‘Bundles for babies’

Laura M. Levering/Northwest Guardian

Bills and stress. Everyone deals with them at some point, but even more so when children become a part of life.

More than a dozen parents, and parents- to-be, learned about the financial expenses and hardships involved with raising children during a “Bundles for Babies” class held at the Airman and Family Readiness Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, McChord Field.

“As you know, babies cost money, and it’s only just begun,” said Laila Christensen, community readiness consultant. “It’s a journey that’s going to last 18, 20, maybe even 25 years.”

Parents watched a video summarizing what it costs to raise a child from birth to 18 years. According to the presentation, diapers, formula and clothing amount to about $2,000 in just the first year. Baby’s bedroom adds another $500 to $5,000, depending on taste. Health-care costs vary greatly, as does day care, however, the video estimates child care costs range from $500 to more than $1,000 a month. The most costly issue for most? Taking time off.

“Very few people get any kind of paid maternity leave,” the video said. “You somehow have to come up with the money to support yourself (and your child) for those 12 weeks.”

Overall, the estimated cost of raising a single child can be $400,000, over a lifetime.

The good news is military families can expect to pay thousands less, said Jim Flammio, CRC and financial manager with the Air Force Aid Society.

“You recognize some of the expenses talked about in the video, and then put your military hat back on and say, ‘Wow, I don’t have to pay for that,’” Flammio said. “A lot of the expenses are things that you in the military don’t have to worry about, because your service to your country has provided that benefit to make up for it.”

For expenses not covered by the military, Flammio said understanding how to budget is key to having successful finances as parents. He advised families to break down and track where their money goes each month using a ledger process.

“It keeps you on top of your finances,” he said. “You know what you’ve paid and what you haven’t.”

Doing a budget analysis is also helpful. To have one, you must identify your income and living expenses.

“Look at what the life style you’re leading today costs, total it up, then compare that total with what you have out of your paycheck after deductions are taken,” Flammio said.

Many families find that they either need to decrease expenses or increase income.

Just as there will be times when it seems like there isn’t enough money, there will also be times that seem like there just aren’t enough hours in the day.

Vicki Lunghofer, a registered nurse with the New Parent Support Program, said how you spend your time can be just as important as how you spend your money.

“You have to remember to take time for yourself, because if you don’t meet your needs as a person, you’re not going to be able to meet your child’s needs,” Lunghofer said.

The AFRC has countless resources available to help parents with what to do after baby is born, and most of them are completely free.

“You don’t need to do it all by yourself,” Lunghofer said. “We all know at times we can get stressed out, and there is nothing wrong with getting help.”

Parents received a packet filled with information on health topics, parenting advice and resources available to them as members of the military community. They also went home with bundles of goodies consisting of sets of crib sheets, thermal blankets, clothing, burp cloths, handmade quilts and more.

“It’s always good to learn new things,” said Airman 1st Class Juan Quizhpe, 62nd AMXS Maintenance. “Your marriage goes through a lot, so it’s nice to learn a few different tricks to help each other out.”

He and his wife, Julie, have two toddlers and are expecting twins in September.

“We’re going from a family of four to six, so there will definitely be some changes, especially in our budget,” Julie said.

“No matter what statistics we put in front of you about raising a child, it’s a part of life,” Flammio said. “You can do what you want to do when you put your mind to it.”

For more information about Bundles for Babies, call 982-2695.