Child Calculator

How much does it really cost to raise a child? Being a teenager who does not have any children, I am personally unable to answer that question, but since I do plan on having at least one child later on in life, I figure it would probably be beneficial to find out. When raising a child there are many things to consider, such as what vacations you would like to take them on, what to buy them, where to live, where to send them to school, what to feed them, the list goes on and on. Know wonder teenagers drive their parents insane, they are busy trying to make sure everything in our lives is perfect the way they wanted to raise us, yet we are too bust striving to be our own person to take a step back and thank them. I am planning on finding out how much it truly costs to have a child, from birth until college, and my guess is that it is a whole lot more than I would ever expect.

Let us just start out with the basic necessities, such as food and clothing. According to www.Babycenter.com's "cost of a child calculator", in 2007 for the average two-parent household with an income of $38,000-$64,000 a year food for one child would cost about $3,276 a year, and that is
Such as diapers, toys, clothes for the child that grows out of his pants a week after you bought them, healthcare, a car, possessions, hair cuts, etc., the list could go on and on. Decent healthcare for one child alone is around $1,082 a year. Clothing is around $1,082, and some teenagers will want "brand name" clothing, which definitely raises the cost of clothes drastically. A car for a teenager who just got their license would be around $7,000, and that is if you buy it used, and insurance can be up to $600 a month! (Barrett, Donna. Personal Interview. 11/22/06). According to the babycenter calculator transportation (gas, etc.) cost about $2,764 a year, without even buying them a