By Tony Gonzalez, The Tennessean
When the baby came, even the family dog had to live with less.
For
the Maracci family of North Nashville, the birth of baby Emma meant
coupons would be cut, sales would be sought and, when Daisy the golden
retriever needed a toy, they'd find one at Goodwill.
"I never did
coupons until I was in the middle of my pregnancy with her," said
Jessica Maracci, 29. "We knew we had to start saving somewhere. I said
groceries were going to be it for us."
With a coupon-clipping
approach that amazes friends, Maracci anticipates spending less than
most families to raise her daughter -- but it still won't be cheap.
The
cost of raising children rises every year, and climbed slightly more
than normal last year. So for a baby like Emma born in 2011, a
middle-income family can expect to spend $234,900 to raise her through
age 17 -- $295,560 if anticipating inflation -- according to the latest United States Department of Agriculture report on family spending.
Depending on income, families spend $8,760 to $24,510 each year on a child.
The
statistics tend to shock parents, whether the numbers sound too low or
unbelievably high, said Mark Lino, USDA economist and study author.
"I think people sometimes forget some of the categories they're spending on," he said.
For
example, a couple's decision to buy a home with extra bedrooms -- even
if kids arrive later -- counts for the sake of the study.
Expenses
vary widely based on household income. And spending varies regionally,
with families in the urban South and rural areas spending the least on
kids. The regional ranking has changed in the past decade, with
Southerners replacing Midwesterners at the low end of spending. Lino
attributed the change to a less dramatic increase in home prices in the
South.
Families that don't pay for child care can expect to spend substantially less than the averages reported by the USDA.
That's one area where the Maraccis save -- Jessica stays home.
"I can't put a price on seeing her daily," she said. "That's the dream: to be home."
Not
all families can make do on a single income. Just 27 percent of mothers
stayed at home in 2009, down from 44 percent in 1969, according to the
U.S. Census Bureau. That's just one indication that raising a child and
sustaining a middle-class existence has become harder than decades past.
The new study points out that in today's dollars, families spend 23 percent more on a child than they did in 1960.
The
study doesn't capture how families adjust their spending once they've
had a child. That's when Maracci changed her approach to shopping.
Her
monthly grocery bill hovers between $160 and $270, which is actually
less than the couple spent before Emma's birth, she said. Thanks to
coupons and sales, she bought baby formula at half price for more than
eight months, and regularly buys name brands for less than generic
alternatives.
She uses all sorts of tricks to save money, such as
mixing her own cleaning supplies and drying clothes on a line. She also
frequents consignment sales.
Emma, she said, owns mostly $1 toys, as well as electronics and popular books.
"I can't remember the last time I bought a toy in the store," she said.
Paul Maracci helps, too. As a chef, he's able to cook with most anything Jessica brings home from the store.
But he said it's his wife's smart shopping that saves the family money.
"I really thought it would be harder," he said.
Willing to sacrifice
For some families, it doesn't take much number crunching to know when to save.
Meg and Paul Bremner, parents to Hank, 3, and Archie, 1, said they never wrote a budget.
"We
weren't naive to the cost," Meg Bremner said. "We just really wanted
kids, so we were willing to forgo some things that maybe some other
young married couples wouldn't."
The Bremners have cut back on summer vacations, cable, Internet and full-blown salon trips.
Meg, 29, also gets together with other parents to make baby food in bulk. And Archie wears cloth diapers.
Experience
raising Hank has helped make decisions for younger Archie. Meg said the
family splurged on a bounce seat with an iPod docking station, "then my
kid liked to sit in his $5 plastic pool."
They also made mistakes with groceries and toys, but have learned to focus on what matters most.
"The
goal for us is to raise our kids with access to the right things:
really nutritious food, healthy living and good education," she said.
And
part of that education is already under way -- the part where
3-year-old Hank manages his small monthly allowance. He gets $4, but
must give $1 each to his piggy bank, to his brother and to charity.
With his $1, he chose to pay a face painter at the East Nashville Farmers' Market last week.
"We actually want him to grow up knowing how to manage money," Bremner said. "Maybe one day he'll make a baby budget."