It’s only been three months since Kendra Caldwell and Joseph Duggar got married, but the newest addition to the Counting On clan has already jumped on board with the family business.
We’re talking, of course, about making babies.
Currently, Kendra is pregnant with her and Joe’s first child, and the news has been greeted with great enthusiasm from the Duggars’ most devoted fans.
But just because she’ll be focusing primarily on the doting wife and mother role, that doesn’t mean Kendra won’t also be assisting father-in-law Jim Bob in his lucrative money-printing operation.
Yes, as we’ve discussed before, the Duggars make a lot of money, but they aren’t rich in the way that we expect from celebrities with long-running TV series.
There are numerous reasons for this, not the least of which is Jim Bob’s “high-class hoarding” habits, or the fact that the family has a small army to feed.
Jim Bob reportedly spends money as quickly as he makes it, and while many of his purchases may be frivolous (he reportedly loves picking up old furniture at auctions), he also drops a lot of cash on investing in his families’ future.
Massive purchases of real estate and cars that can be sold at a profit are not uncommon for the Duggars, and Jim Bob has launched several businesses which he hopes to pass on to his kids.
So at the moment, the family is not exactly cash poor, but not as well off as one might expect.
Another factor, of course, is that TV stardom simply isn’t as lucrative as it used to be.
According to an estimate from In Touch, an episode of Counting On costs about $ 250,000-$ 400,000 to produce.
Stars typically receive about one-tenth of the production budget, which means the Duggars are paid $ 25,000-$ 40,000 per episode.
Not bad for a week’s work, but it’s divided about 40 bajillion ways.
So what does all of this have to do with Kendra?
Well, like most Duggar men, Joe seems to have no interest in full-time employment.
And since Kendra is forbidden to work, that means cash from Counting On a small cut of the family businesses makes up the enirely of the young couple’s income.
According to some estimates, the total is in the low six-figure range.
That’s certainly not bad, especially for such a young couple in an area with such a low cost of living.
But it’s anyone’s guess as to how long the family’s main source of revenue will remain viable, especially with rumors of Counting On being canceled circulating non-stop.
Kendra’s father is a preacher, and she comes from a humble home.
So she’s not pampered, but she’s clearly planning to have a lot of kids, and we’re guessing she plans on raising them in relative comfort.
And we’re guessing she’s not planning on resorting to begging fans for money like Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard.
Looks like Joe may eventually be forced to do the unthinkable and get a job.
Watch Counting On online for more from reality TV’s most controversial family.
