Feel Broke? It’s Because You’re a Parent.

Most Google searches will tell you a baby costs $10,000 in their first year. They are wrong. In this episode, I perform a full financial audit on the first year of my own son’s life in Sydney, Australia. Moving past the "stuff" like prams and onesies, I dive into the massive structural changes that result when you become a parent: lost wages, housing upgrades, "motherhood penalty" on superannuation, childcare and more.

75% of Parents admit that having children is significantly more expensive than they originally budgeted for and 37% confessed they had no idea what the actual cost would be before they started. 45-50% of Working Parents report that they find it "unaffordable" to have children in the current economic climate.

Whether you are family planning or already in the thick of it, this episode provides a realistic 2026 roadmap for family finances and how to best prepare for the big financial & structural changes that happen when you become a parent.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) The $200K "Hidden” Price Tag of Parenthood

(03:50) Disclaimer

(04:15) Conception: The Financial Reality of Fertility Issues

(06:23) Pregnancy & Birth: Breaking down Private vs. Public Birth Costs

(07:10) Prenatal Classes, Physio, Mental Health, Maternity Essentials & Baby Shower

(09:05) My $10,300 Baby Registry

(10:10) The Big Three: Car Upgrades, Housing, and Lost Wages

(12:10) Building a Village: The Cost of Postpartum Support

(14:23) Where I Saved Money as a New Parent

(15:09) Beyond Year 1: Childcare, Education & Lost Super

(18:09) Final Takeaways & Tips

(21:14) Spending Unapologetically on What Matters