Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.
Everyone likes to say that kids are expensive. The reality of such a statement is something that any parent can attest to, especially with the way inflation has been trending lately. Have you ever stopped to think about why kids cost a lot to raise? There are multiple factors at play in the answer.
Food Costs
Everyone needs to eat, especially growing kids. While some kids don’t seem to eat much, especially when they’re younger, that can change drastically over time. There’s a reason teenage boys are sometimes referred to as bottomless pits.
The food just seems to disappear, and you’re the one who is, quite literally, paying for it. Of course, how much you spend on food depends on what you’re buying. There are some ways you can reduce your grocery bill if you’re careful.
Healthcare Costs
No kid emerges from childhood entirely unscathed. It’s perfectly normal for them to experience bumps, bruises, and scrapes along the way. Most of those are things you can handle on your own. Then there’s the illness that has you hauling kids in to see the doctor or the broken bone that sends you to the ER.
That doesn’t even touch on the cost of dental and orthodontic care. Invisalign can cost up to $6,000 over a two-year period. Fortunately, health and dental insurance can help make healthcare costs more manageable.
Housing Costs
Housing is often the biggest expense any family has. Having kids can make that even more expensive. First, there’s the matter of a growing family. More kids mean there’s less room in the house. Outgrowing your house means upsizing to a larger house that could easily be more expensive. Second, kids aren’t known for being the most gentle individuals. They have a way of breaking things, even by accident. Expect to spend some money on the occasional household repair brought on by the activities of a rambunctious little (or not so little) one. Food, healthcare, and housing are just a few of the expenses involved in raising kids.
Education, even in elementary schools, can be pricey. The cost of school supplies alone can be daunting, especially if you’re getting supplies for multiple kids. To make things more challenging, many of the costs associated with raising kids only seem to increase. The good news is that there are resources out there that you can use to help offset some of those costs if you plan and budget carefully.
Did you enjoy this article? Here’s more: Young children fall often because they are learning to walk
Leave a Reply