The Cost of Raising a Teenager

Our son Chase just turned 12 years old in August. We're one year away from having a teenager! Although lets be honest. He's been acting like a teenager for awhile now. And while the challenges of raising a teenager are many, there is one thing that frightens me most. The cost.

A new survey put the total cost of raising a teenager at around $37,000. That breaks down to an average of $6,000 a year, but some years are more expensive than others. The most expensive year was at age 16.

What does that $6,000 a year buy you? Birthday gifts and parties, trips and vacations, clothes, cell phone bill, insurance, spending money, and FOOD. Good lord all the extra food they eat! I know that Chase isn't a full fledged teenager yet because he doesn't eat constantly yet. He still kind of grazes throughout the day. But when he DOES go on an eating spree, he eats us out of house and home. It's a scary glimpse into the future.

The teenage years are coming whether we're ready or not. The REALLY scary though is when all three of my kids are in their teens. Can I start a Go Fund Me page for that?

[via Daily Mail]