thought to it. I grew up in a family with 11 kids. I think it must have cost a fortune to just feed us not to mention clothe, house and entertain us but my folks never gripe once about it.

Nemont