$250,000 to raise a child

I read an article this morning that said you will spend about $250,000 in 17 years to raise a child. Frankly I thought it would cost more to raise a child but after reviewing this data it seems like a good rough estimate. Tell me, what did you think it would cost to raise a child in the 21st century? The article can be found at this link http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2012/12/23/cost-raising-kids/1788415/. As I read this article I realized that I was on the right track in terms of cutting cost and being frugal. I cut my sons hair until recently. I took them to the park to ride bikes, skateboards, run, walk and play to save money and be healthy. We celebrated birthday parties at church with our church family. I packed lunches for work and utilized the public transportation system. I purchased my items in bulk from Sam’s Club and Costco. I though it cost more to raise a child, but now that I’m thinking this through, we can spend less with a good financial plan to guide us. Consider this, if the child gets a part time job at 15 years old to help offset some cost you can and will spend less than the projected outcome. Hey I started working and contributing to the household when I was 12 years old. Just a thought….