The average cost of raising a kid to 18 is now over $310,000 and I can't stop thinking about it

I was just scrolling through some government reports from the USDA last night and saw that number. It blew my mind because that doesn't even include college or any extras like sports or tutoring. My wife and I are planning for our first kid and we thought we had a handle on things. But seeing that stat made me sit down and really crunch our budget again. Has anyone else factored in that number when planning for kids or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona33218d agoMost Upvoted

idk but does that $310k even factor in lost income from parental leave?

james53316d ago

Yeah that $310k number always bugged me. My cousin took three months off for her kid and her company basically stalled her career for two years after that. @fiona332 is right to question what they factor in because lost income and missed raises add up way more than people realize. They always leave out the domino effect of stepping off the ladder for a bit.