$302,000

$302,000 I just read it costs that much to raise a child born in 2012. ARE YOU FLIPPING KIDDING ME? 

OK so granted that number is for someone making 60k-105k plus. Since we will never see that cut that in half. So about 150k. Now at 150k do you know math wise how many years it will take for us to make that? 

Now to spend it on a child? I think NOT! 

Granted I don't know what is all in the total. But I think it would be interesting to keep track of how much I actually spend on one child per year. 

Maybe it's me and me being frugal? Or the fact we just don't make much a week? IDK. 

But I try to keep food about 50 a week. I only buy used clothes as my boys are so rough. Man if I spent 20 dollars on pants and they put a hole in it, how bad would I feel? at 3 dollars I don't feel so bad. I have also started to make some of their clothes from my fabric scraps. I also buy the bulk of my fabric at goodwill and use knit sheets to make the pj's. I don't believe we will go out to eat at all this year. They only get 100 dollars for their birthday. No extra gifts. I do buy school supplies, but books used off Amazon are very cheap. 

They get allowance but are fully expected to be working around here. Tucker is also a saver and soon will have more in the bank then us. A very scary thought, when your child can out save ya?

I garden to off set food costs. We save every scrap of food. We are frugal beyond frugal. From canning to drying to making to baking.

Although hoping for the upcoming year that we can cut things back some more. Well keep paying down the house. Have to ask ourselves do we really need this? Well do you, or do you want to put the money in the bank? 

IDK I'm glad I don't buy my kids anything. I'm glad I make them do chores and save money, and if they want anything they have to buy it themselves. We will get them through life, and school and if they do college we will get them through that as well. There are ways to do that frugally as well. 

Good golly just thinking of that number? that could buy us a dream home with many acres! Lots of land to feed these growing boys.