According to the USDA, if you bore a child in 2015, you will spend approximately $233,610 to raise it to the age of 18. This vast sum is the lowest child cost that the USDA reported since 2011, but nobody would be blamed for wanting to cut that cost down. To successfully cut the cost of raising a child, you need to plan your life around doing so. Here are the costs involved in raising a child, as well as some ways to ease the strain on your wallet.
Living Location
Choosing where to live can be the most significant determiner of cost, not least due to the price of the house, but also due to the cost of shops and entertainment around the neighborhood. Education also plays a vital role, areas around good public schools typically cost more, but this could be a lot less than paying for private schooling and could come out cheaper in the long run. However, it’s worth doing a check of the cost when you’re looking for a place to live – if you’re only planning to have one child you might save money in the long run by buying a house in a less expensive area and sending them to private school.
Healthcare
Healthcare can be incredibly expensive, and besides insurance, there are few things you can do to lower the price of necessary healthcare. First, try to select an excellent low-cost insurance plan. Then, encourage a healthy and active lifestyle for your children, including 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day as well as regular exercise. The best way to minimize the costs of healthcare is to do everything you can to prevent long term health problems. Dentistry can be another expensive necessity, but when you are presented with a dental issue, look around for dental financing options, which can help to take the bite out of the cost.
Food
The best thing you can do to lower food costs is to cook for your family in bulk. If you pre-cook your family’s favorites in bulk, then when you have a busy schedule, you can be able to whip out a frozen pre-cooked dinner instead of spending extra money ordering food. Plan your meals in advance if you can and consider going to wholesale shops if you want to really save, though make sure you go with a strict shopping list and avoid spending money on frivolous bulk-buys.
Child Care
Childcare is most important in those early years. The simplest way to reduce childcare costs is to be a stay at home parent, which is especially sensible if the cumulative costs of childcare are more than the lowest-paying job’s salary. If this is not possible, then you could opt for part-time working at home and arrange for your child to stay with relatives like grandparents when you need to go to work.
These four areas are the most significant areas for cutting costs but be creative and on the look-out for cheaper solutions with every purchase you make. If you stay diligent and focused, the savings will really add up over the years.