$245,340: Cost of raising a child born in 2013 (child care, legal, children)
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Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nikitakolata
The bolded was totally false for me. My school had a band program starting in 5th grade. That program taught me to play the flute well enough that I was in the band in middle school, high school, and could have been in the marching band in college. My husband's school, another public school in a much smaller town in another state from where I grew up, did the same. He was in his college marching band (at a Big 10 school) without ever taking a music lesson outside school.
Things are different now. I found it to be the same as you when in school and band, but for my kids the budget cuts meant very little school instruction and in elementary they eventually cut it out completely.
All of the parents had to pay for lessons to get the middle-school kids ready for high school , jazz band and orchestra here they maintained the programs thanks to parental fund raising.
Things are different now. I found it to be the same as you when in school and band, but for my kids the budget cuts meant very little school instruction and in elementary they eventually cut it out completely.
It just depends on where you live. My brother just graduated high school. He was in band in middle school, and in the marching band/jazz band in high school. He was debating on whether or not to do marching band in college, but he ended up deciding against it. He never had to take outside lessons as the school district had a great band program.
This figure seems really low to me, but I live in Boston.
- $20-40,000 in adoption fees per child
- $1200+ a month for daycare when young (one could stay home, but unless the other spouse makes in the 6 figures, it would be a huge struggle to pay rent/utilities)
- additional costs for housing either by renting a larger apartment (the difference between the 1 bedroom most childless couples have to a 2 or 3 bedroom can be an additional $500-$1000 a month in rent) or buying a home in the suburbs (potential cost of buying a car, extra gas and maintenance costs, minimum $300K for a starter home)
- bumping up insurance from two single plans to a family plan can add a few hundred a month
- while hopefully no medical issues occur, even with insurance, most of my parent friends spend at least $1000 a year on medical, dental, and vision for their children - more if there are serious illnesses (like my boss's daughter with CP - approximately $30,000 a year for various therapies and specialists)
Then of course there's food and clothing, but that's the cheap part.
So why do you think the amount to raise children is double? Just curious?
Children these days need their parents for a much longer time. The amount of university related expenses is insane. If you add to the fact that parents won't say no to kids nowadays, I'm surprised that number isn't much higher. 240K must be spent on kids in a pretty austere family.
Children these days need their parents for a much longer time. The amount of university related expenses is insane. If you add to the fact that parents won't say no to kids nowadays, I'm surprised that number isn't much higher. 240K must be spent on kids in a pretty austere family.
The amount was specifically only through age 18.
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