Thinking about being a parent, read this:

WASHINGTON (Reuters Life!) - Middle-income families can expect to spend $204,060 on feeding, housing and schooling a child born in 2007 until his or her 18th birthday, the U.S. government reported on Monday.

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Child care and education costs will represent a larger share of costs for raising the '07 baby through adulthood than they have in the past, the Agriculture Department said in an annual study on child-rearing costs.

"The cost of providing food decreased from 24 percent to 17 percent of total child-rearing costs, while child care and education expenses increased from 2 percent to 12 percent," the department said.

Housing will be the single largest cost for U.S. families -- making up 33 to 27 percent of total expenses across income groups, USDA said.

Factoring in inflation, the grand total for middle-income families comes to $269,040, USDA said. Total costs also include transportation, health care, and other necessities.

Child-rearing costs have soared since USDA began conducting its annual study in 1960, and can vary dramatically according to a family's income.

Families making less than $45,800 before taxes can expect to spend less, $148,320 in real terms over the course of their child's first 17 years. Those on the other end of the income spectrum, making more than $77,100 a year, will spend $298,680 in 2007 dollars on raising their '07 child.

Even though the study does not include the cost of college, USDA found that children get more expensive as they get older. Teenagers were the most costly.

The department also noted that child-rearing costs are the greatest in the urban West, and lowest in the urban Midwest and rural areas across the country.

(((((((((((tim))))))))))))) thank you so much for this info! my hubby and i want to become parents. we live in pennsylvania. we've been too afraid because we have no clue if we could afford having a kid. i don't know how people plan beforehand. that's 18 years of planning and it's so difficult to do because you can't foresee things. where did you get this info from? we need the financial confidence! thanks!

I stumbled across this article in the yahoo news page on my home page, I believe its from Reuters.

I am very happy you found this useful

Best of luck to the two of you

TJ

It's worth every penny though, and to cut some unnecessary costs I recommend gladly accepting hand me downs and getting toys from places like the dollar store...because they grow out of everything so quickly.

and THAT thinking, makes you a great parent, more power to you!!

I'd rather have the love of my 2-year-old than $200,000 cash in my wallet any day.

Guess what? Just the other day - she said for the first time - "I Love You Mommy"!!!!! It was so cute!! Yes, it was coached, by Daddy....took her a while to say it - but she said it!!!

Good for U!! moments like that are indeed priceless, I am never likely to have them, so I will revel in other's thanks for sharing that-TJ

Eh, it only lasted one day.
Last night, I tried to put her to bed, she kept screaming for daddy. Didn't want anything to do with me
Oh well....