If you exclude third-party childcare, kids aren't that expensive in direct costs. So a typical family with an at-home caretaker sending the child to a public sc

If you exclude third-party childcare, kids aren't that expensive in direct costs. So a typical family with an at-home caretaker sending the child to a public school and going on local vacations on their, well, car might indeed end up spending more in cars than the child. Kids are very expensive, however, in opportunity costs - but that wouldn't appear here.