The financial cost of having children

As I've mentioned many times on this blog, finance is sometimes a key factor in making the decision whether to have a child or not. (although it's usually not the most pressing factor actually I find). This article Covering the Cost of Children mentions the shift in demographics that is happening in Australia, where there are growing numbers of single person households and child-free households. Personally, although I think financial considerations have a big part to play in this, I also think that it has always been a financial challenge to have children and that actually, the shift in demographics may have to do with other cultural reasons - such as it being more acceptable not to have children. However, I think this article has several practical tips around financial planning and the decision to have children.