have you budgeted?

[fivebyfive]

Just wondered how many of you have actually made a realistic budget of the cost involved in having a baby?

I mean, not for maternity etc but the actual baby.

Ie car seats down to nappies and babygrows. Im trying to put together a list to ensure im prepared as can be but wondered if anyone else is doing the same?

Chelle

 

[becstar]

We have a huge family who have cast-offs for us, and we don't think we'll have to buy much. We're planning on using washable nappies so they won't bump up the cost of our weekly shop. We're not too proud to buy things at boot fairs, charity shops, Primark, Asda etc... I think once the kid gets older and needs/wants more, we should be better off, but for now we're happy to wing it! Our families did and we coped just fine!

 

[makemeamammy]

us too, i'm finishing my degree first so that when baby is older we will bith have good joba to pay for things but don't think the initial cost will be too high (other than pram and cot) and we have some savings. i think for the first few years baby will be a lot happier with love and attention than lots of money xxx

 

[Frankie]

A lot of our stuff is just passed down stuff which is brand new anyways the joys of having lots of sisters, we will how ever be stocking up on things such as nappies etc

 

[Sam86]

We have a huge family who have cast-offs for us, and we don't think we'll have to buy much. We're planning on using washable nappies so they won't bump up the cost of our weekly shop. We're not too proud to buy things at boot fairs, charity shops, Primark, Asda etc... I think once the kid gets older and needs/wants more, we should be better off, but for now we're happy to wing it! Our families did and we coped just fine!

I never thought to use washable nappies - fab idea! haha.

You've a great plan there.
And besides, Asda is great for cheap & decent things.
I think spending alot of money on baby clothes is silly because of how fast they grow out of them.. that's why Primark and Asda are so handy.

 

[princess_x0]

Just wondered how many of you have actually made a realistic budget of the cost involved in having a baby?

I mean, not for maternity etc but the actual baby.

Ie car seats down to nappies and babygrows. Im trying to put together a list to ensure im prepared as can be but wondered if anyone else is doing the same?

Chelle

Yeah.
I went throught it all, and came out with around 5 grand lol.

 

[Char&Bump-x]

Yeah.
I went throught it all, and came out with around 5 grand lol.

I managed about 2500. Lol.
But thats being cheap and no luxuaries

x

 

[Arcanegirl]

We budgeted in the way of buying the od thing as i saw it whilst we were ttc and getting hand downs from my sil.
Its definatley paid off as all we need to buy now is the pram and a cot mattress and saved us a fortune!

 

[mummy-of-two]

we didnt make an actual budget we saved all we could and were just careful about how we spent it. We too were lucky enough to have family who gave us baby stuff and you can buy such beautiful baby clothes from the likes of Primark, Asda & Tesco.
Its worth having a look at your local ads paper etc for second hand stuff as some are hardly used and u can get a bargain. Babies are in and out of everything so quickly I dont think its worth spending a fortune!

Good luck x

 

[jacobs mummy]

i'm going to be using all the stuff i bought for my son. Went a bit OTT with the first one!

pram inc bag £850.00
sterilizer £35.00
bottle £36.00
cot bed, wardrobe, bookshelf, chest draws, nursing chair £1050.00
curtains and wooden rail, bedding, lamp shade, mobile, nappy sack, bedroom wall boarder, paint, wooden floor, paying for floor to be laid £420.00
bath and toiletries, baby towels £75.00
bottle warmer for night feeding and outings £30.00
books, teddies, musical box and little bits for around the nursery £100.00

£2,596... i'm sure i would have missed off a few items...

clothes (inc vests, baby grows, cardigans, outfits, booties etc) £300.00

total £2,896

Now i know why i'm using it all again...

high chair and bouncer £135.00
crib £125.00

I knew i'd forgot more
£3,156

My god... can't believe i spent that!!!

 

[becstar]

I can't believe you spent that! ;-) Actually, I can - you get excited, don't you? We don't have a second bedroom for a nursery so baby will be in with us in the cot for a while and then we'll move somewhere bigger, hopefully. Cots are very cheap from IKEA etc but we have a hand-me-down due anyway... Boot fairs are fantastic, too - people sell huge bags of clothes for pennies and you can get bouncy chairs etc for very little.

 

[becstar]

I never thought to use washable nappies - fab idea! haha.

You've a great plan there.
And besides, Asda is great for cheap & decent things.
I think spending alot of money on baby clothes is silly because of how fast they grow out of them.. that's why Primark and Asda are so handy.

I also like washables because of the environmental aspect. There are some truly fantastic washables out there - my friends use them and love them.

 

[jacobs mummy]

if i have another boy 2nd time around I won't need to buy anything till at least he's 1... i have about 5 bags of clothes stored away... even a christening outfit. I've learn't my lesson from the first time around! i've kept everything... well everything i can keep. Will be washing the pram and using it again 2nd time around. I think a lick of paint is all the nursery will need... will be moving my son into another room! he'll have the big boys room... so the baby can have his nursery.

h x

 

[Lynxylaydee1]

god knows how much we'll spend when we have a bump, hopefully not too much, my friend said whenever she bought something for baby she paid and tried to put atleast £2 in a jar. (usually the change from purchase) then at the end of every month she would cash it in at the bank. her son is now 2yrs old and theres well over 1500 in there!!! all adds up. we are being overly organized/budgeted and have got an amazing used twice Graco 3 in 1 travel system from freecycle! its even got the cosy toes/raincover/car seat AND car base!! i couldnt belienve my luck, also got a sterilizer,cot matress, moses basket AND highchair from freecycle! dunno how much eveythings worth but its defo saved us a few hundred for when we get pregnant!!xxx

 

[Katia-xO]

No i haven't started budgeting yet! I need a job before i can start putting money away, but as soon as i know my college timetable it'll be a lot easier to find one to fit in. My OH and i have a joint savings account, he says it's for a "house" but i know he means baby as he slipped up the other week and said he wanted to rent for a while lol.

 

[claire1983]

I budgeted for my first about 2 grand but I spent 5!!! At least I still have all the stuff to pass down when I am pregnant again. Maternity clothes cost a fortune and nappies do too, they grow so fast in them first few months you cant keep up. Then there is a pram and a cot and a car seat that they grow out of in no time! I am on car seat no. 3 and each cost over 100 quid! and all the usual stuff, steriliser, bottle warmers, bottles - not to mention the cost of washing all those extra dirty clothes! I just got all my old stuff out of the attic and I cant believe how much stuff I have got and I need to buy a new pram for the new baby as my old one is so well used!!! If you have a figure in mind double it! They are expensive and it never stops. Me and my fella both have good full time wages but it still kills us every month.

 

[Dream.A.Dream]

I read the same version of this thread in TTC section and found the article mentioned in the post by Loo really interesting. Me and my OH haven't budgeted as such but i've looked into how much things cost and we're in the process of deciding who to go with for a joint savings account which is "for our family" in his words

 

[m_t_rose]

I think cloth diapers are a great idea but I have read that they cost about the same as their disposable counterparts. With the initial cost of them being much higher and the cost of washing them I don't mean to rain on anyones parade I just know a few people (not on here) that have said they want cloth diapers because they wouldn't cost anything but they end up being the same.

 

[Mrs Doddy]

I think I did one a while ago and I worked it out at approx £1500.00 lol - may do another one and reduce it down a bit !!!

 

[becstar]

I think cloth diapers are a great idea but I have read that they cost about the same as their disposable counterparts. With the initial cost of them being much higher and the cost of washing them I don't mean to rain on anyones parade I just know a few people (not on here) that have said they want cloth diapers because they wouldn't cost anything but they end up being the same.

I know they cost more initially, but we're lucky where I live as the council gives you up to £50 back when you buy the first lot. I'm not too worried about the cost even if it worked out slightly more expensive, it's the environmental aspect that bothers me (ie when my kids have grandkids my kids own nappies would still be in a landfill somewhere). I take the point about the extra cost of washing, too, but again, I think on balance it works out better for me. I guess it's what suits the individual. I do think it'd cost me less overall, but I guess I'll just have to wait and see!