Maternity Tax

When I went on maternity leave we thought it was going to be great in terms of finances. Not only would I be saving on transportation, shopping, eating out and general spending but I'd still be getting paid, even if on a reduced scale. Everyone around me said the same thing as well. What a great thing to be on maternity leave; a year off from "work", a year to spend with my baby and a year to enjoy saving money.

No, kids are not cheap at all but if you're a smart shopper and stock up on the basics like clothes, food and diapers ($9.97/Pamper megapak, reg. $17.99) (!!) when they go on sale plus clip coupons, then the potential to save a ton of money is there for the taking.

Imagine my shock and horror when tax time rolls along and the government wants like, all that money back and scrapes it violently from my colon walls without the courtesy of using any lube to make the pain easier to bear. This is my warning to all new and expecting parents: the government doesn't care about you staying at home to raise a family. They'll let you keep the baby but your money belongs to them.