A common question of couples planning on starting a family is, “How much does it cost to have a baby?” With the media reporting that children can cost hundreds of thousands to raise, cribs retailing at hundreds of dollars and health care expenses soaring, it’s no wonder new parents are concerned. While there is no black and white answer on how much you are going to spend, the good news is that you can make child rearing as expensive or as inexpensive as you choose.

As with many things, babies come with fixed expenses and re-occurring expenses. The cost of fixed expenses, like baby gear and nursery d