Are you an expecting mom ready to start planning your baby’s arrival? It can be a stress-filled task, but starting with a budget and figuring out where you can save will make the planning process what it should be: fun and exciting.
So you are ready and cannot wait for the day your lovely baby will come. It’s time to start planning for your big day! A great plan is to start off with a baby budget breakdown. This will help you understand how much everything you need will cost.
It is no news/secret that children are expensive, and you may already have a picture of everything you want your baby to have and what their room/ space will look like. However, it is important to set a realistic budget according to your income that would not pressure your long-term financial goals.
Your baby is an important addition to your life and family, so you might be pressured to ensure everything is perfect before they come, but there is no need to go into debt trying to make that happen. It is possible to still have a fabulous plan for your baby.
Planning and preparing towards your Baby’s arrival can be confusing but doing your research on what things cost ahead will make you feel more prepared when it’s time to make purchases.
Ideas to save cost on Buying Baby Stuff
- Buy a convertible car seat (Baby stroller) to save on cost
- Buy diapers in bulk. It will save you money.
- Pump breast milk to reduce money spent on formula.
- Buy essentials first and skip the overpriced baby shoes. You wouldn’t use them much.
- Don’t buy too many clothes in advance; Babies grow out of them in no time.
- Shop during a sale. You can save extra coins.
- Buy things that last. Choose quality over quantity.
Buying your baby’s car seat that can also function as their carrier is a win-win. Purchasing these items would reduce the overall cost spent on buying baby items.
Buying in Bulk cannot be overemphasized, Diapers, for babies, will be used for an extended period. Save yourself money used to buy little packs and buy in large quantities.
Pump breast milk to reduce money spent on formula; This is another way to reduce the cost spent on baby food. A nursing mother that doesn’t have trouble breastfeeding should pump ahead, refrigerate and save for later to feed the baby.
Buy Essentials first: This cannot be overemphasized as a new mom. You’re pumped & excited about the arrival of your baby, but to relieve financial stress, get things your baby cannot do without first, like clothes, diapers, milk bottles, medications and so on. Delay buying those cute shoes as they’ll be wearing socks for most of the infant stage.
Don’t splurge on too many clothes: Clothes are important for a new baby but buy them according to need. Buy according to your budget; avoid buying anything and everything you see in the store while shopping. Your baby might not be comfortable in it, and they grow out of clothes very quickly.
Shop during sales to save money: Buying your baby items during a sale will reduce the amount spent by a high rate. There will always be a sale. You must choose what you want to buy during the sale and prepare ahead of time.
Buy quality items only: This is very important, buying quality brands will help reduce the cost of fixing or buying new ones in the short term. It is safer to buy a pricey but quality cradle than to settle for a cheaper option that dismantles in less than 6 months. This would increase the amount of money spent that was unbudgeted.
Once you know what things will cost and have your baby items checklist squared away, it’s time to start saving. Build a line item into your existing budget with the Save2B plan on FundBae to start putting money aside for your baby’s arrival. Keep in mind that this is just a temporary budget line, and you may need to move things around for the time being to make it work. If you choose to put your long-term savings on hold while putting aside money for your baby, keep your emergency fund intact in case of an unexpected expense.
