Hello everyone! I'm completely exhausted today. Yesterday was a very long day. I woke up at 5:30 in the morning and drove RB40Jr and his teammates to a debate competition in Silverton, Oregon (about an hour's drive away). Then Ms. RB40 and I went on a 4-hour hike in Silver Falls State Park. Unfortunately, I forgot my hiking poles and got completely blown over on the trail. We then visited the Benedictine Brewery in Mount Angel and sampled stout, cider and meatballs. We had a great time at the brewery but had to walk around the seminary for about an hour before I could drive home. Those dark beers are strong! The campus is really beautiful and quiet. I rested at home for a few hours and then drove back to Silverton at 9pm to pick up the RB40Jr. The team went to DQ to celebrate, and a “mildly” lactose intolerant kid tried a blizzard and spent 20 minutes in the bathroom. At 10pm, DQ staff finally kicked us out. We didn't get home until 11pm. Oh, it's been a long day for all of us.
Hence the reason for a short blog post today. I'm tired and have nothing to write about. Today I’m going to share the cost of raising a high school freshman. RB40Jr is a great kid. He's smart, athletic, and super frugal. However, raising a teenager at home today is still quite expensive. Let me share some of his expenses during the first quarter of his freshman year.
- new glasses – $350. He broke his glasses while playing football at school. I tried repairing my glasses with JB Weld but had no success. We had to buy a new pair of glasses immediately so we went to a local store. They made the lenses in a few hours and sold a pair of beautiful glasses for $350. We got a $100 refund from insurance. This was the second pair of shoes he had broken while playing football. His head is like a magnet, attracting footballs.
- spare glasses – USD 95. I learned from this experience and got a spare pair of glasses from Warby Parker. It's much cheaper when you don't need it immediately.
- Debate club fees – $270. Wow, that's not cheap. But I think it's worth it. Speech and Debate is a great club. RB40Jr learned a lot and he performed well in the game. His team won 3-1 yesterday. Well done, kids! Public speaking is a great skill.
- A set of adult suits – $0! The RB40Jr has outgrown the boys' suit he bought from Target. I think we have to buy him a new set of clothes. Luckily, my old suit fit him almost perfectly. He's a little skinny for this outfit, but he'll be getting fuller in no time. I'm glad we haven't had to buy him new clothes yet. Children grow up so fast. He wore the suit to debate competitions.
- Autumn Ultimate Frisbee – $85.
- ultimate team jersey – $20.
- ultimate glove – $14.
- ultimate tournament – $40. He competed in the Halloween tournament. Our team performed well, winning three out of four games.
- adidas anti-slip shoes – $25. He can no longer fit into his old shoes. These adidas cleats work great and are pretty cheap. I think the normal price is around $50.
- jujitsu – $100/month. RB40Jr retired from martial arts this summer and started jiu-jitsu. Martial arts is good, but I think jiu-jitsu is more useful. Martial arts is primarily about form and performance. No contact. It's like gymnastics. His next step is to sign up for private lessons and compete in martial arts competitions. However, the price is too expensive. I believe it costs about $600 per month plus travel expenses. This is a significant investment of money and time. Jiu-jitsu is a better sport because kids can practice it in the gym. It's also more practical. RB40Jr loves jiu jitsu so I think this is the right choice for him.
- New gi and belt – $125. I should probably buy a cheaper starter gi for the RB40Jr. This one is really nice. Good thing he likes jiu-jitsu. His gi is of high quality and should last a long time unless he outgrows it…
- Squash team dues – $270. RB40jr's high school has a good squash team. I encouraged him to join because the Ultimate season was over. He needed exercise, and racquetball seemed like a good sport for his college applications.
- Squash team jersey – $37. oops! Official school equipment is expensive.
- racket – $3. I found a used racket at a local thrift store. Fraction! If he does well, we'll buy him a better racket.
- goggles – $15. Teams need eye protection.
- Spotify – $12/month. RB40Jr's first subscription. We made a deal with him – one subscription at a time.
- Moto G mobile phone – $140. He dropped his old phone and the screen shattered. I bought him a second-hand cell phone to replace it.
- mobile phone plan – $14/mo.
- Orthodontist – $214 per month for 2 years. We're almost done with this.
- AP exam fees – $80. He will take the AP exam in computer science.
- summer school – $850. He wants to study geometry in the summer to succeed.
- tennis shoes – $55. A pair of Adidas running shoes.
- colombian boots – $50.
- back to school shopping – About $500. These include a new jacket, clothes, socks, calculator, notebook and various other things. RB40Jr has grown a lot this year. He is taller than me now.
- speech therapy – $650. This was our out-of-pocket cost for 10 sessions of speech therapy. The full cost of each session is approximately $1,000. Insurance covers most of it. American health care is out of control.
Wow, teens are expensive today! When I was a freshman in high school, life was much cheaper. My parents didn't have much money, so I didn't have much money to spend when I was a kid. I didn't participate in any school activities. When I was a first grader, I was still busy taking care of my younger brothers. My parents were always working and rarely at home. This is lifestyle inflation for you. Parents want the best for their children. Those who can spend more will spend more.
Well, that’s it for today. Do you spend a lot of money on your children like we do?
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