Single parent, one child. Live in one of the lowest COL areas in Canada.
Some years my child costs me nothing. On other years, she is an accounting benefit of a few thousand dollars. This year she may cost 500-1500 net. She went to three camps, did four sports, goes to daycare, goes to the dentist bi-annually, learned to bike (i.e. I bought her a bike), and she is involved with lots of activities not listed above. I save a couple hundred dollars a month for any possible post-secondary schooling she may go into.
How does this wonky math occur? In the 90s in Canada, greedy bourgeoisie middle class Canadians started seeing their incomes skyrocket. They petitioned the federal and provincial governments to lower their taxes, add in boutique programs or tax breaks, and institute some social benefit programs disproportionately benefiting themselves. Between just three programs (dependent tax write-off, daycare write-off, and CCTB), I get 10k from the governments for having a child. I’m in the top 3% for income for my age.
Even to this day the greedy middle class pester the governments for more relief. Fuck them.