A mother of 12 children shared the difficulties of raising such a large family these days, explaining what it implies feeding so many people and the high economic expenses that it entails. Families like this are already rare in Portugal and Spain, which leads many to question how they can stay in an economic conjuncture in which, even with one or two children, it is difficult to meet everyday expenses.
Elena del Cerro, 50, had 13 children, but lost one of them due to sudden death. In an interview with the program “Y Ahora Sonsoles”, quoted by the Spanish noticias work portal, told how life led her to have so many children. The 32 -year -old older one is already independently, while the youngest is only 8 years old and remains totally dependent on his parents. Elena guarantees that she has never planned to have so many children, but everything was happening naturally.
High family spending
According to herself, family spending is high, even with one of her children already away from home. Food is one of the biggest expenses and there is a daily moment considered “sacred”: the time of dinner, where the whole family meets to talk. The monthly budget surrounds the 12,000 euros, which includes food, home income, colleges and fixed expenses. Elena explains that there are costs that, in another family, would be sporadic, but that in her case they are annual, such as buying a new lava due to intense use. The same is true of the washing machine, which currently works twice a day, less than the four daily washes of when the children were smaller.
With regard to food, budget weight is significant. “The elders have a very sporty diet and need a lot of protein,” he says. Egg, pasta and meat purchases are frequent. The older children, who already work, deal with their own diet.
In total, the mother of 12 says spend, according to the same source, between 280 and 300 euros a week in food, representing more than two thousand euros per month. Daily consumption includes about 9 liters of milk, 2 packets of bread and up to 24 eggs.
As for work, the couple lives without great luxuries and no savings. “We live in the day. He is a businessman, has his own company, and I am an independent worker,” he said.
The holidays also represent a challenge
The holidays also represent a logistical and financial challenge, according to the. Traveling all together requires three cars, as some children have to return earlier for professional reasons. “We split into several cars and try to go to a place where everyone can turn off the routine, even if it implies more spending,” concluded Elena.
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