[Iron Eagle]

well -- it may not be all that ridiculous, really. Of course, most of the numbers are averages and percentages. And, if one thinks of the 8,900 per-child only as cash transactions specific to a child, it is less likely. But, built into that cost are cloths, groceries, diapers, health care, a portion of housing costs, vacations, tuition/registration, automobiles, phones, TV's entertainment. Heck -- the cost of my health care for a family plan is 400 more per-month than it would be if I had no kids -- that's 4,800 dollars right there.

[Lizavetta]

There a million ways to cut costs from thrift stores to cheap vacations to no tuitions to no cell phones to no cable, etc. etc.

Of course that 160K figure can easily be met if one wants to. I was only saying that it is not in any way, shape or form necessary or inevitable to spend that much. You can look around you and see plainly that plenty of people are not spending that and ARE raising kids on much less.