The choice to have a child is usually not a financially-focused decision. And we’re not so crass to suggest that it should be a dominant factor. But the cost of raising a child properly should at least be one of the factors that couples consider before they take the plunge into parenthood. Why? Because raising kids is a very expensive undertaking.
kids
Make Your Own Sports Drink
By 8.9.09
Why waste money on Gatorade when you can brew an equally effective sports drink from sugar, lemon juice, salt and orange juice? Hit the jump for the simple, inexpensive recipe.
Want To Raise A Kid? You'll Need $300k
By 8.6.09
The new government estimates are out on child rearing, and now “a middle-income family can expect to spend $291,570 including inflation to raise a child born in 2008 to adulthood” (not including childbirth or college), reports Reuters. In today’s dollars, it works out to between $11,000 and $13,000 annually. If you’re planning on having a family in the future, here’s another incentive to get your financial house in order first—take control of your debts and spending, learn how to budget, and start saving. You’re going to need it, unless you can score a reality show on basic cable.
Mom Drags Kid Through Verizon Store On Leash
By 8.3.09
Dear kid of abusive mom: yes, this is what it feels like for us when we deal with cell phone retailers, too. At least your mom was arrested. Video below.
Parents May Not Skimp As Much On School Supplies This Year — But They'll Still Skimp
By 7.24.09
Eiither the economy is improving somewhat or more parents are sacrificing to get their kids geared up for school this year, a survey by Deloitte & Touche LLP says.
By 7.22.09
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Here are 10 kids’ food items that are not very healthy, including Goldfish Crackers, Fruit By The Foot, and Sunny Delight. [Time]
Walmart Doesn't Want 7-Year-Old's Birthday Money
By 7.20.09
The parents of a seven-year-old took him to Walmart this weekend to spend his saved birthday and allowance money on a pretty awesome looking swimming pool & slide combo. They’d checked online first to make sure the item was in stock—and Walmart said it was, at three different locations in fact.
By 7.17.09
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You mean I don’t need a $900 stroller? Perhaps this is a sign that perhaps the recession is dragging everyone back to something approaching reality. Even affluent American parents are buying secondhand items or using hand-me-downs for their children. [New York Times]
By 7.3.09
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That end-of-the-school-year DVD may have been homemade by the teacher, but that doesn’t mean it can’t pack an accidental porno cherrybomb. An elementary school teacher in Sacramento mistakenly included 6 seconds of a “home movie” in a compilation she sent home to students. Click through to the article for an awesome photo illustration of how adults think kids react to gross-out grownup stuff. [SFGate] (Thanks to Paul!) (Photo: Adactio)
Credit Card Companies Return To Soliciting Children, Household Pets For Cards
By 7.1.09
I’m pleased to announce that the credit crunch is officially over. I’m basing this on a credit card solicitation sent to a Mr. Lazarus H. of Iowa. Lazarus, pictured at left, is seven years old.
Health Insurance Kids Stick It To Special Needs Kids And Their Parents
By 7.1.09
An InjuryBoard blog shines a light on one of the more nefarious practices of the ugly health insurance industry — the tendency of insurance companies to deny needed treatment to kids with special needs:
Frontier's Computer System Lands Unaccompanied Minor In Security Room For An Hour
By 6.30.09
Ok, here’s a crazy idea: if you’re an airline, and you have a form with room to list two adults who are authorized to pick up an unaccompanied minor, wouldn’t it make sense to have room for both names in your computer system? Because whoever is running Frontier Airline’s system doesn’t seem to think so! Kayla’s mother spent a frantic hour, IDs in hand, trying to prove that she was authorized to meet her 13-year-old daughter at the gate. The form accompanying her daughter clearly had both her and Kayla’s father listed, but the computer listed only the father’s name. While Frontier sorted out the confusion, Kayla spent an hour waiting in Denver Airport’s security room.
Four Financial Tools All New Parents Need
By 6.27.09
The baby’s on the way! You’ve got a crib, toys, and a rapidly approaching delivery date. So what else you do need? Kiplinger shares the four must-have financial tools that no new parent should go without…
Sam's Club Apologizes For Candy-In-Prescription-Bottles Promo
By 6.25.09
We have also shared with all of our pharmacy departments that this is an unacceptable practice and should not be repeated. At Sam’s Club we always have the health and welfare of our customers and members in mind with everything we do and we deeply regret that this incident occurred.
Sams Club Giving Kids Candy In Pill Bottles
By 6.24.09
The Sam’s Club in Salisbury, Maryland, is promoting its pharmacy by handing out pill bottles filled with candy to kids. I guess that’s better than filling Dots boxes with Vicodin. Or handing out gallon-sized jugs of Nerds. Update: Sam’s Club has ended the promotion and apologized for it.
Pixar Arranges Home Screening Of "Up" For Dying 10-Year-Old
By 6.19.09
We know, that headline just oozes treacle. But it’s for real! The family friend of a dying child cold-called Pixar’s offices and guessed her way through the phone tree to a live person, then pleaded her case: the child desperately wanted to see Up, but was possibly days away from death and too sick to travel or sit in a movie theater. The next day, a Pixar employee arrived with a DVD of the movie and sat with the family while they watched it. Sometimes people can be really decent to each other.
Target Is Somewhat Liberal When It Comes To "Kids" Programming
By 6.15.09
Hey, where was Target back in the day when our parents were looking for a babysitter? The one we had wouldn’t let us watch anything cool. Certainly not anything with a huge “CENSORED” sticker on the front of it.
