Everyone knows that kids cost money: our upcoming Student Edition article won't shock the world, but it might get you thinking about costs that don't exactly come from places you'd expect. We asked our staff what financial surprises were in store for them when their offspring sprung into their lives.
Brady Sahnow: vice president of sales and customer relations
- Daycare (huge)
- Camps/Activities/Sports/Clubs all take enrollment money
- Babysitting ($30 a pop for us to go out to dinner and a movie)
- Airplane flights now require four tickets instead of two
Joe Crowe: director of IT
- Diapers: Size one diapers cost X and have Y units. Size two cost x+more and have y-less (i.e didn’t expect to continue to pay more and get fewer diapers with each size). Hint: Costco membership pays for itself in Diapers and wipes.
- Formula: We weren't expecting the baby to be allergic to milk, so we had to go to soy formula right away. About $25/wk.
- Childcare: I knew that it was going to be a cost, just not how much. And we have to pay for her slot at daycare when she's not there. Even though my wife is a teacher and has summers off, we have to pay whether our daughter goes or not. She attends half-time at $450/mo.
Greg Shepherd: director of technology & web
- Power of attorney
- Will and/or trust
- Life insurance
- ...and batteries for toys.
Linda Scutero: customer relations and administrative support specialist
- Shoes are an obvious upfront expense, but what can be deceiving is the unexpected quantity of shoes that will be required. Keeping up with the ever-expanding size of a child’s foot can be discouraging, but a new dimension is introduced when you’re the parent of a girl. Girls “need” different types of shoes for each season of the year (i.e. dressy boots, rain boots, snow boots, holiday dressy, shoes for dress-up, athletic, casual, flip-flops, sandals, etc.).
- Gifts for friend’s birthday parties seem to occur in clusters. And who doesn’t try to outdo everyone else with the best and brightest gift, or at least worry that it’s not enough?
- Kids seem to eat like hummingbirds--consuming half their weight in one day (hopefully not in sugar like a hummingbird).
- Replacement of the cherished cheap toy, or stuffed animal, that was left behind, “accidently” destroyed or “accidently” discarded.
Do you have a kid, or know someone who does? Leave a comment with your most unexpected "kid" expenses!
--brass
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