228. Bad News, Good News

“My period started today,” Ruth said. Brody could her sadness over the phone. “Oh, I’m sorry, . That’s too bad,” Brody said. Until now, they had assumed that she was pregnant, because her was supposed to start three weeks ago.

Brody mixed feelings about the news. On the one , he knew that Ruth wanted a baby more anything else in the world. So, he naturally her to be pregnant and happy. In fact, wanted a kid as much as she did. would love to have a son, so he teach him how to avoid all the stupid Brody had made in his own life.

On other hand, he had just read about a study that said the cost of raising a was now $225,000. And that was just through school. College was an additional expense. Right now, average cost of attending a public university was ,000 a year--if the student lived at home. Eighteen from now, how much would it be?

Brody Ruth had only $50,000 in savings, not even for a down payment on a nice house. , neither of them had health insurance. Premiums for themselves and the baby would cost at least a month, not to mention the deductibles and -pays.

“You worry about money too much,” Ruth had told him. “Look at you—your parents raised you five more kids, and they were making much than we are making now.”

“That’s true,” Brody . “But things were a lot different then.”