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The Parent Trap

By Robert Samuelson
WASHINGTON -- Among the government's most interesting reports is one -- published by the Agriculture Department -- that estimates what parents spend on their children. The latest version finds, not surprisingly, the costs are steep. For a middle-class husband-wife family (average pre-tax income in 2009: $76,250), spending per child is about $12,000 a year. Assuming modest annual inflation (2.8... (Read Full Article)

Robert Samuelson
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