Mar 25, 2009

Guest post at Get Rich Slowly

I have a guest post this morning over at Get Rich Slowly on the cost of having kids. You'd think I'd be prepared for the comments after my last guest post on The Drugstore Game but I have to admit, they still sting a bit. Fortunately, I know that regular CFO readers know that I don't regret having my kids - but that I'm also not one to shy away from the simple fact that having children has a big financial impact. Check it out and let me know what you think!

And if you're new to CFO from GRS, WELCOME! I hope you'll stick around, get to know me a little bit, and pick up some useful parenting, cooking and financial tips. You may want to read the introduction to Chief Family Officer or plunge right into the Best of CFO. And while you're here, sign up for the fabulous search and win site Swag Bucks and get 5 Swag Bucks to start, then enter this week's giveaway for two $5 Amazon.com gift certificates!

14 comments:

lbellomy said...

Good article, Cathy. I originally found your blog through your Drugstore Game post on GRS and have been a loyal reader ever since. I love your candor when discussing the responsibility of children. It seems easy to fall back on the "children are worth it, whatever the cost" sentiment. As someone who will probably have kids at some point in the next five years or so, this article helped me realize more aspects of that decision. Kudos!

Chief Family Officer said...

@Lauren - Thanks so much! And thank you for letting me know how you originally found CFO, I love knowing that :) I do think it's foolish blindness when people think that having kids will have no impact on their bottom line - it sounds like you'll have a great idea on what to expect when you become a parent!

Mr. Inspired said...

Just came over from GRS. I am glad to find your blog because as often as I agree with JD I also feel that his financial situation is starkly different than mine because we have a daughter. Hopefully I can get great information from you as well and apply JD's mantra, "Do what works for you." Thanks again, and keep up the great posts.

Chief Family Officer said...

@Massey - Welcome! I'm glad you've found CFO, and wholeheartedly agree with J.D.'s mantra as well. If there's something specific you'd like to see discussed, please let me know and I'll do my best :)

Camille said...

I love my kids and I don't regret having them one iota. But I, too, wish we had planned ahead a bit better when we were childless. I always TRY to tell my friends who haven't started a family yet to pay off debt, get money in the bank, and be at your job for at least a year and prove yourself invaluable before having kids.

I wish I'd had solid employment before kids so that I could have had something to go back to at least part time. I love being home, but our financial state would be just a tad easier with even a minor income from me.

We were in our 30s when we started a family (we married later) so we didn't want to put it off, but I should have been thinking ahead when I was single and had my affairs better in order! :-)

Kelly Whalen (CentsibleLife) said...

Cathy, I just found your site through GRS, and I'm excited to read more about your perspective.
I am a mom of 4, so I know just what you mean. :)

Our finances would be so different without kids, I've been staying at home (mostly) for 12 years!

I look forward to reading more.

Anonymous said...

Cathy, I enjoyed your article at GRS. I'm excited to find your blog. It is hard to find "working mom" blogs with this focus. I'm excited to read through your content!

Chief Family Officer said...

@Camille - You're doing great, though! We'll reach our financial goals eventually - it'll just take longer because we have more of them now :)

@Kelly & Carmen - Thank you so much! I look forward to hearing from you too :)

Meredith said...

You're one brave woman, Cathy!

After reading the pets-vs-children comments in an earlier GRS post, I was prepared to see a little debate, but what I didn't expect were caustic comments from the parent side.

You've established a smart, honest niche in the financial blogging world. I'm glad to see you hold your own with the big guys!

Anonymous said...

Great article on GRS! People talk about the costs of having kids but I rarely hear mention of the financial benefits of having children. I wonder if job security is better for those with dependants. And if we are good to our kids will they help us out financially in our old age should we ending up needing some kind of financial assistance? I remember a lot of kid's grandparents living with their children in the 1970s, as did mine. Surely the financial benefits of having children were not lost on those folks.

Anonymous said...

I'm here from GRS as well. Thanks for the sympathetic reply to my comment there.

Chief Family Officer said...

@Meredith - Thank you, my friend! I sent you an email.

@Julie - I actually don't think it's fair to my kids to expect them to take care of me, nor do I think it's wise - after all, what if something happened to them? Part of my post (mostly implied, probably) at GRS was explaining how difficult it is to balance EVERYthing - retirement savings, education savings, frugal but not too frugal lifestyle, etc.

@Ellen - I truly am sorry for the pain you endured (my own infertility was the darkest time of my life), but am very glad to see you here. I hope you'll stick around!

Meredith C. said...

I stumbled over from GRS where I appreciated the candor of your guest post. Never did I think you regret having children, but you are honest enough to speak to the realities of different stages of life. I don't have kids, but looked through your archives and have already found great tips that can apply to us non-kid folks. One thing I enjoy about these "financial" blogs is how they offer me a peek into others lives which often makes me appreciate my own life even more.

I look forward to learning more from you and your readers. Thanks. Meredith

Anonymous said...

Wow, I couldn't believe how much heat that particular post created! Seemed pretty innocuous to me. His blog must have a very different audience. It's interesting, how a blog develops a certain audience and response to one person's "voice". I'm an avid poster to a bulletin board for a hobby I love, but if you go to this one board on the same subject, I can't even get through one post without abandoning the board because of the nastiness going on. There were a lot of people who responded favorably to your post, too. GRS has a lot of readers, maybe some diversity there, and you get more controversy with more diversity. I think you should keep doing guest posts if asked, it's interesting.