Your little bundle of joy can be quite the investment.

Bringing a child into the world is a beautiful thing, truly. Miracle of life, joy of parenthood, etcetera, etcetera. However, bringing a child into the world is also a very expensive thing. If you thought adopting a dog could get pricey, you’ve never had kids before. Babies require all sorts of specialized stuff, from safety apparatuses to food, and because the need for these things is so specialized, they can be prohibitively expensive. I hope you saved up a nest egg, because the first few years of your kid’s life are gonna run your ragged, financially speaking.

A baby requires a veritable galaxy of odds and ends in order to keep them safe, healthy, and happy. Just the act of eating necessitates several purchases, including, but not limited to, safety bowls, high chairs, bottles, and baby formula. Baby formula is actually valuable enough that they have to keep it locked up at the front desk in a grocery store, same as certain razor blades and electronics. One of the largest recurring expenses for new parents is diapers. Have you ever thought about how frequently you’d go to the bathroom if you had no sense of bowel control? Probably not, but you sure have now, and that’s why most parents buy diapers in bulk just to save a couple of bucks.

There’s also the all-important matter of medical care. Babies are soft and squishy, inside and out, so if they get sick or injured, they need to be cared for right away by proper pediatricians. Pediatric health is, at least, covered by most family insurance plans, but of course, family insurance plans are often a little pricier than individual adult plans.

Like I said, bringing a child into the world is a beautiful thing. Just make sure you’re absolutely ready for one financially, or it’s going to be a difficult few years. And that’s not even thinking about planning for college…