Q: Cost of baby?

Posted Thursday, March 22, 2007 8:53 PM

Q: What kind of expenses is our baby going to incur once she's born? How much should we budget for her?

A: Depends how frugal you are. Here's a list of major purchases and investments over the first year -- estimate how much you'll fork over for each to come up with a rough answer to your question. And remember... the amount you plan to spend doesn't always match up with the amount you actually spend.

One-Time expenses:

[  ] Nursery decorating/remodeling:

[  ] Crib:

[  ] Crib mattress:

[  ] Bedding and accessories:

[  ] Dresser:

[  ] Rocking chair:

[  ] Changing table:

[  ] Baby monitor:

[  ] Playpen, bouncy chair or walker:

[  ] Safety gates:

[  ] Baby bathtub:

[  ] High chair:

[  ] Bottles:

[  ] Pump:

[  ] Nursing clothes:

[  ] Medicine kit:

[  ] Stroller:

[  ] Baby carrier/sling:

[  ] Car seat:

[  ] Diaper bag:

[  ] Maternity leave salary loss:

[  ] Writing/rewriting will:

Monthly expenses:

[  ] Diapers:

[  ] Formula and food:

[  ] Clothes:

[  ] Toys:

[  ] Photo film and developing:

[  ] Extra laundry costs (water, electricity, detergent):

[  ] Child care:

[  ] Life insurance for you and your partner:

[  ] Medical insurance:

[  ] Disability insurance:

[  ] Medical bills (uncovered and co-pays):

[  ] College/education savings:

[  ] Contribution to savings:

QA Index

Posted by Paula K
Filed under: , ,

Comments

Q: Life insurance?

Q: Now that I'm expecting a baby, I want to get a life insurance policy. What should I look for in a

Posted by 1st Trimester Q & A    Wednesday, May 21, 2008 2:02 PM


Checklist: Working Mom vs. SAHM

Struggling to decide whether to return to work? Ask yourself these questions, and check out our Q&A

Posted by The Nest Baby Checklists    Monday, June 02, 2008 4:42 PM


Q: Identical or Fraternal Twins?

Q: What’s the difference between identical and fraternal twins? When will I know what kind I’m having?

Posted by 1st Trimester Q & A    Tuesday, June 10, 2008 10:41 AM


Q: Will updates?

Q: What changes should I make to my will in order to prepare for baby? Brett Graf : Your will should

Posted by 2nd Trimester Q & A    Wednesday, June 11, 2008 11:38 AM


Q: Saving for baby?

Q: When and how should I start saving for my baby's future expenses? Brett Graf : First, identify those

Posted by 2nd Trimester Q & A    Wednesday, June 11, 2008 11:39 AM


re: Q: Cost of baby?

Q:  My husband and I really want to start our family, but we are very worried that we don't have enough money, or a "good enough" lifestyle to raise a family like we want.  How will we know what is good enough?  How much is enough money saved to think about raising a family "properly"?

Posted by jprelogar    Tuesday, May 05, 2009 11:23 AM


re: Q: Cost of baby?

That depends entirely on how you want to raise your baby. Do you want to buy a new crib, or use a passed-down one? Do you want simple learning toys like textured blocks and links, or do you want to have the latest designer bedding and matching, battery-power-eating electronic toy? Some people raise children on as little as 18,000 dollars total (don't pay for college, cars, etc., garage sales exclusively, and pretty basic food.) and others hundreds of thousands. Ask yourself what opportunities you'd like to provide, what lifestyle is truly important to you, and then do the research to see what that would cost where you plan to live while raising a child. Keep in mind that sometimes multiples happen, and sometimes expensive health issues arise- be prepared for these suprises as well as you can. (check with your insurance company on that latter issue). This is also a great chance for you and DH to really discuss not only the monetary things you'd like to provide for your child, but also other issues, like discipline styles and delegation of responsibilities.

Posted by rebleigh1    Tuesday, May 26, 2009 9:33 AM


Anonymous comments are disabled