There are a lot of personal finance articles bemoaning people's lack of savings, as if everyone is going out and blowing their salaries on BMWs and curly fries. What's rarely mentioned is that many adults aren't saving much because they have children, which Newsweek refers to as "The Ultimate Money Pit." Here are some numbers that Newsweek offers on the costs of kids:

Your first kid will cost you $32,000 by the time he or she is 2 years old. If you have more kids, you'll get a volume discount, as they'll only cost you $24,000 each by age 2, I assume due to hand-me-downs and the fact that you still have cribs, changing tables, etc. that you paid for the first time around.

Overall, getting a kid to 18 will cost you $191,000, which means your per year costs seem to fall to around $10,000 after those super expensive baby years. Of course if you want to do things like private school, sports, band camp, etc., your costs will vary. And if your kid has allergies, or a learning problem, or some other unexpected trip-up, that'll cost you, too.

The article also says that if you factor in the lost wages that often accompany children, assuming that one person stays home with the kids for at least part of their lives, the total cost could equal $1.6 million to get your kid raised and out of the house. I think that number is a little sketchy, but you do have to factor in not just the direct expenses, but also the money you won't make as a result.

For example, if a woman stays home for a couple of years after having a baby and then goes back to work, she'll not only lose the two years pay, but she also loses the raises she would've likely received during this career interruption, meaning it could take years and a lot of lost cash before she's back to making the salary she would've had if she'd never stopped working.

The article also discusses the potential costs BEFORE a baby comes, especially if you have trouble conceiving and need the help of fertility treatments.

The article fails to mention the thousands of dollars wasted each year in food that gets thrown away when your children refuse to eat the things they just asked for, and then tell you an hour later that they are hungry.

The reward for this work and expense? A few years of cuteness and love, followed by a decade of disdain and resentment. On the other hand, if you're lucky, they'll take of you when you're old and have become almost completely childlike.

Buyer beware.