And You Thought Babies Were Expensive?

1. Sports. If you are fortunate enough to have a kid who is coordinated, welcome to the wonderful world of sports, where the parents are obnoxious and the coaches are uber-competitive.  There are private lessons, uniforms, registration fees – and if your kid makes the elite teams – say goodbye to your gas money.  And your lazy weekends as you will be in Chicago one weekend just to turn around and travel to Omaha the next.  Your life is now encompassed in crappy bleachers, hot dogs and screaming people.  And they scream. All. The. Time.

2. Other extracurricular activities. After-school clubs, language clubs, chess clubs, music, art, dance, drum lessons, ear plugs. My suggestion is to buy in bulk.  

3. Food. As your Little Darling grows, he/she demand more energy in the form of food.  Your refrigerator will be depleted as soon as you fill it and more often than not you’ll hear those four little words “There’s nothing to Eat!”  Well, of course not. Your teen just scarfed down 2 frozen pizzas, a ham sandwich and a bag of chips. In one sitting. They eat like prisoners newly on parole.  

4. Dental/Braces expenses. Depending on genetics and winning the DNA lottery, your Little Darling will more than likely require metal in their mouth.  You can go to the orthodontist advertised in the back of the local Penny Saver or to the one “everyone” takes their kids to who you see driving the Lexus.  Either way, it will run you anywhere from $3,000 – $7,000.  On top of the sports and extracurricular fees.  How old do they have to be to get a job?

5. Clothes. You just shelled out the cost of a small town-home on back-to-school clothes, when you notice that your little angel shot up 3 inches.  They can’t possibly be sent to school with too small clothes, looking like they turned from a normal human into the Incredible Hulk. Back to the Mall, or if the kid is into vintage (lucky you!), you can make a trip to Goodwill or a 2^nd hand clothing store. 

6. Senior Year. Now that they have hopefully stopped growing and going thru clothes like a supermodel at Fashion Week, they enter their Senior Year.  Photo packages, cap and gown, senior prom, graduation parties, graduation gifts, for the lucky few – a new car. SAT prep, college application fees….here’s hoping your kid has the grades and resume to get a scholarship. 

Written by: Allyson Johns