What the f***???
Just yesterday I was stunned. I stood in SPAR (in my gym wear) and was sweating
(not from my recent run on the treadmill),
but because I was looking at the price of formula!!!
How is this even possible??? Can I go back to breastfeeding even though Minki just turned 2?
The bottle does say breastfeeding is best…
Then my phone beeps and the super cute school app says:
Minki’s Diapers Are Finished.
Turning to look at the diapers prices I nearly fainted
(and no Minki is not one of those (fortunate) kids who gets to wear premium diapers).
I always hated being constricted to something as pedantic as:
The one who shall not be named:
BUDGET!!!
If I see something pretty, I buy it (and I will sort out the small matter of no money later)…
When I shopped a lot, I would just eat less. And when I manage to avoid the shops I will eat some more. Or I would just wash my face with water for a month and save on facial wash and buy that ZARA dress!
You get the idea BUT THEN we had a baby…
Oops!
My perfect masterplan for
NOT HAVING TO LIVE ON A BUDGET =
KA – BOOOOOOM!
Because???
KIDS ARE EXPENSIVE.
KIDS = LESS MONEY.
That’s mildly put.
The more kids you have the poorer you will be.
It sounds harsh but here’s the facts:
• The government recently calculated that, for an average middle-income South African family, the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 years of age could reach up to…
R 1 681 470.*
Too many numbers for my anti-maths brain, so my husband did the maths:
Your child is likely to cost you R256 a day or R7 785 a month
(That’s a LOT of dresses)!
But wait there’s more…
Sending your child to private school from grade R to grade 12 in South Africa will cost you around
R3.7 million,
according to the City Press.**
If kiddo wants to pursue a tertiary education after school, that’s going to cost a bit more – with the report stating that a three-year BA degree is priced between
R190,000 and R470,000.
2 (VERY GOOD) REASONS TO NOT HAVE KIDS:
1. You will go broke
(Unless you raise a little Federer or Bill Gates)
2. You will always be financially responsible for them
(sorry Dad)!
But then my little buddy curls up on my chest and says with a heavenly sleepy smile: 
“Minki by Mamma doedoe…”
When I cry, she pats my back and says:
“Mamma het eina, pleister opsit !”
She keeps me on my knees –
Always looking for dummies & Praying for her…
***
She gets me all excited about little stuff, like seeing the stars peeking through the night sky.
I get to LIVE AGAIN –
experience LIFE again –
Through her…
And then all the numbers and maths disappear…
ITS TRULY PRICELESS.
Stay Stylish (and try to budget)!
XOXO
Helene (and Minki)
*According to a recent Huggies study.
** The City Press calculated the figure based on a child who starts school in 2016 and leaves matric in 2028.
***Stationery, uniform, and boarding costs were included in the figure, with the annual schools fees based on the rates of a private school in Johannesburg.
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