Budgeting for Baby

I know, I know…I’ve been so lame at posting.  But this blog is a just-for-fun thing right now, and sometimes exhaustion and other responsibilities (like motherhood and such) take priority, ha!  I did want to do a few posts on “budgeting for baby”, seeing as this is my second go-around, and I have a little bit of advice that I feel like might be useful to other mommas and mommas-to-be out there.  I'm in nesting mode at the moment, since this baby girl can really arrive at any point now!

First off, I just want to say, that everything I am going to post in regards to this are my personal opinions, preferences, and experiences.  Having a baby is personal, and what works for me will surely not work for everyone.  And who knows, after having baby girl, some of my opinions might shift or change on what works, because having two kids will be a heck-of-a-lot different than having one babe.  My world is about to be rocked, folks! 

We all know this, babies are p-r-i-c-e-y!  Or they can be for many families.  Obviously, I am basing my comments on a healthy pregnancy and birth.  Those who have medical complications and things are definitely going to face different financial burdens that often are hard to anticipate or prepare for.  There is nothing wrong with that and I genuinely  hope the best to the families in those situations.  It is never something that is desired, but thankfully we live in a time when many resources are available to us and I’m very grateful for that! 

With that being said, I know many of us might not feel like we ever “have enough” money to have a baby.  However, it is my personal opinion, that parents should be responsible to plan and anticipate most costs of having a baby, and be able to provide for their needs.  Depending on your situation, it might mean having maternity insurance, researching cash pay plans, or other resources available to you.  That also might mean, looking at where you can trim your grocery store costs and shave off money to put towards diapers and wipes.  It might mean making some sacrifices.  That is part of being a parent.  Please don’t feel sorry for yourself if you can’t go out to eat every week or your baby doesn’t have the most current Baby Gap line of clothing in their closet.  It is not what being a parent is about and you make things work with what you have!  That’s what this series is all about!  Parenthood is much too precious of an experience to get sucked up into peer pressures of keeping up with the “baby Jones’”.  Between blogs, Facebook, and Pinterest, it is pretty easy to feel like a lousy parent if you compare yourself to everyone.  I hope this blog series will help alleviate some of those negative feelings and instead make you feel empowered with what you have and give you ideas on how to be creative to provide a fulfilling and happy experience for your family when a baby is born--not a stressful and negative one that you dread or resent.  Being a parent is the most rewarding and life-changing experience a person can have.  

So hopefully this baby series is helpful to some expectant parents! Please leave comments with your opinions and suggestions--the way I came up with many of my ideas is from hearing what worked for other people and tweaking it to work for me!

Other posts in this series:
Budgeting for Baby: Medical Expenses & Accepting Help