Raising a family is one of the things that makes life interesting. But due to the rising costs of living, most Canadian parents are finding it overwhelming to raise kids to 18. Things like food, clothing, diapers, and healthcare are the primary expenses for bringing up kids.
If you are planning to raise children in Canada, you should save some money for that and understand the commitments you’ll be subjecting yourself to as a parent. In this guide, we explore the costs of raising a kid in Canada to help you budget for the course.
Costs of Raising a Child in Canada 2019
On average, a Canadian parent would spend around CA$254,000 to raise a kid right from birth up to 18. It means that they spend approximately CA$13,000 every year on each child. We still expect these costs to rise in the coming years.
Here are the average costs of all the expenses you will likely incur when raising your kid, including diapers, food, transportation, clothing, school, personal care, and healthcare.
Cost of Food
It is no doubt that food is one of the essential expenses in Canada. A family of four can spend over CA$10,000 per year on food alone. However, such costs vary depending on the type of foods the family eats and the frequency of meals.
As a Canadian parent, you will spend approximately CA$1,800 every year on your kid’s food. However, this cost varies depending on the age of a child. As your kid grows, you will most likely spend more money on food compared to when they are younger.
Cost of Clothing
According to the latest report by Money Sense, the average price of clothing a child in Canada is around CA$874 per year. With the rising costs of living, Canadian parents will most likely spend more cash on clothing in future years.
As kids grow, the parents’ annual expenditure on clothing also increases. That’s because they grow out of their old clothes and will always need new ones. The kids will also engage in extracurricular activities that may require unique clothing like swimming costumes.
Cost of Diapers
While it is the only expense that diminishes as the kid grows, diapers are one of the most costly expenses for a new Canadian parent. On average, one would spend approximately CA$900 per year. However, the prices may vary from kid to kid and the type of diapers.
An average Canadian kid would use more than 2,700 diapers in the first twelve months after birth. A parent will need at least CA$550 for disposable diapers. Any new mom should budget between $550 and $1,000 for diapers in a year.
Cost of Schooling
Every year, Canadian parents spend over CA$1,000 on their kids’ education. As the child advances to other levels, the prices will also rise automatically based on the level of study. If that’s the case for a grade school, what do you think post-secondary education costs?
As a Canadian parent, you should start saving for your kids’ post-secondary education as early as today to avoid future inconveniences. Education savings plans like Heritage RESP can be of crucial relevance in this case.
Cost of Transportation
Canadian parents spend vast amounts of money on their kids’ transportation. In a year, a parent would spend approximately CA$2,152 on a child’s transportation. That doesn’t account for what parents spend on themselves when moving from place to place daily. In a year, an entire Canadian household spends more than CA$12,000 on transportation.
Cost of Personal Care
Personal care involves the expenses incurred on the kid’s items like toothbrush, body wash, shampoo, and other miscellaneous materials. On average, you will spend around CA$260 in a year on your child’s care. However, some kids might need more items than the estimate mentioned, making it even more costly.
Cost of Household
In this case, we look at the expenses Canadian parents incur when making adjustments on their household to accommodate kids. It might involve renovating the house or making some physical changes to add space for children. In a year, a Canadian parent would spend averagely CA$2,834 on household adjustments for their kids.
Cost of Healthcare
Healthcare expenses are the trickiest to anticipate as they vary depending on the child’s specific medical needs. It also depends on the parent’s lifestyle and health coverage. The estimated healthcare cost per kid is approximately CA$255 per year. You should open emergency savings account to keep funds for unforeseen medical expenses.
Final Words
If you’re expecting a kid soon, you should start cutting back your finances to save enough money for taking good care of your kids. Remember to budget as a parent, even if you’ve not got a baby yet. Finally, get rid of unnecessary expenses like the high-interest debts to increase your savings margin.
