The True Costs of Raising a Child (3½ Year Update)
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| The sharks at Ripley's Aquarium |
- $1,386.36 for diapers (cloth and disposables), inserts, and wipes
- $61.76 for food
- $251.55 for kitchenware
- $653.01 for clothing (Canada)
- $830.31 for bed and bedding (Canada)
- $283.72 for clothing and bedding (from China)
- $1,430.99 for gear (strollers, car seats, playpen, etc.)
- $491.32 for health and safety
- $1,225.13 for toys and books
- $514.77 for experiences
Grand total: $7,128.92
As I predicted during the last update, we would be spending quite a bit of money during these 6 months as we wanted to get baby girl a loft bed for the den. We wouldn't be able to fit a full sized loft bed in her room, so we were forced to go with a twin sized loft bed. This also meant we needed to purchase a twin sized mattress to go with the twin sized loft bed. Her old full sized mattress is currently leaned up against the wall sitting unused. Oh well. Maybe one day we'll need the mattress. Aside from the mattress and bed, we spent some money on experiences and toys. I guess we'll go through the numbers.
Diapers
As I predicted last time, there have been no additional purchases related to diapers. This amount stays at $1,386.36.
Food
We really haven't purchased anything special food-wise. I suppose eventually, I may need to add some cost to this as she's eating more. But we're not exactly breaking the bank when it comes to food expenses. The total for the food category remains at $61.76.
Kitchenware
We purchased nothing in this category. This total remains at $251.55.
Clothing
As mentioned previously, wifey works for a fashion company. They have sales for jackets that aren't up to their standards for consumers and end up selling these items to staff. Wifey purchased a winter jacket for BG. Additionally, I purchased a merino wool base layer set so BG doesn't freeze in the winter. We also purchased some gloves from the dollar store so BG's hands aren't exposed in the winter. Added up, we've increased spending in this category by $319.62 to $972.63.
Bed and Bedding
Here's where the majority of the spending comes in. Considering the bed frame ($924.39), the mattress ($507.37), bed sheets (as we don't have sheets for a twin bed, $145.97), and pillow ($90.40), we spent a total of $1,668.13 to outfit the bed to transform it into BG's bedroom. There's still some more work to be done, like adding a door. For the most part, her room is complete. Total spending in this category is now $2,498.44.
As I predicted during the last update, we would be spending quite a bit of money during these 6 months as we wanted to get baby girl a loft bed for the den. We wouldn't be able to fit a full sized loft bed in her room, so we were forced to go with a twin sized loft bed. This also meant we needed to purchase a twin sized mattress to go with the twin sized loft bed. Her old full sized mattress is currently leaned up against the wall sitting unused. Oh well. Maybe one day we'll need the mattress. Aside from the mattress and bed, we spent some money on experiences and toys. I guess we'll go through the numbers.
Diapers
As I predicted last time, there have been no additional purchases related to diapers. This amount stays at $1,386.36.
Food
We really haven't purchased anything special food-wise. I suppose eventually, I may need to add some cost to this as she's eating more. But we're not exactly breaking the bank when it comes to food expenses. The total for the food category remains at $61.76.
Kitchenware
We purchased nothing in this category. This total remains at $251.55.
Clothing
As mentioned previously, wifey works for a fashion company. They have sales for jackets that aren't up to their standards for consumers and end up selling these items to staff. Wifey purchased a winter jacket for BG. Additionally, I purchased a merino wool base layer set so BG doesn't freeze in the winter. We also purchased some gloves from the dollar store so BG's hands aren't exposed in the winter. Added up, we've increased spending in this category by $319.62 to $972.63.
Bed and Bedding
Here's where the majority of the spending comes in. Considering the bed frame ($924.39), the mattress ($507.37), bed sheets (as we don't have sheets for a twin bed, $145.97), and pillow ($90.40), we spent a total of $1,668.13 to outfit the bed to transform it into BG's bedroom. There's still some more work to be done, like adding a door. For the most part, her room is complete. Total spending in this category is now $2,498.44.
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| The area under BG's loft bed. |
Clothing and Bedding (from China)
This total remains unchanged at $283.72.
Gear
No new gear purchased. The category total remains at $1,430.99.
Health and Safety
We purchased a new Children's Tylenol in case BG got sick. The old one expired. We also purchased knee and elbow pads for her balance bike. If she falls off, she won't scrape her knee. I just need to figure out where they are now that it's summer. This increased this category's total to $509.39.
Toys and Books
While we definitely tried to limit the number of purchases, it really adds up. We purchased a few books here and there. Some sticker books and a lot of art supplies as BG is showing interest in painting and drawing with fancier markers and crayons. It was also Christmas, so we purchased some Princess toy cars. She still plays with that. All in all, we made 17 different purchases in this category and, in total, spent $201.23. This increases our total to $1,426.36.
Experiences
Lastly, we have experiences. The main thing here was the yearly membership to Ripley's Aquarium. Since we're closer to the downtown core and much farther away from the zoo, we essentially swapped memberships. We no longer have a membership to the zoo. However, we were also able to purchase memberships for the in-laws so they are able to take BG to the aquarium if she wants to go. The pandemic has put a hold on aquarium visits as they shut down, but when they open again, it's something we can do again. This category goes up $274.59 to $789.36.
I'll summarize everything again.
- $1,386.36 for diapers (cloth and disposables), inserts, and wipes
- $61.76 for food
- $251.55 for kitchenware
- $972.63 for clothing (Canada)
- $2,498.44 for bed and bedding (Canada)
- $283.72 for clothing and bedding (from China)
- $1,430.99 for gear (strollers, car seats, playpen, etc.)
- $509.39 for health and safety
- $1,426.36 for toys and books
- $789.36 for experiences
Grand total: $9,610.56
The past six months, we spent $2,481.64.
Yikes! This total easily beats the highest we've ever spent in a 6 month period. This amount even beats out the initial period when we spent money buying gear and diapers. However, BG needs a place to sleep, so it was definitely needed.
I think for the next update, we should be back down in terms of spending. Combine the fact that we're living in a condo now and the ongoing pandemic and you have a recipe for not spending money. That being said, I am still buying BG some toys. However, so far I've purchased her birthday gift. A little early, but I wasn't sure if I'd have time to go out later to look for one. I also purchased a case for her tablet and a screen protector for her phone. BG has a tendency of dropping these electronics. Better to have more protection than to advise BG not to drop things. Most times it's an accident.
The past six months, we spent $2,481.64.
Yikes! This total easily beats the highest we've ever spent in a 6 month period. This amount even beats out the initial period when we spent money buying gear and diapers. However, BG needs a place to sleep, so it was definitely needed.
I think for the next update, we should be back down in terms of spending. Combine the fact that we're living in a condo now and the ongoing pandemic and you have a recipe for not spending money. That being said, I am still buying BG some toys. However, so far I've purchased her birthday gift. A little early, but I wasn't sure if I'd have time to go out later to look for one. I also purchased a case for her tablet and a screen protector for her phone. BG has a tendency of dropping these electronics. Better to have more protection than to advise BG not to drop things. Most times it's an accident.
Again, this doesn't count things like laundry detergent. Now that water and hydro is covered by the condo fees, there's really no need to break it down either. Not that it was something I ever did. It also doesn't include the RESP contributions. That was also maxed out for 2020. So far BG's RESP account is sitting at over $17,000. The pandemic drop in stocks in March has mostly recovered. However, it's been all over the map. Just last week, there was another drop. This week, it's mostly recovered again.
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