A mom with 18 children revealed that she has to spend more than $20,000 a year on food for her enormous family – and said she forks over $8,000 on their Christmas presents.
Desiree Hart-Spegal, 33, from Forth Worth, Texas, always dreamed of having a big family – so she wasn’t put off when she first met her husband, Chris, 46, and he told that her that he already had eight kids.
Desiree already had three children of her own from a previous relationship, but she wanted more.
After meeting through mutual friends in October 2013, the pair had a whirlwind romance and married in July of the next year.
Right away, they started trying for a baby – and they welcomed their first daughter together, Christa, now-six, in June 2015.
Squad: A mom with 18 children revealed that she has to spend more than $20,000 a year on food for her enormous family – and said she forks over $8,000 on their Christmas presents
Desiree Hart-Spegal, 33, always dreamed of having a big family. When she first met her husband, Chris, 46, he already had eight kids and she had three from previous relationships
After the couple, from Texas, wed in 2014, they welcomed seven kids together – and they now live as a blended family with 17 out of their 18 kids (who range from one-month to 21)
Desiree, a co-owner of a car dealership, explained that although their house can be ‘manic’ sometimes, she makes sure to ‘stay organized’ and ‘spend quality time’ with each child
Expensive: When it comes to finances, the mom-of-18 estimates that she spends around $26,000 a year on food – averaging around $2,166 a month and $500 a week
They then went on to have six more children together – and they are now living as a blended family with their joint seven kids, Desiree’s three children, and seven of Chris’ eight – totaling 17 children under one roof.
Desiree, a co-owner of a car dealership, explained that although their house can be ‘manic’ sometimes, she makes sure to ‘stay organized’ and ‘spend quality time’ with each child.
‘I wasn’t fazed by Chris having eight children already. I had always dreamed of having a big family. It felt like my duty to use my gift to have children,’ she said.
‘It can be a manic house, but I stay organized and make sure I spend quality time with them all.’
When it comes to finances, the mom-of-18 estimates that she spends around $26,000 a year on food – averaging around $2,166 a month and $500 a week.
According to Desiree, a night out at a restaurant with the whole family will cost them roughly $300, and she has to do more than 10 loads of laundry a week.
According to Desiree, a night out at a restaurant with the whole family will cost them roughly $300
They live in a 37,00-square-foot, five-bedroom house – with the middle-aged girls, the younger boys, and the older boys, each sharing a room
Desiree said each of their children have different personalities, adding that she tries to match what they like to do with their chores.
At mealtimes, Desiree said she lays out all the plates in lines based on age groups, that way she can easily dish out their portion sizes. Pictured are Indian tacos that she cooked for her kids
‘I spend $540 a week on food but I try to order as I go so that I don’t waste anything. I love that we get to raise so many amazing kids and watch them grow into adults,’ she gushed.
Together, the couple share Christa, Izabella, five, Christopher Jr., four, Lily, three, Heavenly-Grace, two, Elliesiah, one, and Briella, who is one-month-old.
Desiree’s children from her previous relationships – Maliki, 16, Makaila, 15, and Andrew, eight – also live with them, as well as Chris’ children – Skyler, 21, Braden, 17, Kaden, 15, Jayden, 11, Sarayia, 11, and twins, Chevelle and Donny, eight.
All different: According to Desiree, each of their children has different personalities, and she said she tries to match what they like to do with their chores
They live in a 37,00-square-foot, five-bedroom house – with the middle-aged girls, the younger boys, and the older boys, each sharing a room. One of Chris’ sons, Gavin, 20, lives by himself in Spokane, Washington.
According to Desiree, each of their children has different personalities, and she said she tries to match what they like to do with their chores.
‘Christa is so organized so I get her to keep the shoe rack tidy,’ she explained.
‘Christopher Jr. thinks he is my husband – he is a mini Chris, like his name suggests. And then my preemie baby, Lily, is such a fighter.
‘The kids are really good at doing their own washing now too – so that helps out with the 10 plus loads of laundry a week.’
Desiree admitted that it’s sometimes hard to keep the house neat, but she works hard to make sure all of the kids clean up after themselves.
‘I’ll always be getting them to tidy up a few times a day, so it is not a mess at the end,’ she continued.
‘At mealtimes I lay out all the plates in lines for the different age groups so I can easily dish out their portion sizes.’
Desiree admitted that it’s sometimes hard to keep the house neat, but she works hard to make sure all of the kids clean up after themselves
Lots of work: The mom-of-18 said she has to do more than 10 loads of laundry a week
The family have two SUV vans, which they use to get all the children around on days out
They splurge around $270 on each kid’s birthday presents, and when Christmas rolls around each year, Desiree said spends $8,100 on gifts for the whole family
‘I don’t think there is a month without a birthday,’ Desiree joked
No more: Now, after just having baby Briella in January 2022, Desiree has decided it is time to stop. She joked: ‘My baby making season is over but grandbabies are just around the corner’
Touching: Chris said he loves each of his kid’s personalities and called ‘watching them grow’ the ‘greatest adventure of his life’
The family have two SUV vans, which they use to get all the children around on days out.
They spend $400 a month on a Six Flags membership – a theme park in the area – and splurge around $270 on each kid’s birthday presents.
‘I don’t think there is a month without a birthday,’ Desiree joked.
When Christmas rolls around each year, Desiree said she forks out $8,100 on presents for the whole family.
Now, after just having baby Briella in January 2022, Desiree has decided it is time to stop.
‘I think we’re done now,’ she added. ‘Chris is going to get a vasectomy but if it happens somehow after that again then it’s meant to be.
‘But it’s not something we’re planning. My baby making season is over but my grandbabies are just around the corner.
‘I love having so many children. We’re a perfectly imperfect blended family.’
Chris concluded: ‘Now I do love everybody’s personality. All their different personalities and watching them grow – it’s my favorite.
‘It’s really the greatest adventure of my life. I think of all of our lives. Let’s be honest, I’m beyond blessed.’