Callies' tally - An accounting of baby's first year (or, what my daughter owes me) (Hardcover)

It's a well-known fact that it costs a fortune to raise a child to age eighteen. But none of the official studies takes into account the hidden fees of parenthood: the doubling of caffeine expenses to combat sleep deprivation, new membership dues for exciting clubs such as Weight Watchers, and escalating photo-processing bills. Betsy Howie decided to keep a running account - and the result is this hilarious memoir, a wicked, fresh, irreverent real-life diary of her daughter's first year of debt. 'I want my daughter to know how much life costs and what things are worth, ' Howie writes. 'I want her to know what she's worth... I would also like some money back.' Describing how having a child turned her bank account (and her life) upside down, Howie debates such topics as whether babies should pay for post-natal chocolate binges (Mum's), in-utero rent (their own), and travel expenses they've incurred while being shown off to the in-laws. If you enjoyed Bridget Jones's Diary, you'll LOVE this. Howie's witty chronicle offers page-turning entertainment - and a receipt-by-receipt answer to the question: exactly how much does a baby cost