This is off the usual topics here, but it’s a data problem that’s been bothering me and I wanted to think out loud about it. My sister (the one with the rotator cuff, for those who remember) had her first baby a few months ago. We were talking last night and she’s incredibly stressed about the cost of formula. Not just ‘it’s expensive’ but in a way that’s fundamentally altering their household budget.
Being who I am, I asked for the numbers. She’s using a standard cow’s milk-based formula. It works out to roughly $0.25 to $0.30 per prepared ounce. The baby is taking about 32 ounces a day.
So that’s ~$8/day, or $240/month on the low end. Just for formula. I ran the cost per calorie,