Slide 1

This presentation will take you through the experience of raising a child for one year through the eyes of a single parent, Laura, and all the successes as well as downfalls that she went through. Slide 2 Introducing: Zoey Karabin H e y t h e r e ! I m L a u r a G a r c i a a n d I h a v e r e c e n t l y r e c e i v e d t h e b l e s s i n g ( a n d c u r s e ) o f a n e w b o r n c h i l d. A f t e r m u c h d e b a t e, t h e f a t h e r a n d I d e c i d e d t o n a m e h e r Z o e y, a f t e r h i s s i s t e r w h o d i e d i n a p l a n e c r a s h. S h e i s h a l f C u b a n a n d h a l f U k r a n i a n, w i t h a s m i l e t h a t w i l l l i g h t u p a n e n t i r e r o o m. T o m y d i s m a y, h o w e v e r, m y p a r e n t s a n d e n t i r e f a m i l y d i s o w n e d m e a n d r e f u s e d t o b e a p a r t o f m i n e o r m y b a b y s l i f e. M y b o y f r i e n d s p a r e n t s, u p o n f i n d i n g o u t a b o u t m y p r e g n a n c y, f o r c e d h i m t o m o v e t o G e r m a n y a n d l i v e w i t h t h e m. I a m n o w s c a r e d, h e l p l e s s, a n d e n t i r e l y o n m y o w n. Slide 3 M y p a r e n t s d i d n o t w a n t m e t o l e a v e t h e h o u s e e m p t y - h a n d e d, a n d l e t m e t a k e t h r e e t h i n g s f r o m t h e h o u s e t h a t I m a y n e e d. S o, n a t u r a l l y, I t o o k t h e m o s t e x p e n s i v e a m e n i t i e s. I d e c i d e d t o t a k e w i t h m e t h e w a s h e r / d r y e r c o m b i n a t i o n ( t h e y b o t h w o r k a s o n e a p p l i a n c e ), t h e b e d r o o m s e t, a n d t h e s o f a. H a v i n g m y b a b y w a s t h e f i r s t s t e p i n t h e p r o c e s s o f r a i s i n g Z o e y. I w a s n o w h o m e l e s s, b u t a g o o d f r i e n d o f m i n e r e f e r r e d m e t o a l a n d l o r d o f a l o c a l a p a r t m e n t c o m p l e x c a l l e d C l o v e r l e a f G a r d e n s. T h e a p a r t m e n t s s e e m e d s p a c i o u s e n o u g h f o r t h e p r i c e s t h e y w e r e l o o k i n g f o r, s o I s i g n e d t h e p a p e r w o r k a n d m o v e d i n r i g h t a w a y. Seeing as my clerk typist and customer service job for a local tire company only gives me about $24,000 a year, I had to go for the cheapest apartment in the complex. In this economy, however, cheap is never cheap enough. I now have to pay $810 a month in rent plus a deposit of 1 and months rent with all the utilities included. Lets do the math. $1,215 initial deposit + $810/mo x 12 mo = $10, 935 per year in rent Time to Move Out Slide 4 Walmart, Here We Come! I decided to go to a nearby Walmart to shop for all the necessities I needed for my apartment. I bought: Viore 19'' Class 720p 60Hz HDTV LCD DVD Combo, LCD19VH65 $198.00 Pub Table, Black and Chrome w/ Air Lift Adjustable Stools $159.00 Royal Indigo 38- Piece Dinnerware Set $16.00 Progressive International Microwave Rice Cooker $8.95 Haier MWG7036R W 0.6- Cubic-Foot, 700-Watt Microwave, White $55.00 In total, I spent:$556.95 Graco - Lauren 4-in-1 Convertible Crib, Espresso $120.00 Slide 5 Bills, Bills, Bills Even though the utilities are included in my apartments rent, I still have to pay the electric bill! Yikes! Above is an account summary of what my parents pay every month for our familys electric bill. (See included copy of entire bill) Time to do more math! $163/mo divided by 7 people living in my house= $23.29 per person $23.29 x 2 (me and the baby) = $46.58 a month $46.58/mo x 12 = $558.96 a year Slide 6 Time to Find a Babysitter My hours at work are beyond ridiculous. I work two shifts: one from 6 am-10 am at the office 15 miles away, and another from 3 pm-7 pm at the office in Woodbridge. It was hard work to find a babysitter that has such flexible hours, and a semi-reasonable price range, but I finally found the one! Her name is Theresa, she is free from Monday- Friday from 12 am- 12 am, which is great in case I need a last-minute sitter. She charges $10- $15 per hour, so I will assume that she will charge roughly $12.50 an hour. She also lives nearby, and has 2 years of experience! (See included babysitter report). $12.50 per hour x 8 hours a day x 5 days a week= $500 a week $500/wk x 12 mo. = $6,000 a year in babysitting Slide 7 Transportation M y w o r k s c h e d u l e a n d g a s p r i c e s h a v e p u t a h u g e h o l e i n m y p o c k e t, s i n c e I t r a v e l o n a v e r a g e 2 0 0 m i l e s p e r w e e k f o r w o r k, a n d g e t 5 7 8 m i l e s p e r g a l l o n. S i n c e i t c o s t s $ 2. 2 0 p e r g a l l o n, I w i l l p a y $ 1, 2 7 2 a y e a r i n g a s. I n c l u d i n g $ 5 0 i n t o l l s, i n t o t a l, I w i l l p a y $ 1, 3 2 2 a y e a r i n g a s. I f y o u h a v e n t a d d e d u p a l l t h e s e c o s t s y e t, I o n l y h a v e $ 5, 1 8 4. 0 4 l e f t i n m y y e a r l y s a l a r y a n d I s t i l l h a v e n t p a i d f o r i n s u r a n c e, l a u n d r y, c l o t h e s, o r e v e n c a b l e ! Slide 8 Car Insurance I really needed car insurance, so I figured the cheapest company would be Progressive. It turns out Im going to pay $117.03 a month with the basic package. (See included Car Insurance Quote). $117.03/mo. X 12 = $1,404.36 a year for car insurance Slide 9 Mommy Needs to Eat, too! I decided to pay $25 for a Costco Membership in hopes of reducing the cost of baby formula, and shopped at Shoprite for my food. Heres my meal menu for the week. Weekly Menu: -Mondays Breakfast: Honey Bunches of Oats and Milk -Mondays Lunch: Ham and Cheese Sandwich -Mondays Dinner: Spaghetti -Tuesdays Breakfast: Banana -Tuesdays Lunch: Progresso Soup -Tuesdays Dinner: 5 Chicken Nuggets and french fries -Wednesdays Breakfast: Toast and Butter -Wednesdays Lunch: Spaghetti -Wednesdays Dinner: Ramen noodles -Thursdays Breakfast: Cheerios and Milk -Thursdays Lunch: Progresso Soup -Thursdays Dinner: White Rice and beans, and a Fried Egg -Fridays Breakfast: Apple and Yogurt -Fridays Lunch: Quesedilla -Fridays Dinner: Chicken nuggets and White Rice -Saturdays Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs and Glass of Milk -Saturdays Lunch: Canned Tuna, and Crackers -Saturdays Dinner: White Rice and Fried Chicken -Sundays Breakfast: Honey Bunches of Oats + Milk -Sundays Lunch: Grilled Cheese Sandwhich -Sundays Dinner: Steak and White Rice The costs of this meal plan will be detailed in the next slide. Slide 10 Costs of Adult Food $3.99 Price $3.69 Price $3.99 Price $3.06 Price $1.00 Price $0.79 Price $1.89 Price $1.99 Price $2.50 Price $1.19 Price $2.29 Price $0.22 Price $3.49 Price $1.00 Price $1.99 Price $0.56 Price $0.69 Price $1.99 Price 4/ $5.00 Price $8.99 Price $4.99 Price Total Cost of Adult Food: $1,192.43 a year Slide 11 Formula Zoey wont grow teeth until she is close to a year old. When that occurs I will give her healthy foods such as apples, yogurt, and other finger foods as a supplement to her formula feeding. On average, a baby should drink about 10,950 ounces of baby formula a year. 24 ounces of powdered formula yields 185 ounces of liquid. Therefore, I must buy about 1,421 ounces worth of powdered formula each year. Kirkland Signature Infant Formula w/Iron 2/25.7 oz $19.79 This includes about 51 ounces of powder. I need to buy at least 28 of these two-packs a year to yield roughly 1,425 ounces of powdered formula. $19.79 x 28 per year = $554.12 in baby formula/ yr. Slide 12 Diapers and Bottles Huggies Diapers LeakLock protection, Large Adjustable Fasteners $49.99 This was bought at Costco, and includes 258 diapers inside. The baby must use 1,825 diapers per year. Thus, one must buy at least 8 boxes of diapers to reach the 1,825 diaper limit. MAM - Girls' 9-oz Bottles, 3-Pack, BPA Free $12.96 These bottles were bought at Walmart. The pack includes 3 bottles, and one must purchase 24 bottles a year. Therefore, one must buy 8 of these packs a year. $49.99 X 8 = $399.92 a year in diapers.$12.95 X 8 = $103.60 a year in bottles Slide 13 More Bills! T a l k i n g o n t h e p h o n e w i t h b o y s i s w h a t g o t m e i n t o t h i s m e s s, b u t n o n e t h e l e s s I n e e d t o h a v e a c e l l p h o n e i n o r d e r f o r m e t o b e c o n n e c t e d t o t h e o u t s i d e w o r l d. I figured Id go with Verizon Wirelesses' basic nationwide plan, where I get 450 minutes and only have to pay $39.99 a month. $39.99/mo x 12 = $479.88 a year Slide 14 Clothes for Baby Babies are constantly dirtying their clothes, so it was necessary for me to stock up on onesies and outfits. Time for another visit to Walmart! Gerber - Assorted Short-Sleeve Onesies, 5-Pack $9.88 Child of Mine by Carter's - Newborn Girls' Fleece Tunic and Pants $8.00 Garanimals - Baby Girls' Fleece Top and Pants Set $8.00 Child of Mine by Carter's - Newborn Girls' Fleece Pleat Tunic and Pants $8.00 Faded Glory - Baby Girls' Velour Heart Tunic and Knit Leggings $8.50 Disney - Toddler Girls' Sweet Princesses Sneakers $12.00 Disney - Toddler Girls' Tinker Bell Wonder Sneakers $12.00 Toddler Girls' Cars Love Sneakers $10.00 $25.00$12.00$3.35 $5.94 Just One Year Fancy Cuff Socks 6-pk. - Pink (0-9 mos.) $6.99 Onesies: $9.88 x 3 = $29.64 Outfits: $32.50 x 9= $292.50 Coats: $37.00Shoes: $34 Hats: $9.29 Socks: $6.99x2= $13.98 Total Price of Clothes for the year: $416.41 Slide 15 Clothes for Mommy No Boundaries - Stretch Cotton String Bikini Panties, 5-Pack $6.94 L.e.i. - Women's Tweed High-Heel Mary Janes $13.00 Danskin Now - Women's Becca Sneakers $9.00 Hanes - Women's Assorted Athletic Socks, 12 Pairs $12.00 Faded Glory - Women's Bubble- Sleeve Top $4.00 George - Women's Sleeveless Shift Dress $16.00 Faded Glory - Women's Denim Ranger Skirt $7.00 Total Price of Clothing: $67.88 Slide 16 Health Insurance I decided that NJ Family Care was the best health insurance to choose. Based on my income, I must pay $40 a month in health insurance, plus co- pays. (See included chart taken from the NJ Family Care website) $40/mo x 12 mo + $100 co-pay = $580 a year in health insurance. Slide 17 Laundry Since I should do about 104 loads of laundry a year, I figured it would be best to buy a huge 32 pound bucket of laundry at Costco for only $13.96. $13.96 Super Concentrated Powder Laundry Detergent, 200 Wash loads Price of laundry per year: $13.96 Slide 18 Cable I use the internet at work, and feel it would be more efficient to use the computers at the Woodbridge Library if I need to do some internet surfing. That way, Zoey can skim through a book or two! However, I definitely need TV to keep her busy when her toys just cant get the job done. My apartment is cable ready, therefore I wont have to pay an installation fee. I decided to choose Comcast as my cable company, and their basic package costs $29.99 a month for the first 6 months, then $84.55 for the next 6 months. Total Price of Cable: $29.99 x 6 + $84.55 x 6 = $687.24 a year Slide 19 Merry Christmas Zoey! Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Baby's First Blocks $8.50 Infantino - Plush Jungle Friends $9.50 Sassy - Baby's First Sounds Book Set $9.50 Sassy - Caterpillar and Friends Mobile $9.98 $10.00 Vtech - Soft Song Phone Vtech - Sing & Learn Musical Microphone $10.00 Vtech - Sing and Jam Band $10.00 Total Spent: $67.48 Slide 20 Total Spending for the Year: Rent: $10, 935 Furniture: $ 556.95 Electric: $ 558.96 Babysitter: $6,000 Gas/Transportation: $1,322 Car Insurance: $1,404.36 Adult Food: $1,192.43 Formula: $554.12 Diapers and Bottles: $503.52 Phone: $479.88 Baby Clothes: $416.41 Adult Clothes: $ 67.88 Health Insurance: $580 Laundry: $13.96 Cable: $ 687.24 Costco Membership: $25 Christmas Gifts For Zoey: $67.48 Total Amount Spent: $25,364.83 Slide 21 Conclusion Having a baby not only meant being broke, but it meant having to make serious sacrifices. Since I went over my yearly budget by $1,064.83, (Including the $300 I received from my baby shower), I realized that I really could not afford to go out to dinner, movies, or anything of that sort. I was also extremely distant from my friends since I spent 8 hours of my day working and the rest of the day taking care of my child. This alienation proved beneficial, however, since I did not have to worry about buying Christmas or Birthday gifts for them! Since my family disowned me and left me on my own, I figured there was no point in going into deeper debt from having to buy them gifts, either. Another thing I had to sacrifice from obtaining this first year was a savings account. In order to have this account, I would have to starve myself, deprive myself of television, and live in a cardboard box, three things I just could not bring myself to do. This project was definitely an eye-opener since it showed me how difficult and practically impossible it is to raise a child on your own while working two shifts and having a ridiculously low income. The 15 hours it took in total to do this project are probably nothing compared to how difficult it is to raise a real child, but they were probably just as stressful. Making ends meat is hard work, and a few hours of pleasure is not worth the several years of hard work, depression, and poverty that results from it. Abstinence is definitely the best way to prevent such a terrible situation. Slide 22 The End