Last updated 7/6/2015 with data through 4/11/2015 (Date of Birth)
Thinking of children in terms of financial burden is probably not the most romantic of notions, yet the potential cost should be at least understood when deciding to start a family
The USDA estimates that for a child born in 2013, the average US family will spend $245,340 by the time the child reaches 18 years of age, which doesn’t include the cost of college. This breaks down roughly to $1,000/month (Source)
Using similar expense categories as the USDA*, on this Page I’ll report our own actual costs for raising GCCjr from Age -1 to Age 18.
I will not attempt to capture any cost savings, such as reduced alcohol consumption, more meals at home, an evolving concept of “entertainment”, etc… Nor will I estimate the cost of items we received for free (gifts from friends, family, etc…) These are our actual expenses
We are not an average family, and our expenses will not be average. But what will we spend? Does Early Retirement significantly reduce the out of pocket expenses of raising a family? I would think so, but it will be interesting and educational to find out
Total expenses through childbirth, $5,964. Including IVF, total expenses were $13,044
Cost of Raising a Child
IVF – $7,080
| In vitro fertilization | Full details here | |
|---|---|---|
| IVF Expenses | $5,502 | All expenses, including freezing embryos and sperm for potential future use |
| Male contribution to IVF Expenses | $855 | due to previous vasectomy |
| Chinese Medicine | $723 | herbs from pregnancy specialist |
| Total IVF Expenses | $7,080 |
Pregnancy – $5,332
| USDA Budget Categories | Aug 2014 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | $37 | Housekeeping: $37 (1 wks) |
| Healthcare | $106 | Home pregnancy tests: $22 Miscarriage scare: :( Dr visit (clinic): $27 Emergency Room: $37 IVF Dr visit: $20 |
| Transportation | $24 | Taxi RT to clinic: $8 Taxi RT to Emergency Room: $6 Taxi RT to IVF Dr: $10 |
| Misc | $9 | Book, What to Expect When You're Expecting : $9 |
| Total | $176 | Full Aug 2014 Expense Report |
| Total to date | $176 |
| USDA Budget Categories | Sept 2014 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | $146 | Housekeeping: $146 (4 wks) |
| Healthcare | $318 | Prenatal Vitamins : $99Chinese Medicine: $96 IVF Dr visit: $96 Birth Dr visit: $27 |
| Transportation | $19 | Taxi RT to IVF Dr: $11 Taxi RT to Dr: $8 |
| Misc | $4 | Painting class cancellation fee: $4 |
| Total | $487 | Full Sept 2014 Expense Report |
| Total to date | $663 |
| USDA Budget Categories | Oct 2014 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | $181 | Housekeeping: $181 (5 wks) |
| Healthcare | $185 | Raw Prenatal Multivitamins: $47 Vitamineral Green  : $69Belly Butter  : $30Dr visit: $20 Dr visit: $20 |
| Transportation | $21 | Taxi RT to Dr: $10 Taxi RT to Dr: $11 |
| Clothing | $161 | Pregnancy clothing: $161 (jeans, etc..) |
| Total | $548 | Full Oct 2014 Expense Report |
| Total to date | $1,211 |
| USDA Budget Categories | Nov 2014 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | $108 | Housekeeping: $108 (3 wks) |
| Healthcare | $705 | Genetic Testing: $686 Dr visit: $20 |
| Transportation | $8 | Taxi RT to Genetics lab: $8 |
| Clothing | $81 | Pregnancy clothing: $81 |
| Misc | $105 | Snoogle !: $105 |
| Total | $1,007 | Full Nov 2014 Expense Report |
| Total to date | $2,218 |
| USDA Budget Categories | Dec 2014 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | $106 | Housekeeping: $106 (3 wks) |
| Healthcare | $135 | 3 Hour Extensive Ultrasound: $125 Pregnancy diabetes test: $10 |
| Transportation | $2 | Bus RT to Ultrasound Dr: $2 |
| Clothing | $145 | Winter jacket: $105 Maternity Support Belt  : $40 |
| Total | $388 | Full Dec 2014 Expense Report |
| Total to date | $2,606 |
| USDA Budget Categories | Jan 2015 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | $174 | Housekeeping: $174 (5 wks) |
| Healthcare | $9 | Dr visit: $9 |
| Clothing | $42 | Pregnancy clothes: $42 |
| Total | $226 | Full Jan 2015 Expense Report |
| Total to date | $2,832 |
| USDA Budget Categories | Feb 2015 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | $158 | Housekeeping: $105 (3 wks) Housekeeper CNY bonus: $54 |
| Healthcare | $219 | Birth supplies (absorbent pads, etc.): $93 Massage: $84 Supplements: $18 Dr visit & ultrasound: $16 Little Tummys Gas Relief Drops  : $8 |
| Transportation | $17 | Taxi RT to photo shoot: $10 Walk to Dr Visit: $0 Bus/Taxi to Massage: $4 Taxi from Ikea: $3 |
| Food | $0 | Just what mama eats |
| Clothing | $348 | Clothes for birth to 9 months, 80% off from MyHabit: $293 Pregnancy / breastfeeding clothes: $55 |
| Misc | $744 | Maternity photo shoot: $285 Ikea (sleeping pad, play area): $140 Baby soap: $31 Mandarin children's books: $28 Amazon.com Total: $260 Diaper Bag  : $55Muslin Blanket  : $54Hand Blender  : $38Diaper Changing Station  : $24Sophie the Giraffe  : $20Muslin Burpy Bibs  : $19Bib and Silicone Spoon Set  : $18Book, Good Night Teddy: $14 Book, Peek-A-Boo Forest  : $12Spoon  : $5 |
| Total | $1,485 | Full Feb 2015 Expense Report |
| Total to date | $4,317 |
| USDA Budget Categories | Mar 2015 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | $140 | Housekeeping: $140 (4 wks) |
| Healthcare | $90 | Chinese Medicine: $40 Dr visits (x3): $32 (walk to all 3) Life's DHA Omega-3  : $19 |
| Clothing | $72 | Breastfeeding clothes: $72 |
| Misc | $92 | Swaddle Blankets : $36Baby wrap: $22 Baby bathtub: $17 Baby book: $13 Baby bottle: $4 |
| Total | $394 | |
| Total to date | $4,711 |
| USDA Budget Categories | Apr 2015 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | $110 | Housekeeping: $110 (3 wks) |
| Healthcare | $10 | Dr visits: $10 (walk) |
| Misc | $502 | Stroller & Carseat : $492Baby hat: $9 |
| Total | $621 | |
| Total to date | $5,332 |
Childbirth – $632
| Childbirth | Full details here | |
|---|---|---|
| Childbirth | $1,096 | All expenses, including 3 nights private hospital room, epidural, Doctor |
| Baby medical care | $182 | heart eval, paperwork, Dr fees |
| Government incentive rebate | $-646 | Paid to Taiwan citizens to encourage population growth |
| Total Childbirth Expenses | $632 |
Year 1
(April – present)
* USDA Categories: Housing, Food, Transportation, Clothing (includes diapers), Health Care, Childcare & Education, Misc (Entertainment, Personal Care, Reading Materials)
You are such an Inspiration to me! I’m also thinking of moving to Taiwan when I retire. Do you know how much preschool and kindergarden is? My cousin lives in Taipei and said it cost $800 US a month! Is this true?
He said the public schools are all overbooked so you have to go private.
Hi Steven
I don’t know, we having looked at any schooling prices here. But clearly not everybody goes to private school
If you want to go to a bilingual kindergarten, it costs 5 to 600 dollars a month. An international kindergarten costs double that. A public kindergarten costs probably 100 dollars. A couple in your situation could just do what I am doing and keep the kid out of school until they are 6. At that point, they start elementary school. The private education is overpriced for the results achieved. The public kindergartens are over subscribed and basically baby sitters. Lived in New Taipei City for 8 years.
Edd, those are crazy prices for people in Taiwan who on average make around $1000 US dollars a month.
My cousin said if one parent quits work and takes care of baby, it will be hard for him or her to get back his job when he tries to come back to work. Also you lose 1 income.
How do others survive on just 1 income?
You said kindergartens are over subscribed. So does that means most people can’t get their kids into public kindergarten?
The average wage for someone who is at the age of having a child would be a little bit more than that in Taipei. Not much more though. I haven’t tried to get my daughter into a government run public kindergarten, but I was told previously that there are waiting lists and unless you are from a low income family, you would struggle. You are right that the cost is incredibly high. In many cases, one of the wages does not much more than cover kindergarten costs. Families do it because like you say, they don’t want to lose their position in a company. So many kids are put in kindergarten at 2 years old, dropped at school early, picked up late and spend a lot of time with the grandparents while parents work. After they get to elementary school, they join homework schools which cost about 300 a month. Some families can’t afford it even if both parents work. In that situation, the kid stays at home with Grandma until age 5 to 6. The amount of money they pay is crazy. A lot of families can only do it with handouts from parents or by living with parents. Three generations under one roof.
There are a lot of rich people here too.
Hi GCC, Can I ask what your plan is once your son comes of full time school age? Will you home school? I’ve come across your blog a few times and I’m always very intrigued by it and your families lifestyle. I have on more than one occasion or nearing the end of a vacation complained “I was not meant to live my life in an office and why can’t I win the lotto.” Now more than ever I see that we are more likely to make our own success than waiting around for those 6 magic numbers to appear. But we have recently adopted a toddler (our first child) and would be curious how this nomadic lifestyle works while adding children into the equation. Thanks !
We’ll probably home school, but we aren’t committed to any path.
If we do decide to be full time road scholars, I’ll seek out some bloggers so we can embrace and extend. There are many with thriving children doing exactly this. Another reader sent this link but there are hundreds. (Thousands?)
I am also planning on traveling–having a laptop lifestyle and homeschooling/world schooling. Some great homeschooling FB groups are (hip-homeschool moms, the relaxed homeschool, The Easy Peasy Homeschool) By the way, Easy Peasy homeschool is all free and starts at pre-K and goes through graduation. It is amazing and they have links for other free sights too!! I hope to come across your amazing family when we begin our freedom lifestyle!!
Melissa
Awesome, thanks for the site suggestions. It is really amazing how many resources are available.
Look us up when you hit the road!
I just saw this article while searching for something else. Your post is right on, Jeremy. You might be reassured with our experience of raising a child, who is a sprightly 10-year old now. Cost details here: http://tenfactorialrocks.com/raise-a-child-not-a-fortune/