Raising a child isn’t cheap. Between constantly outgrowing clothes and the never-ending need for diapers, food, toys, and childcare, the costs pile up fast. And don’t even get started on strollers. Who decided a decent one should cost as much as a weekend getaway?
Understanding this struggle all too well, one Redditor—a single mom living paycheck to paycheck—decided to do something generous. She gifted her pregnant cousin $2,000 worth of baby supplies, hoping to help her out. But instead of being grateful, the cousin took everything, made snide remarks, and then turned around and sold it all online. Ouch.
Read the full story below.
Understanding just how expensive raising a child is, the woman gifted her pregnant cousin $2,000 worth of baby supplies
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
What she didn’t expect was for her cousin to put it all up for sale online just hours later
Image credits: Paul Hanaoka / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Rough-Baker-7032
Most parents underestimate how expensive kids are
The cost of having children isn’t exactly the world’s best-kept secret. If anything, it’s the opposite. Financial concerns are a major reason why many people delay parenthood or decide against it altogether—raising a family requires serious financial resources.
Still, research suggests that parents are caught off guard by just how expensive it really is. According to a LendingTree survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults, three out of four parents say having kids turned out to be “far more expensive than expected.”
Among the biggest financial burdens are food (21%), childcare (19%), and clothing (13%). For reference, the average cost of childcare in the U.S. for infants ranges from $400 to $1,500 per month, making it one of the most difficult expenses for many families to manage. Beyond necessities, nearly half of parents admit they’ve felt pressured to overspend on their children just to keep up with other parents or their child’s peers.
Image credits: Elisa Ventur / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
To cover these costs, plenty of parents make personal financial sacrifices. According to the survey, 81% have cut back on their own spending, 37% have delayed investments or retirement, and 25% have put their own education or career on hold.
When you put it all together, the numbers are staggering. LendingTree estimates that raising a child from birth to age 18 costs $237,482 in the U.S. This includes food, housing, transportation, healthcare, clothing, education, and other essential expenses.
“It’s completely understandable that people are scared to death of how they are going to pay to raise that kid,” Matt Schulz, LendingTree chief credit analyst, told CBS MoneyWatch. “It’s daunting when you consider that we don't even factor in the cost of college, for example, in these numbers.”
“Most people’s financial margin for error is pretty tiny, and a few hundred dollars here and there can be really significant when you are on a tight budget and living paycheck to paycheck.”
Nevertheless, there is a silver lining to be found. Despite the financial strain, 78% of parents say they’re happy with the number of kids they have, proving that for most, the joys of family life outweigh the costs. But that doesn’t mean it should be this hard. Parenthood is already a challenge—affording it shouldn’t have to be one, too.
In the comments, the author admitted that she thought they were close but now sees otherwise
Readers agreed her cousin was rude and advised her not to waste any more effort on her
