I have child, it's a life decision ( we decided to do it and willingly gave up past freedoms). It's ok we signed up for this, please don't do it if you don't want to, world will be a much better place if only willing people become parent eh?
There's a really good question right there: While children are expensive as fuck, they do prevent loneliness and wild shopping sprees because they keep you from going online for long enough. So: Are children actually saving you money in the long run because they stop the root for buying stupid shit and keep you busy enough so that you ain't even thinking about getting said stupid shit?
Given that raising a child is, from a sourceless quick google, about $20-30k a year, they better not be. As for loneliness, a cat’s about $650 a year, and makes a similar level of intelligent conversation for the first ten years or so.
IMO, children in their early life are mainly expensive in opportunity costs, assuming you have a full time parent taking care of the child. Diapers are food are relatively cheap but taking a parent out of the work force or the alternate, providing day care, is very expensive.