Already worried about finances

cskme_

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2016
Messages
443
Reaction score
0
I am only 22 years old, living in Canada. I have a decent job $26.00/hr, husband makes just under $30. We live in a 2 bedroom apartment, I have student loan debt, car payment debt and a bit of credit card debt. I have always wanted more financially and do not want to have to stay in the career path that I'm in forever. I have no family where I am and neither does DH. This baby was not planned. I am so scared of maternity leave, not being able to afford the things we want and need. I know many people have done it with much less but I really want to buy a house and I don't want to struggle because I have a child. Any suggestions or advice would be wonderful. Even just reassuring words...
 
I am a firm believer that babies are only as expensive as you make them, don't feel obliged to buy new aside from obvious things, with my first we had very little money, I collected freebies, stalked carboots and scrimped on everything that wasnt essential. He had a second hand pram, second hat cot and even second hand clothes but he was warm, well fed and happy he didnt care how much things cost as long as he was happy. Don't panic its easy doable, sit down and budget to see what you can afford and start buying things as soon as you feel 'safe' x
 
I am a firm believer that babies are only as expensive as you make them, don't feel obliged to buy new aside from obvious things, with my first we had very little money, I collected freebies, stalked carboots and scrimped on everything that wasnt essential. He had a second hand pram, second hat cot and even second hand clothes but he was warm, well fed and happy he didnt care how much things cost as long as he was happy. Don't panic its easy doable, sit down and budget to see what you can afford and start buying things as soon as you feel 'safe' x

Thank you! Luckily I have 2 pregnant cousins that are having a boy and a girl. There should be lots of hand-me-downs and old toys and gadgets they can send my way :) I appreciate your encouraging words
 
I would suggest putting as much into savings as you can now, just in case things come up. I had planned to bf daughter, but turned out I couldn't and she was allergic to every formula except one, which cost me around $300 a month, not an expense I had expected! I bought most of her clothes at a consignment sale which saves some. They outgrow things so fast.

But yeah, it is expensive, even when you do budget type things, like buy 2nd hand. It just seems to add up. But you can make it work. I'm single and her father is mia, so I've had no help with her expenses. I have cut down on what I do as far as vacations and such, but I don't care. :) She's worth it! Oh, and don't impulse buy or listen to anyone who works at BabysRUs. You don't need half the stuff they try to sell you. Ask your friends and family with babies about their necessities and go from there. Good luck!
 
Keep in mind too that babies dont need nearly as much as people/stores would have you believe.

Get a new carseat. You can bedshare (assuming you do so responsibly) for a little while, buying you more time to buy a crib. Even buying a crib isnt that expensive. Some clothes (second hand is perfect, they grow so fast). If youre planning on breast feeding you'll likely have everything you need (boobs), but it cant hurt to buy a few bottles just in case. I fully intended on breastfeeding my kids, but Im in that sucky 5% of women who CANT produce enough milk for my babies. So when #1 was 3 days old and a full pound under her birth weight (5lbs 11oz) and SCREAMING because she was literally starving, we had to run out and buy bottles and formula. Nightmare.

As mentioned above, babies are only as expensive as you make them. They really dont need a lot.

You and your husband make damn good money, even just your husband alone. In fact, Im kind of envious haha. The military doesnt pay my husband nearly as much as either one of yall are getting paid, but we make it work and we live comfortably with a new car loan. Its just being smart about your money, which Im sure you already know. Doing things now to save up will help you feel less anxious. Even in the last few months if you can make a few meals to throw in the freezer so that after baby is born you have some healthy meals that can be cooked last minute (soups especially) will save you from having to order in or pick food up in a pinch.

Youll be fine. Dont stress mama! Its not good for you or baby :hugs:
 
You'll make it work. Trust me. We pay daycare expenses and are having #2 so that's double expenses. I too tried to breastfeed and was successful for several months until my boobs rebelled and I had to supplement. Formula was $150/mo when we stayed using it soley around 6 months. Really you don't need a whole lot and the basics should not be too expensive except the car seat which you should buy new imo. Dont skimp on the car seats because it's what is protecting your child. That will be the most expensive part. Crib you can get pre-loved with a new mattress. You can get a bedside sleeper for a while and they are affordable. Wants and needs change when baby comes. I know Canada is expensive living but you guys make a good bit of money together so I think if you look at things you'll have more in the end than you think. I have student loans as well and they stink but I'm so used to paying them I pretend we don't even have that money. If you want help paying off debt quicker before baby comes look at Dave Ramsey. It's a great program and dh and I need to really get back on track (we have student loans and a car payment but would like to pay off those things quickly). Also if I are worried about maternity leave- I'm not sure how you get paid when out or how long- figure out the deficit and calculate you'll need x amount and divide by 9 and try to save that amount. Like if you need $9000 then put away $1000 monthly or as close as you can until you have saved up. It will work out in the end. If Americans can do it with our crappy maternity leave (essentially unpaid for the majority of it up to 12 weeks) then you'll be able to do it :) it's scary but you'll manage.
 
My daughter is 4 months old, and we honestly have spent very little money on her! We aren't strapped financially, but we also don't like to spend just for the sake of spending! We got a second hand crib from a friend, I bought a bunch of second hand clothes - thrift stores usually sell onesies and sleepers for $1 each. If you go on Kijiji people will sell an entire lot of clothes for under $50. I got an entire 3-6 month wardrobe for my daughter for $35, and there are more clothes than she will ever need, some still with the tags on! The only clothes she has new are the ones people have given us as gifts, and to be honest new baby clothes are such a waste of money because they grow out of them so fast! We have some brand new clothes that she never wore because she outgrew the size before she had a chance to wear them! People have so much baby stuff that the literally give it away for free or almost free because they just want it out of their house. When I went to pick up the clothes for my daughter the lady had a whole bunch of other baby stuff at the door to see if I wanted it, for an addition $10 I got a vibrating chair, swing, diapers, bottles, and a baby bathtub (which is a waste of money, don't bother with one, I just go in the big tub with the baby). I also got a second hand chariot jogging stroller. Honestly, Kijiji is your best friend when you are having a baby!

But the biggest area where you can save is cloth diapers! I got ours second hand from my sister so they didn't cost me anything. People sell their second hand diapers on kijiji. You can strip the diapers (ie. a super deep clean) and they will be good as new. My sister used the diapers with all three of her kids and now we are using them, they hold up really well and last a very long time. We sometimes use disposable diapers when we go out of the house, but have only bought 2 packages of diapers in the last four months. I end up doing a load of diapers in the laundry every second day, so it is really no big deal time wise. I also use cloth wipes (if I'm doing the diapers in the laundry I might as well do the wipes too!), I purchased 48 wipes on Amazon for about $30. I make a spray out of tea tree oil, lavender oil, jojoba oil, baby soap, and witch hazel (about $50 on Amazon for all the products, and since I only use a drop or two of each in a bottle of spray I will never have to buy more). When I change her I spray her bum, wipe her down with a cloth wipe, and put the cloth wipe and the diaper in the laundry pail.

If you plan to breastfeed that will also be a huge money saver. It is totally normal to have a lot of difficulty breastfeeding at the beginning, so don't give up if it is tough! There are lactation consultants at the hospital who can help you while you are there, and independent lactation consultants and breastfeeding groups for when you are at home.

I agree that babies are only as expensive as you make them. Don't be afraid of second hand items and you can save a ton of money!

People also love to buy gifts for new babies! We didn't have a baby shower, but our friends and co-workers bought us tons of gifts anyways.

P.S. Where in Alberta are you? We are in Bragg Creek, just outside of Calgary.
 
Buy second hand! No need for the brand new everything. I would buy a new car seat though. Babies aren't that expensive at all! You will be fine. We survived taking care of three so far, going on number 4. Don't get sucked into consumerism and you will be fine.
 
My daughter is 4 months old, and we honestly have spent very little money on her! We aren't strapped financially, but we also don't like to spend just for the sake of spending! We got a second hand crib from a friend, I bought a bunch of second hand clothes - thrift stores usually sell onesies and sleepers for $1 each. If you go on Kijiji people will sell an entire lot of clothes for under $50. I got an entire 3-6 month wardrobe for my daughter for $35, and there are more clothes than she will ever need, some still with the tags on! The only clothes she has new are the ones people have given us as gifts, and to be honest new baby clothes are such a waste of money because they grow out of them so fast! We have some brand new clothes that she never wore because she outgrew the size before she had a chance to wear them! People have so much baby stuff that the literally give it away for free or almost free because they just want it out of their house. When I went to pick up the clothes for my daughter the lady had a whole bunch of other baby stuff at the door to see if I wanted it, for an addition $10 I got a vibrating chair, swing, diapers, bottles, and a baby bathtub (which is a waste of money, don't bother with one, I just go in the big tub with the baby). I also got a second hand chariot jogging stroller. Honestly, Kijiji is your best friend when you are having a baby!

But the biggest area where you can save is cloth diapers! I got ours second hand from my sister so they didn't cost me anything. People sell their second hand diapers on kijiji. You can strip the diapers (ie. a super deep clean) and they will be good as new. My sister used the diapers with all three of her kids and now we are using them, they hold up really well and last a very long time. We sometimes use disposable diapers when we go out of the house, but have only bought 2 packages of diapers in the last four months. I end up doing a load of diapers in the laundry every second day, so it is really no big deal time wise. I also use cloth wipes (if I'm doing the diapers in the laundry I might as well do the wipes too!), I purchased 48 wipes on Amazon for about $30. I make a spray out of tea tree oil, lavender oil, jojoba oil, baby soap, and witch hazel (about $50 on Amazon for all the products, and since I only use a drop or two of each in a bottle of spray I will never have to buy more). When I change her I spray her bum, wipe her down with a cloth wipe, and put the cloth wipe and the diaper in the laundry pail.

If you plan to breastfeed that will also be a huge money saver. It is totally normal to have a lot of difficulty breastfeeding at the beginning, so don't give up if it is tough! There are lactation consultants at the hospital who can help you while you are there, and independent lactation consultants and breastfeeding groups for when you are at home.

I agree that babies are only as expensive as you make them. Don't be afraid of second hand items and you can save a ton of money!

People also love to buy gifts for new babies! We didn't have a baby shower, but our friends and co-workers bought us tons of gifts anyways.

P.S. Where in Alberta are you? We are in Bragg Creek, just outside of Calgary.

Thank you so much! I actually feel relieved just reading this. I just have to convince DH not to buy everything he sees. we have a 5 month old puppy and he's always bringing home new dog things that we don't need. I have a feeling he will have a hard time agreeing that second hand things are okay. I know he will want a lot of new stuff but he really doesn't need to know when I buy used clothing etc. either way I'll try to introduce the idea to him later on and try to show him it's a good idea. I live in Edmonton but originally from Toronto, Ontario. Just moved here a year and a half ago :)
 
Buy second hand! No need for the brand new everything. I would buy a new car seat though. Babies aren't that expensive at all! You will be fine. We survived taking care of three so far, going on number 4. Don't get sucked into consumerism and you will be fine.

I'm totally fine with buying second hand, only I'm terrified of bed bugs so any furniture I'll probably buy new. IKEAs cribs and storage really isn't too bad if you buy one thing at a time. Clothes on the other hand I would much rather take off someone else's hands, it's DH I will have to convince that it's okay to use another babies clothes. I always see ads on kijiji around my area they always have TONS of baby stuff. we will see :)
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Members online

No members online now.

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
1,650,189
Messages
27,141,091
Members
255,672
Latest member
mummynugs
Back
Top
monitoring_string = "c48fb0faa520c8dfff8c4deab485d3d2"