"You Said It Costs How Much?!"

Yep...$300,000 to raise a kid from birth to age 17 - that does not include pregnancy or childbirth costs or saving for the possibility of higher education!  

     Disposable diapers are $550 a year (birth to 12 months)
     Average daycare costs are $8,500 a year (12-36 months)
     Preschool (ages 3-5) averages $15,000 a year
     Health care through age 17...$18,000
     Extracurriculars through the elementary years...your guess is as good as any parent's...
          and remember to factor in the cost of gas for travel from place to place
     Food for the middle school years...and average of $100 every two days, and the electronics 
          they "crave"...too much
     High school sports...$2,500 a year

And these are just the obvious and common costs...there are always the hidden and unexpected ones!  (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/learnvest/cost-of-raising-a-child_b_2829753.html)

And the cost of raising a dog for an average of 14 years?  

Total over the life of a 14 year old dog				Low Cost	My Cost	High Cost
				$4,242.00	$12,468.00	$38,905.00

These totals are also pretty shocking aren't they? And remember, this is the cost for a 50-pound dog in the mid-west....Read more at: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2106&aid=1543

     
Whether it is a kid or a pet...both take way more than just money to raise!  They take dedication, love, time, patience, discipline.  Both are about self-sacrifice and compassion.  And both involve some in depth planning instead of just jumping in and "doing it"!  Yeah, I know I am not a parent, but I am a seasoned teacher and have learned to spot which kids come from families who care and those who don't...no matter how much or little money they have.  We all know which kid is going to have the "better" life.  It is the same for our pets!  Let's be responsible and compassionate people.  Let's make it our goal to be able to take the phrase, "People suck!"  out of our vocabularies!!  Good Luck!