Callie's tally - Betsy Howie

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?