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I don't even have any kids and already they're costing me money!

August 8th, 2009 at 09:45 pm

T and I were thinking about little ones and I started crunching the numbers. If I want to stay home for 6 months after having my first, we'll need to have 7-8k to cover expenses without my income. I figure two 2-door cars won't be of much use, so I figure we should sell one and go with at least a sedan. Since we're into home repair and at Home Depot more often than we should, we figure a SUV would be roomy enough for kids and a few pieces of drywall should we need it. We're interested in a used Kia Sorento at the moment. Even if we sell the volvo for 4k (thats generous with all the miles it has) we're still going to need at least 4-5k to buy an SUV without to many miles. So much money and I don't even have any kids yet!

Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments »

8 Responses to “I don't even have any kids and already they're costing me money!”

  1. Apprentice Bliss Hunter Says:
    August 8th, 2009 at 11:18 pm 1249773488
    1249773488

    I think if you can manage to be an one car family - trade in your two cars - that would be best financially - at least during the period when you are staying at home - maybe you can drop hubby into work and collect him ?

    Kia Sorrento is a nice car - in my opinion (as a man living in Ireland) it may be more room that you strictly need for two parents and one kid... but I do realise SUVs have a strong hold on the American imagination - not so much in Ireland...

  2. whitestripe Says:
    August 9th, 2009 at 12:02 am 1249776173
    1249776173

    personally i would never buy a kia - but apprentices suggestion is a good one. DF and I have four cars Frown two don't work, they are DF's project cars, one is not technically ours, it is DF's work van, and the last is mine, which we use for everything. I would not get an SUV but understand about the american love for them - i too hope to sell my car and get a better one before we have kids. we're tossing up between a subaru liberty, a mitsubishi lancer or a nissan stagea, at this time.

  3. thriftorama Says:
    August 9th, 2009 at 02:02 am 1249783362
    1249783362

    Uh, you don't need a 4 door or even an SUV to have kids. We have a Honda Civic hatchback and it's worked just fine for us for 16 months.

  4. Nika Says:
    August 9th, 2009 at 02:43 am 1249785785
    1249785785

    SUV is not necessary to have kids.

    2 car seats can fit into most sedans just fine.
    If you get a child #3 (which is likely to be 5 years away, on average) another car may be needed. But 5 years is a long time.

    And no one knows how long it will take you to get pregnant...
    And you don't know how you'll feel after having 1 child. Will you want 2 and 3 right away? That is very difficult.

    I have a friend who always dreamed of having at least 6. She was so passionate about it. After she had her daughter she decided that it was all she could handle. She is a very dedicated mother.

    Now if you just want a new car, that is another issue.
    Can you justify it without using kids?

  5. FrugalFish Says:
    August 9th, 2009 at 01:58 pm 1249826336
    1249826336

    I drove a small 2 door Honda for the first 3 years of DD's life. Just recently we needed another car and bought a 4 door Accord. It's great and has lots of room, but honestly it was just as easy to get DD situated in her seat in the old car as the new car. It may actually have been easier to get her in the old car because I didn't have to stretch as far.

    As soon as I got PG, friends and family kept asking when we were going to get a new car or minivan. I'm not sure why buying a new vehicle becomes as mandatory as blood tests the moment you get PG! See if you can make your current cars work before you fall into that expensive trap.

  6. ceejay74 Says:
    August 10th, 2009 at 04:06 pm 1249920394
    1249920394

    I agree; do some research and see if there are carseats that will fit into one of your current cars. You know that $200,000+ figure that's bandied about in the media as the cost of raising a kid? A good chunk of it is car and housing upgrades. Pshaw, say I. We have a 950-square-foot, 2-bedroom condo and no car, and we intend to keep it that way while having 2 kids eventually. Sure, by the time they're teens we may want a 3-bedroom so they can each have their own, but while they're children there's no need.

  7. MomEsq Says:
    August 10th, 2009 at 06:13 pm 1249928028
    1249928028

    It's great that you're thinking ahead! I have two children under the age of 5. We replaced our small Toyota Corolla after the second was born with a Honda CRV. You definately don't need a bigger car for just one child (or Home Depot). Plus, you may not want the expense of filling up and insuring the larger car, just as you're getting comfortable with the expenses of frequent pedi visits, diapers, baby supplies, and should you need it, formula.
    Also, it's smart that you want to save for 6 months of maternity leave (and I'm all for planning ahead), but keep in mind that 6 months is not the norm. (And congrats if your employer offers a 6 month leave!) Depending on your benefit package, you may be entitled to short term disability during your leave.
    Also, become familiar with your health insurance -some plans require co-pays for labor/delivery, the first year of pedi visits -while others do not. And while you're thinking of expenses, don't forget to calculate the added expense of adding the little one to your health insurance and the price of day care-if you'll need it.
    In my opinion, having kids has to be a decision of the heart. Smile (They certainly wreak havock on the budget!)In the meantime, enjoy your married life without!

  8. milehighgal Says:
    December 1st, 2009 at 08:29 pm 1259699383
    1259699383

    I have a Honda CRV with a baby on the way. I knew we would have two kids in there someday soon. It's quite expensive though. My friends with a toddler bought a Hundai. They are much better quality nowdays and you can get a used one for a lot less, they don't hold their value as much as Hondas do.

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