Cost of Triathlons + Cost of new baby = ??

Spoiler alert...  Conclusion to my very valid study a triathlete costs about the same as a child!

The cost of housing a triathlete for 1 year:

Fuel (gels, sports drinks, etc.): $200 ( I actually don't spend that much here because I hate gels and sports drinks so I keep them to a minimum and try to supplement with natural foods)

Race Entry Fees: $250 - $600 (I've been there done that with the big name expensive races so I will be sticking with the cheaper lesser known brand names for any of my big races)


Extra cost in groceries: $250 - $500 (I actually don't spend too much extra here but that might be because I have a hard time learning how to taper my food intake when it's off season)


New gear: $300 - $3,000 (are you just buying new tubes, a new tri suite and some new goggles or do you need a new wheel set and a fancy helmet?)


Coach: ?  Nope not gonna happen on my budget (that's why I became level 1 USAT certified before training for my 1st IM so I could just train myself)  Ha!!

Travel Costs: $200 - $1,500 (I camp when I can, never fly, try to race close to home whenever possible, but if you do a half or full IM in a race year it will easily reach the upper end)

So I tend to be very cheap frugal and tend to sit on the low end of this but my guess is some of you out there could easily surpass the high end of this :-) $950 - $5,800

The Cost Of Raising A Child From Birth To Age 2

• Child birth: $8,000*
  
• Diapers for 2-1/2 years: $1,800 for cloth or $2,400 for disposable
  
• Breast milk or formula for first year: Breastfeeding up to $450, or around $2,000 for mid-priced formulas
  
• Commercial baby food second year:  $1,300
  
• Baby clothes: $912 for the first 2 years
  
• Childcare:  $8,000 -$12,000+ for 2 years
  

The total cost of having a baby in the first 2 years falls somewhere between $12,462 and $26,612. You can break this down to something like $500 to $1000 a month.
Yes, in the end, babies are perfectly manageable cost wise. A baby costs no more than a car payment in the first 2 years.
 http://pregnancy.thefuntimesguide.com/2009/01/cost_to_have_a_baby.php

If everything goes as planned I hope to spend about  $5,700 in the first year that's assuming there aren't any surprises with the cost of child birth and my parents actually do end up moving up here to help with child care (no pressure!!).  And btw who has a car payment that is 500-1,000 ?!??!!  I've never had a car payment over $200 but again I'm not a big spender...


So if you break it all down it looks like we will be able to afford at least 1 triathlete and 1 baby on 1 salary.  Now if hubs decides to start doing triathlons (which he might/or might not have threatened promised in the past) or that he really wants a 2nd child then we will need to have 2 salaries or we'll just have to pick one or the other.....  :-)

What do you think?  Am I totally off on my calculations?



On a side note I thought I'd share my new favorite product.  I went cold turkey when I got pregnant with both my beloved Diet Dr. Peppers and Caffeinated Teas so I found a slightly flavored carbonated water that has no artificial sweeteners and is all natural.  I LOVE IT!!!! Now don't get these if you are expecting something sweet.  It's like having soda water with a twist of Lime or whatever fruit flavor you pick. Which is enough for me not to get bored of plain water...