“I could now afford all the things I never had as a kid, if I didn’t have kids.” (Robert Orben)

Kids are expensive! After you figure food, diapers, clothing, late night trips to the ER, braces, haircuts, birthday parties, and several trips to DisneyWorld, the average American family spends close to the GNP Guatemala to raise a single child! Oh, and then there’s college.As parents, we’ve made a choice to procreate and raise the next generation. That single choice will cost us quite a bit of dough — and even more of our youth. But it’s a choice that will also reward us handsomely with sticky kisses and bed head mornings. You can’t put a pricetag on homemade birthday cards and spontaneous hugs.Oh, and then you get to watch them grow into adults who surprise you with their kindness, generosity, and compassion.Having said all of that, do yourself a favor: spend a little of that expendable income on yourself. If it’s been two years since you bought a new pair of shoes because little Jimmy grows out of his before you get him home, you’re headed down a path that leads to resentment. Maybe little Jimmy is ready to pay for some of his own shoes — or music or clothes or entertainment. Let him do that, and he’ll not only learn the value of a dollar, he’ll also take better care of what he buys.

Then, take yourself shopping for a change and leave the guilt at home with your babysitter.