Cost of Raising Kids

[westminster]

Hilariously the petrol costs aren't even included in the transportation costs. It falls under the 'Fuel and Power' category.

Perhaps they are including the cost of buying their child their first car! Grrr

 

[Angel]

I have to wonder about the parents who spend a few thousand dollars on a themed birthday party for a one year old. The kid doesn't know what it's all about.

 

[oc1]

I have to wonder about the parents who spend a few thousand dollars on a themed birthday party for a one year old. The kid doesn't know what it's all about.

I don think it's about the kid

 

[VYBerlinaV8]

33 grand on clothes?

Yeah, right...

 

[redwing]

I have to wonder about the parents who spend a few thousand dollars on a themed birthday party for a one year old. The kid doesn't know what it's all about.

I've seen some people go to excess on the wife's FB page

 

[Mr. Fabulous]

redwing, you should probably tell your wife it's not wise for her to give her FB log in details to other people.

 

[roe]

in our culture children is a blessing not a cost, cost shall never be mentioned or lecture to them, and when we are old we are not a burden to them and they see it as their responsibilities to look after their elderly

 

[westminster]

in our culture children is a blessing not a cost, cost shall never be mentioned or lecture to them, and when we are old we are not a burden to them and they see it as their responsibilities to look after their elderly

And this is how it should be.

 

[Foxy Moron]

Always be good to the kids - who do you think will pick your retirement home ?

 

[kathryn d]

I never believe these things either.
Kids are only as expensive as the parents want them to be.

I'd take children over IPs any day.
We didn't start investing until the 3 youngest kids were teenagers.

If I had it to do over, I'd have 12 kids..(we only have 4)

 

[Mr. Fabulous]

If I had it to do over, I'd have 12 kids..

One for each month of the year Kathryn.

 

[BayView]

The cost of raising children in Australia has skyrocketed in the past five years, with middle-income families spending up to $458 a week to raise a child.

Not even close to accurate I reckon.

I reckon we do that for 3 kids - sec/hand clothes and hand me downs, food, including our oldest son's school fees - $200 a fortnight for the oldest son at a modest Private School down our way..can we afford it? Not right now, but if we spend bugger-all on other stuff we can do it. If he went to a Public High School our cost would be even lower.

What is scary is that figure is no doubt the average - which means folks are spending waay more somewhere, dragging the real average up - and the majority of folks wandering around the Country are middle-class and below in income....5% are the wealthy remember.

I don think it's about the kid

Correct.

I get the whole; "I want the best for my kids..." mentality, and they justify $100 pants etc for their 2 year old, or a $400 bike for the 4 year old, but seriously?

I want the best for my kids too, but some things are not that necessary, and I am long past the need to impress others through my kid's expensive clothes.

St.Vinnies pants are more than acceptable (as long as they are in good nick and fit properly).

This frees up more dollars for other things you might want to spend money on that they will appreciate.

My 4 year old son owns no clothes not worn by someone else first...he couldn't care less...

But what makes him really happy? Anything about animals and the Zoo - so a decent chunk of our saved money on his clothes is spent on things like visits to the Zoo, more animal books, etc....that's the best thing for him.