Are Kids Too Expensive?
“I’ve heard this trope a lot: ‘It’s just too expensive.’ Is it? Is that really the reason that the American family seems to be a dying breed? Many people seem to think so. Well, let’s dig into the numbers a little.” - P&D
When my wife and I were expecting our first, we added up the costs of working--daycare, car costs, etc..--and when we summed it all up, we realized she'd be working for a buck an hour all told. Yes, if she'd kept working, it would have generated a bit more income after daycare and taxes, or if we'd not had kids I guess we would have had that....but now we have six kids who are all launching well into adulthood, and are looking for ways to make sure Mom and Dad are taken care of as Socialist Insecurity and Mediscare collapse...
OK, it cost us some, but the ROI seems pretty good at this point. Plus, GRANDCHILDREN! (the reward you get for not strangling your teenagers, according to a coffee cup my mom had....yeah, she probably had me in mind...)
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
OK, it cost us some, but the ROI seems pretty good at this point.
We have 5 kids. The oldest turned 18 last fall and he has 3 teenage brothers and a 3 year old sister. The article talks about spending on what is important to you and mentioned hobbies. I had wanted to build a shed for years, but it was not in the budget. Last year my teenage boys helped me to finally build it. We had a piece of land to put it on and we had collected the materials for years by either getting them for free, getting deals on auctions, or picking up salvageable items off facebook. Because of the deals we got and because of the labor the kids provided, we built the building for about 1/4 of what it would have cost otherwise. In that case, the kids helped us save money while building equity.
I got my shed, but my wife wanted a small she shed cabin. Between the leftover materials from the big shed and lumber we got from garbage clean up days and from a friend who wanted his yard cleaned up (the boys helped me get that lumber) as well as other materials we had on hand, we were able to build her cabin. Some of the materials came from leftoverss my oldest son got from his job at the lumberyard. All we had to buy was some caulk, glue, nails, screws and a $42 window. The door was even free.
The kids also help with my side business (I am a multi-vocational self employed pastor). It is amazing how quickly we can get a job done with their help. A few years ago we shingled our house and saved a lot because we did the job ourselves. It was easy because the boys did so much of it. They could do it even quicker now that they are older. In fact, they could probably do it all while I watched.
My oldest son is our tech guy now. He solves our computer and other tech problems so we do not have to call anyone. Our second son can run heavy equipment if we need dirt moved around the yard. Our 3rd son can cook a meal that is better than a fancy restaurant. Our 4th son is a great encouragement because he will laugh at my dad jokes when no one else does and I look forward to seeing the skills he develops as he gets older.
Just today we set up a homemade swing set in our back yard that a friend gave us. It was one that his kids had used decades earlier. One of the seats was rotted, but it could be replaced. The boys helped me get it in place and when I needed wood for the seat, my second son said I could use a board that he had gotten for free from his part time job (his boss said he could have it since it would be thrown away anyway). So, we have multiple sons bringing good lumber home.
Several years ago when the boys knew that our budget was quite tight, they all got together and set up tables in the back yard and told my wife and I when they expected us to be there. They then proceeded to serve us a meal they had prepared for us. I cannot remember how old they were, but they were pretty young. The food was good and the service was excellent. No money could have bought what we experienced that night. They continue to bless us.
About 4 years ago the boys persisted in asking for another brother or sister. We knew it would be costly, but we also understood the value of having another. About 3 years ago they got their little sister. She does not do near as many chores as her brothers do, but she is already quite rewarding to our family.
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