Can Someone Give Me a Reasonable Estimate... Posted: 03-26-07 22:22pm
My significant other and I have decided
that we would like to have a baby in the
next couple of years or so. Thing is, we
are both in our lower to mid twenties and
are pretty much fresh out of school, and
don't have a great deal of money. We have
decided we would like to create a savings
account together specifically for the
baby. Thing is, we don't really know what
is a good amount to have before trying to
have a baby! I would ask his parents or
mine...but we are trying to keep all of
this a surprise for our families, so I
could use some outside help!!!
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vanessalouanne
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 31 May 2005 Posts: 2268 Location: ,
Thanks: 1
Thanked:0
Posted: 03-26-07 22:28pm
This is just too good not to pass on to
all. Something absolutely
positive for a change. I have repeatedly
seen the breakdown of the
cost of raising a child, but this is the
first time I have seen the
rewards listed this way. It's nice.
The government recently calculated the
cost of raising a child from
birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00
for a middle income
family. Talk about price shock! That
doesn't even touch college
tuition.
But $160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break
it down. It translates
into:
* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month, or
* $171.08 a week.
* That's a mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.
Still, you might think the best financial
advice is don't have
children if you want to be "rich."
Actually, it is just the
opposite.
Whatdo you get for your $160,140.00?
* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of "heaven" every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds,
and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold, usually covered with
jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying
kites.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no
matter what the boss
said or how your stocks performed that
day.
For $160,140.00, you never have to grow
up. You get to:
* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs, and
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.
You have an excuse to:
* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet
and Pooh,
* watch Saturday morning cartoons,
* go to Disney movies, and
* wish on stars.
* You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and
flowers under refrigerator
magnets and collect spray painted noodle
wreaths for Christmas,
hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day,
and cards with backward
letters for Father's Day.
For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no
greater bang for your buck.
You get to be a hero just for:
* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage
roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and
coaching a baseball team
that never wins but always gets treated to
ice cream regardless.
You get a front row seat in history to
witness the:
* first step,
* first word,
* first bra,
* first date, and
* first time behind the wheel.
You get to be immortal. You get another
branch added to your
family tree, and if you're lucky, a long
list of limbs in your
obituary called grandchildren and great
grandchildren. You get an
education in psychology, nursing, criminal
justice, communications,
and human sexuality that no college can
match.
In the eyes of a child, you rank right up
there under the creator.
You have all the power to heal a boo-boo,
scare away the monsters under the
bed, patch a broken heart, police a
slumber party, ground them
forever, and love them without limits, so
one day they will, like
you, love without counting the cost. That
is quite a deal for the
price!!!!!!
Love & enjoy your children
&grandchildren!!!!!!
It's the best investment you can make!
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mc4ever02
Supporter
Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Posts: 3636 Location: Orlando, FL Usa
Thanks: 5
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Posted: 03-26-07 22:32pm
That is so sweet. I didn't make it half
way through before I began crying! Like
really *crying* to where I couldn't read
the words anymore. Damn hormones!
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mc4ever02
Supporter
Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Posts: 3636 Location: Orlando, FL Usa
Thanks: 5
Thanked:2
Posted: 03-26-07 22:42pm
To answer your original question, there is
no perfect amount. You should save as much
as possible. I'm sorry that this isn't
very helpful. I just honestly don't think
that you can ever have enough money. I
would suggest that you save enough to
cover all medical bills, clothing and
equipment that will be needed. My dh and I
decided that we would always have enough
money saved to handle three months worth
of bill (just in case). But I think it is
really a personal decision. You guys
should be able to sit down and come up
with a percentage that you are comfortable
saving.
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Sunflower_pie81
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 5041 Location: to hell with this crap
Posted: 03-27-07 08:31am
* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month, or
* $171.08 a week.
* that's a mere $24.24 a day!
* just over a dollar an hour.
too bad this isn't realistic
That is just pennies compared to what i
pay monthly for my daughter and i am a
single mother.
I would take into consideration medical
expences, the cost to furnish a baby's
room, Daycare if the both of you are
working, the cost of rent/morgage,
utilities, and food/gas/car
payments...ect.
like the poster before, try to save enough
to cover three months of bills if at all
possible. then try to save enough to
furnish the baby's room and to prepair for
the baby. yeah if you have a baby shower
you may get loads of 'cute' stuff but you
won't always get the stuff you need right
away.
I am so glad that you are being smart
about this.
good for you.
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Emma2
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 May 2006 Posts: 4406 Location: Montreal, Canada
Thanks: 1
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Posted: 03-27-07 17:56pm
Luckily we dont pay for anything medical
in canada but the cost of clothing,
diapers, formula, cereal, baby food jars
is hella expensive....i would say anything
over 5k is pretty reasonable. Good luck.
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Sunflower_pie81
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 5041 Location: to hell with this crap
Posted: 03-28-07 08:03am
Emma2
wrote:
Luckily we dont pay for
anything medical in canada but the cost of
clothing, diapers, formula, cereal, baby
food jars is hella expensive....i would
say anything over 5k is pretty reasonable.
Good luck.
Nancy, your funny, 5K? that would be
reasonable though.
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mia7
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Sep 2005 Posts: 378
Posted: 03-31-07 02:15am
I would say... save as much as you can
and make sure that your man has a steady
reliable job with good pay and you can
figure out the rest as you go along!
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polite30
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 7 Location: New Zealand
Posted: 04-04-07 03:18am
ohh that first reply was so awesome loved
it!!
Hi there from my experience I have learnt
so much more than I ever will being a
mother I am pregnant with my second child
and my first child wasnt expected BUT it
did happen and I couldnt be more happier
to have had the chance to have children. I
think at the end of the day as long as
baby has all the necesseties, warmth, a
loving family, food. You will find a way
and it will be the best way to raise your
child. Bare in mind they are only babies
for a short while so exadurating on what
you need for a baby can happen so its best
to speak to someone close to you has
experienced this. My point is, its a
great idea to save money but dont stress
about it, you will have the best gift of
all when you have a baby so stressing
about saving thousands to start off to
have a baby is unecessary!!!
