Having children of your own can be one of life’s greatest joys. There is so much happiness to be had in the journey of raising a child, though the road certainly comes with bumps along the way. Even with all the good things about it, people still have plenty of concerns about having kids. One of the more common concerns is how to afford it, and for good reason. Kids are expensive, and there are some major expenses that it helps to plan ahead for before you have them.
Food
You’ve gotten used to your food budget. Maybe you even have it down to a science. But how does it get impacted by a kid? Sure, kids don’t eat very much for the first little while, but you’d be surprised by how quickly that can change and how much they can pack away sometimes. You’ll notice this ramp up especially as they hit growth spurts. Of course, it’s not like your grocery budget has to take over your entire budget. There are things you can do to save on groceries, which will help lower the overall cost of food. Just make sure you have a plan.
Healthcare
Ah, healthcare. Can’t live with it, can’t quite seem to live without it. As an adult, you probably don’t spend all that much time or money on your own healthcare unless you have health problems. You might go in for a yearly physical, but unless something’s wrong, that’s probably about it. Not so with kids. The first year alone will have you in the doctor’s office every few months for vaccines and general check-ups. That all adds up pretty fast, especially without insurance. Then there’s the dental work. Kids often require a lot of dental work, from braces, to teeth cleanings and wisdom teeth removal. This is one expense that you absolutely should have a plan in place for.
Childbirth
Of course, there’s also the cost of childbirth itself. Regardless of what birthing route you go, it’s going to cost you a pretty penny. If you’re going for a routine birth in a hospital, you can expect to shell out something around $7,500. You may find that using a birthing center or an at-home birth with a midwife is less expensive, but that also depends on the situation. Not all options may be covered by your insurance, so if you’re banking on that, you’ll need to know what your policy covers. The good news is that you have at least nine months to come up with a plan for how to pay for it.
Having kids doesn’t come cheap. The cost of food, healthcare, and birthing the child alone can be pretty high, and that doesn’t even touch on things like clothing, toys, and furniture for them. That said, it’s not impossible to afford. Talk to friends and family with children in your area. They likely know of resources and have advice that can make having kids more affordable.
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