See every kid cost coming, a whole year ahead
The field trip money. The picture-day form. The ball fees, the new cleats and three birthday parties in one month. Almost none of them are a surprise. They come back every year, at about the same time, for about the same amount.
One sheet, 15 minutes, one monthly number, so the kid costs are paid before they show up. Free.
The Kid-Costs Calendar puts all of them on one sheet, so the money is already set aside when the form comes home in the backpack. Fill it on screen or print it.
Send me the calendar
Free. A printable and a fill-on-screen version, straight to your inbox.
One email with your calendar, then two short notes on what to do with your number. After that, Kitchen Table Takeaways on Tuesdays. Unsubscribe any time.
Three five-minute steps
1 · List what comes back
Go child by child. Birthdays, school fees, sports, lessons, camp, shoes they’ve outgrown. Starter rows are on the sheet; cross out what your family doesn’t do.
2 · Give each a month
And a rough amount. Last year’s number is fine. A good guess beats a blank, and you can fix it when the real bill comes.
3 · Divide by 12
That’s your monthly set-aside: one number that moves to savings each month. Starting partway through the year? Use the months left instead.
You don’t need a new budget. You need to see the year coming.
Your kids won’t remember what the cleats cost. They’ll remember that the answer to “can I sign up?” was a calm yes, or a calm “not this season,” instead of a stressed-out maybe. That calm is what this sheet buys.
“You don’t have to be a perfect mom. You just have to keep the fire going.”
Fifteen minutes tonight, a calmer year
Free, and no card. Unsubscribe any time.
It’s a Southern Life Y’all
Keep tending the fire, y’all.
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This page does not contain legal, financial, tax or professional advice. Robin writes as a mom of four and a grandmother sharing what has worked in her own home, not as a licensed professional. KR Florida Content, LLC / It’s a Southern Life Y’all is not liable for any losses or damages of any kind arising from this page, its links or its attachments. Some content is produced with AI assistance and checked by a human before release.