According to people who know these sorts of things, your average middle-income family will drop $221,000 to raise a child from birth to age 17. That's a lot of money to commit to one person who may end up disappointing you by majoring in philosophy or becoming a politician.

If you've been contemplating having a kid, or wondering if the ones you have need to get an after-preschool job, you might want to consider what else you could get if you just saved that cash.

According to the National Association of Realtors, $220,000 is in the neighborhood of the median price for a home in most parts of the country. Sure, children offer unconditional love, but your house could have a hot tub.

Find out what else you could buy instead of a baby after the jump.

If you're sick of driving around in a skid-mark brown 1976 Ford Fairmont, you could upgrade with something like a Lamborghini Gallardo or a Bentley Continental. Children might continue your legacy, but either of those cars would look awesome with fuzzy dice on the rear view.

If you're a little less practical than the sort of people who need shelter and transportation, you could always drop that cash on a diamond-encrusted necktie. While other parents take their kids to ball games, you can use your tie to cut glass. Take that, family togetherness!

Maybe you're feeling a little more giving and you want to do something for someone else with that money. If that's the case, you could dress Sarah Palin. As a bonus, she only costs that much in Australian dollars, so you'll have $70,000 (U.S.) left over that you can use to buy a 103-inch TV.