The cost of raising a child? $221,190.

Each year, the United States Department of Agriculture releases a figure that strikes fear into parents and parents-to-be. This year it's $221,190.

The USDA released its report today that found a baby born in 2008 will cost between $159,870 and $366,660, depending on family income. That doesn't include the cost of college, fellow moms and dads!

OK. Now that I've climbed off my cubicle's floor and back into my seat, here are some thoughts.

The USDA seems like an odd agency to track these figures in the first place. The agency does so - and has annually since 1960 - to help courts and state governments determine child support and foster care payments.

Remember that this is just an estimate and that your family could be on its way to spending way less OR way more on your progeny.

There is a lot of data in this here report, including averages for various income groups as well as single-family households.

I could spend hours sifting through it. But I'm busy working on my Sunday column about marriage and money. So here are my quick observations.

In 1960, a middle-income family could expect to spend $25,230, or ($189,509 in 2008 dollars). And everyone dressed like Don Draper and his wife, had three martini lunches with co-workers and didn't feel guilty about planting their kids in front of the boob tube.

But I digress.

In 1960, families spent a much larger slice of the pie on feeding and clothing kids (24% on food in 1960 v. 16% in 2008, 11% on clothing v. 6%). No Costco or $3 t-shirts from Target yet.

But health care and child care costs us 21st-century dwellers much more. We spend twice as much on health care (4% in 1960 v. 8% in 2008). Child care in 1960 was a measly 2%, but the cost of day care has risen to 16% as more families rely on two-incomes today.

Interestingly, families in 1960 and families in 2008 spent about the same percentage of their annual child-rearing costs on housing (31% v. 32%) and transportation 16% and 14%).