Posted on 09/22/2013 5:29:16 AM PDT by cunning_fish
1. “I will cost you your dream house.”
Couples thinking about starting a family might want to boost their saving goals. The cost of raising a child from birth to age 17 is higher than the price of the average American home: Middle-income parents spend over $241,000 to raise a child, according to a study released last month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. The median price of a home, in contrast, currently stands at $203,500. And statistics show that, unsurprisingly, the more a family earns, the more they spend on their kids.
There are some economies of scale. The cost per child decreases as the number of children increases—even though the overall cost continues to climb. Families with three or more children spend 22% less per child than those with only two children, as the kids get hand-me-down clothing and toys, help baby-sit, and share bedrooms. Plus, food can be bought in bulk and some child care services offer discounts for more than one child, says Mark Lino, a research economist with the Department of Agriculture. “But you’re better off economically if you have an only child, as most parents only have a set amount of income,” Lino says.
(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...
Coming on here, insulting Protestants because they (we) don’t believe as you do. And I will venture a guess that you’re quick to complain about anti Catholic comments on Catholic threads. Is that the case???????
Agree.
I like the Elizabeth Stone quote.
I am a lawyer and I have four. And i worked and supported my family. And no one to date has had therapy, jail time, a trap stamp, a divorce, bankruptcy, or out of wedlock pregnancy. They all love God and they all work hard to take care of themselves.
I have seen many families in the Christian community live on what appears to be nothing, reaping the rewards of their extended network. It has actually amazed me how people at near poverty levels have had things donate to them, have made birthdays and holidays out of nothing, and have gone on to serve others. If there is anything I have learned watching these folks - mostly home schoolers - it is that God really does provide, and life is about service - not acquisition.
I know a family with 12 kids. They have struggles, but they are happy.
It is time Protestants learn God’s truth about contraception. They seem to be disconnected from the idea that actions have consequences. The consequence of lowered birth rates is immigration replacing the children that we were too selfish to have. The consequence of contraception is divorce and abortion. So I will criticize Protestants, just as I criticize wayward Catholics, just as I criticize Muslims, etc. because I want people to understand God’s will. He did reveal much of it to us these past few thousand years.
Did you get to live in your “dream house”?
Yep. Actually, I have two. One is a 4,000 square foot house on 23 acres that looks over a very large pond; the other is in another state. It's somewhat smaller but has 15 acres of woodland around it.
I would not have had this were I burdened with kids' costs--including college tuition payments.
IOW, I planned my life carefully and everything worked out the way I planned. I guess that somehow bothers you.
Somehow my post #47 did not get all of what I wrote into it. I said, in response to the above quote: My siblings were--and are--poor. My uncle was the one I had to go to when I desperately needed money to complete my last year of college. It would have been a waste to check with any of the other relatives (uncles, aunts and the such) since they were poor and had no excess funds. My uncle was a generous man to boot.
Your viewpoint is consumed by a narrow focus on what you think is important (not that mine is not; I see things from an entirely different perspective); and we just wouldn't agree that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. We surely would disagree on whether my uncle was rich in the ways that count...at least to me.
What is the point of a dream house without kids?
Yes, we are rich in children too, and this new grandchild as well. Money is a very cold ‘rich,’ as King Midas discovered long ago. Children are a gift from God.
I tutor kids, too, and I get such great joy from these kids. I asked for Middle School boys, an addled and gangly lot and not widely revered. But in God’s kingdom, they are on the verge of becoming MEN, and they might even become Godly Manly Men. What a rich privilege to be able to help guide them.
As I said, ‘What IS the point of a dream house without kids?” It cannot make you laugh or cry. It is not cozy warm. Does not have skin like silk. Does not say funny things.
I live in my dream house now. It isn’t very big. It isn’t very fancy. But it is my dream house because I share it with my wife and 3 children. I could have a big fancy house if we did not have children, but my family is more important than any wordly possesion.
Deep wisdom there!
That’s fine. I happen to believe that not all riches are found in a bank, that’s all. It’s ok to disagree. :D
Those dang kids!
Nothing but burdens that drag you down in life!
They are obstacles! They are bumps in the road!
They’re just a bunch of PUNISHMENTS that spew carbon and pollute Mother Gaia with dirty diapers!
If it weren’t for the little monsters our economy would have rebounded the moment The Chosen One was inaugurated!
They do come in handy once in awhile during anti-gun campaigns though
BTW: How many children do you have?
Good for you. Most women lawyers are liberals, and view large families as burdens and polluters and global warmers.
But not you.
You should be very pleased with Muslims, they don’t believe in any contraception whatsoever, even if the mother is going to die.
Well, good for you. Whatever floats your boat, as they say. I just see the world from a different perspective than most folks.
I grew up extremely poor and swore that I would never voluntarily go back into poverty—or at least, being “strapped” for money—again. Obviously, not many people see it that way.
BTW, I am not alone; I share my dream home with my wife of 42 years.
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