A couple with children spends about $60 more a month in groceries than a couple with no kids.
That doesn’t sound like all that big a differential. The data comes from Bundle.com post, which makes the case that having kids isn’t as expensive as you’d first think:
Above, I’m just looking at December food spending, where married people with kids in the $75,000 to $100,000 income category have spent about $60 more on groceries than married people without kids — which is not so much more. Overall, in 2009, married people with kids spent about 14 percent more on everything, total (not including mortgage and rent), compared to married people without kids.
Having kids would be even less expensive if it wasn’t for that damned Tooth Fairy. Payouts per bicuspid and molar now average $2.13, per a recent survey. That’s up 13% from the previous year. Doesn’t the Tooth Fairy know about the economic crisis?