Saving for a baby

[Mrs Poppy]

Hiya!

Just wondered if anyone is saving especially for their future bubs? We won't be ttc for a few years yet but my mum reckons I should be saving now and should start a baby fund. What does everyone else do? Do you have a specific baby fund? x

 

[tasha41]

No specific baby fund..

I am saving money but just saving money in general. This will be baby #2 so I have a fair bit of stuff already. My shopping list is going to essentially be a crib & mattress, jumperoo.. maybe some more clothes (if it's a boy I definitely need more clothes.. if it's a girl just a couple of things).

 

[Mrs Poppy]

Thanks Tasha. How much did all your baby stuff come to if you don't mind me asking? Just trying to think of a rough estimate of much I should be saving.

 

[Pyrrhic]

We have a 'baby account' on our online banking with £2.17 in it Will be awhile yet before we even think about TTC though

 

[tasha41]

Thanks Tasha. How much did all your baby stuff come to if you don't mind me asking? Just trying to think of a rough estimate of much I should be saving.

Not sure the total.. thousands though.. what I remember (in Canadian dollars):
Convertible crib with the conversion kit.. about $1,000
Crib mattess.. $100
Stroller.. $400
High chair.. $120
Bouncy chair.. about $50
Exersaucer.. about $80
Bottles.. probably $100, we had to try a lot of different bottles out on her, she's picky about them
3 in 1 convertible car seat.. $100-$200

Things we didn't buy new...
Playen - got from my aunt
Swing - got from OH's cousin
Infant car seat - got from family friend, barely used

Most of her clothes came to us as gifts or from friends/family in good condition.. I only bought things I "had to have".. I need to buy a couple of sleepers for the next size, but I have a lot.

 

[Vesta]

We try and put a little away each month into our savings account. But it's not specificly for baby.

 

[stargirl69]

I will be saving as soon as we pay off our debts (no major debts though). Going to put away around £400 a month, but this is also to help cover costs when I'm off on maternity leave. We want to be comfortable during that period, not struggling so it will help to have a little pot of money to dip into when we need to, and also to buy baby things i.e. cot.

 

[Mrs Doddy]

Yep we are and your mum is right, you can never have too much money saved !!!! there is all the stuff for when they are little but they get more expensive as they get older - of course it is what you make it.

It will also help when you are on maternity leave to have a bit of money to go out with

you could set up a standing order into an account just for the baby each month - it will soon build up

 

[lozzy21]

Were not saving, there is a lot of baby's and children in the family so we can get nearly everything for free. At the mo there is no grandchildren and since me and OH are both the eldest i doubt there will be untill we have one so no doubt we will get a lot bourght for us, or so my mam says. I will also get £800 once baby is born from my health insuance. I am going to breastfeed and plan on using reusable nappys so babys outgoing will be limated.

 

[shambaby]

yep, we are saving - for baby stuff and to help when i am on maternity leave. in fact getting financially ready is the only reason we are waiting - and we are almost there! yay! if you can i would say start saving now - i have a feeling however much you save it will never be enough!
perhaps to give yourself an idea of costs you could do some fantasy shopping - write a list of everything you think you will need for a baby and go online to find out how much each thing costs, then total it up. and probably multiply by 10! my hubby actually suggested this and i'm having great fun doing it - making lists and shopping are 2 of my favourite things!

 

[bunnyg82]

Yep, we're saving. We don't have many young babies in the family and we know that there's not many people in our family and friends that could buy us stuff so we have to do what we can. Although I wish we started earlier! I have been putting £25 a month into a savings account that we can't touch and I will increase that amount after our holiday in September. x

 

[Mrs Poppy]

Shambaby- good idea about fantasy shopping- the only problem is I seem to want the most expensive stuff, eg my favourite pram is the icandy It's probably best not to show dh the list or it will put him off even more! Best get saving!

 

[luckyme225]

We are saving money for #2

 

[calm]

We don't have a separate account, but we have been doing quite a lot of saving. I think the best comfort, is that this will allow me not to work for a year or 2. We should be able to live no problem with DH's wage, but I think it certainly makes him feel better that there is something to fall back on. (Do we talk of savings as a mattress in English? In Spanish we say we have a mattress to fall on. I get confused with Spanish. Many people use to sew money in mattresses, especially in the old Franco days, they found a fortune in my great uncle's sock years ago).

 

[bunnyg82]

hey calm - I haven't heard of that saying, but it makes sense! x

 

[Flowerpot]

I put money aside as a 'baby fund' I also have different holiday funds and allsorts so between all the different 'funds' only about 10 euros goes in per month at the moment. That said, one of the other funds is our holiday fund for next month so once thats over with we'll be concentrating adding more to the next most important fund which is the baby one....haha.

 

[amyclaire]

i put £20 a week into an account xxx