Usually, when a relative has a baby, you expect to incur the cost of going to the hospital with a few balloons, flowers and maybe a gift of some baby clothes.
This past weekend, my sister was the proud new mother of a baby girl! This is my sister’s first child so everybody very happy for her and her husband, especially my kids (and my son in particular). Since my sister was a rookie at this, and we were the last in the family to have a child, my wife told my sister that she would be willing to help my sister out. My sister wisely took my wife up on her offer, so off my wife when down to stay the night this week!
So I decided to go over the numbers as a fun exercise to determine what the costs were for my sister having a baby this past Saturday…
Here is what I came up with:
| Balloons | $10.00 | ||
| Baby Clothes | $10.00 | ||
| Flowers | $20.00 | ||
| Travel Gas Money | $97.00 | ||
| Eating out kids | $47.00 | ||
| Eating out wife? | ?? | ||
| $184.00 | |||
What have I been doing in this process? I’ve taken over the responsibilities of my wife for the week of getting my kids off to school, and running the typically soccer taxi service duties.
How did I do?
Rocky at first (we missed the bus by the tiniest of margins the first day), but since the first day, everything has gone as smooth as ice (literally)! Luckily, my boss being the great guy that he is, let me work the past few days from home!
How are things going?
The last few days has been a wear on my wife, she sounds more and more weak when she calls to check to see how things are flowing up here…
For the kid, it almost like a mini-vacation! I purposely let things go a little slack, and we’ve been playing more games together while my wife has been gone. I honestly think to some degree they are both enjoying this change… I have too, to a degree.
But, I’ll be glad when my wife is back! 🙂
Have any of you ever been side swiped by an hidden expense that you don’t anticipate like mine?
-D
Love this! I never thought about it this way. I knew babies can be expensive, but not when they aren’t your own. 🙂 Congrats on the new baby in the family!
.-= Mrs. Money´s last blog ..Why it’s Frugal to Live in Alabama =-.
Hidden costs… who cares… YOU ARE DEBT FREE!!! and life is great!
Congratulations to you and your sister!
.-= LeanLifeCoach´s last blog ..Health Care For Kids When You Can’t Afford It =-.
@Mrs Money
Welcome to the site!
We’re excited about the newest member in our family tree! My sister is in her early twenties and very active with sports. I think at first she was regretting the decision this early in her life, but now that the baby is born she’s incredible excited!
@LeanLifeCoach
Yes, in the grand scheme of life, it is but a small price to pay! My sister is going well, and the baby is health and beautiful.
Now to focus on the wealth building phase! With my sister having her baby right before me paying off my last payment on the house, some of the thunder was robbed. How dare my sister have her baby before my house was paid off! What was she thinking!!! (LOL) 🙂
Why is it always like that? I wonder if we’re gonna play good cop-bad cop when/if we have kids 😀 (maybe a decade from now… and obviously I’ll play the honourable bad cop). I remember my dad was the one who let me eat more chocolate ice cream.
Congrats with the niece and your debt free life!
.-= Bytta@151DaysOff´s last blog ..Day 19: How to Pay Off Your Mortgage in Record Time =-.
@Bytta@151DaysOff
LOL, yeah, when you have a 6 year old, and don’t want to set off a trigger where she’ll cry for hours… You do what you have to do! Luckily, she’s going through a phase where Daddy is great for the last few weeks… She’s make me smile, so clever and cute!!!
Life is good right now, I’m basking in the sun for a second or 2 before I start the arduous swim to shore (financial independence)…
Good luck on paying off your house early, the path you are following is the one we followed!
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂