Surprisingly, the title isn’t a reference to one of my recent shopping purchases, (baby will be just like mom with his Old Skools) Instead, the title is referring to an article in a recent issue of Newsweek.

In brazen bold print, the article warns: Having a Baby is the Ultimate Money Pit. Interrrresting.
Having done my fair share of research over the years as a preface to this meticulously planned pregnancy, the article doesn’t reveal much new information. If anything, I think it’s a regurgitation of various literature I’ve read else where, only updated.

Cliff’s Notes version of the article: Babies are expensive. Hence, the reason why many couples like us made the decision to “wait longer to marry and have children…”

Of course, it’s always different strokes for different folks. I know many people wince their noses upon the revelation of our urban living situation with baby. “What? A 1br apartment? How will you guys do that?”
I don’t know, the same way the millions of other urban dwellers have done it for decades! We’ll deal.

From what I gather, society dictates that a couple should own a home before having a family. In the real world, especially ours, where affordability, unexpected reporting assignments and 2 hour commutes are thrown into the mix, we must dictate our own path. That path often includes even more meticulous planning where expenses and lifestyle transitions ultimately rule. And that includes expensive walk up apartments vs. grassy green pastures of suburbia (for now.)

Even though I’m not quite a mom yet, I consider myself a feverish planner and educated consumer, who also happens to be married to a perpetual analyst and merchandise planner — perhaps not the exact audience this article was geared. As with everything else in life, we’ll no doubt have those unplanned and over the top expenses. At this stage in life, we’ve learned to leave room for error.

While we’ll never have a nanny lined up or probably ever have the luxury to comfortably survive on a single income, I can assure you that Baby B. will never be cataloged as a money pit.

…more like, the ultimate investment.