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By *Coltens Mama* on Nov 29, 2009 | Reply

Thats between $2800-$3000 a month.

I think thats plenty if you budget correctly. Eat most of your meals at home. When you go grocery shopping, stick to your list dont buy any “extras” until after all your bills are paid and you know you have extra money left over.

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By Salt&Pepper Apricot on Nov 30, 2009 | Reply

Many items you’ll need will be given to you at the shower(s), so don’t go buying diapers, bibs, clothes, toys, etc, YET. You’ll maybe want a couple of each, or maybe not, depending if the shower will be before or after birth. Breastfeeding is free.

Thrift stores can be your best friend for buying a crib, etc. You really don’t need a changing table, among the many other unnecessary things people buy for their babies. Pioneer women did just fine without all that junk.

For baby food. When your baby starts eating pureed food, you can save a lot of money by taking a little of what you cook for you and hubby and putting it in a blender on puree. Instead of buying jars that have artificial crap in them, anyway.

Grow your own veggies as much as you can, and can them for preservation.

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By Lynsey ?Audrey's Mommy? on Nov 30, 2009 | Reply

$750 a week is not bad at all. I would say, “piece of cake,” but you did not include if you are renting or have a good size mortgage. I would start to possibly worry a bit if my mortgage was over $1400.

I was freaking out too. It has been really easy though. We don’t buy a lot of expensive luxury items or go on vacations, we only eat out once a week, movies once a month…not all that bad. Try living on one salary before the baby is born so you can decide if it is realistic or not.

Once you have all the gear and if you choose to breastfeed…babies don’t really break the bank. Medical co-pays/deductibles, clothes & about $40ish a month on diapers is generally it.

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By Jessica on Dec 3, 2009 | Reply

If you can ****** feed that will save you a ton of money!! thats what we did. plus just buy what you need, diapers, wipes and the bare essentials you dont need half of the stuff that they sell for babies these days. it will be ok, you’ll just have to clip coupons like crazy and make sure you need what you buy for your little one. women love to give things away too, and can get clothes handed down that’ll keep your little one clothed for awhile.

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By Cricket on Dec 3, 2009 | Reply

I’d start selling 31, Avon, Mary Kay, or something like those that you can sell from home- extra $ doesn’t hurt! Avon practically sells itself anyway!

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By jfamily on Dec 4, 2009 | Reply

do you own or rent? if you own your home, contact and see if they can help you lower your payments (they cut mine drastically)

coupons, coupons, coupons…
if you’re going to bottle feed, be sure to sign up on the formula websites for their programs. they send out MAJOR coupons ($10 off).

stock up on diapers when they are on sale. start buying them now. get a box/bag a week. different babies are different. but 3 has been the most used size in my house for 3 different children. i have a friend who SWEARS by the costco brand of diapers. she likes them as much as huggies.

buy store brand wipes.

buy used clothes. any family that can hand some down? garage sale garage sale garage sale. especially if someone had a same *** baby born around the same time….buy their used stuff.

not sure what kind of grocery stores you have in your area, but shop them all. i shop for everything i can at aldi, then i go to shop’n’save, last i go to schnucks.

is there any work you can do from home? typing? home-based sales company? i am a Close To My Heart Independant Consultant and bring in close to $100 a month to help out.

could you babysit another child or two? or what about after school care for local kids? a couple of those would help bring in some good money, too.

get on baby boards and swap coupons for formula and diapers. also…i almost forgot…you can double dip with coupons…if you have a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon, use them both. some people swear by for money saving information and coupons, too. but it’s a monthly fee.

that’s all i can really think of off the top of my head.

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By Callie on Dec 4, 2009 | Reply

I have stayed at home for the last 4 1/2 years. It can be done..you just have to give up a few extra things..and start clipping coupons.. I can not stress that enough.. try online coupons as well.. And since you got laid off you should be able to apply for unemployment. You can also apply for government assistance..they even give out cell phones these days..

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By Melissa S on Dec 6, 2009 | Reply

During the first year having a baby doesn’t need to be expensive. The only expenses are food, clothing, diapers, and health care. Try your hardest to breastfeed, this prevents 100+ a month in formula and bottles. Cloth diaper, the up front cost can be a lot but over time it’s a huge saver no matter what diapers you use. For clothing hit second hand stores, craigslist.com, and garage sales where you can even find new things. Don’t buy anything until after your shower so you know what you need. Definitely pay off any debts you can but make sure you keep money in savings even if it means keeping a low interest debt around. When your baby starts regular food make as much as you can yourself.

It can be done if you are careful but it’s not easy. I also pick up non perishable or frozen foods when they are on sale so I don’t have to buy them when they aren’t. This keeps out typical weekly grocery bill around $30 with maybe a $80-90 one once a month. We typically only buy fresh fruits/veggies and milk weekly.

ETA: It should be a piece of cake to live on $700-750/week with a payment of $800 unless you have some other expenses that are outrageously high. We pay $1000 for our mortgage and manage on $600/ week. We only have 1 car payment of $280 and no other debt. We have the lowest cable/internet package available and the same for our cell phones. We only go out to eat once a week and it’s less than $20, typically closer to $10. We also don’t spend much on entertainment, we look for local things that are free and family friendly.

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By Sarah V on Dec 9, 2009 | Reply

Try to nurse because that saves a bit of money but if you buy formula, I recommend Parent’s Choice at Walmart because that saves money and has comprable ingredients to the expensive brands…also when it comes time for baby foods, I suggest making your own purees because that saves money rather than jars of food…buy diapers in bulk at places like BJ’s/Costcos b/c that costs less….(like maybe 100% more diapers for only 50% more cost)…make a budget for everything…with that income, it will be a little tough, so I’d sit down with the hubby and budget all your monthly bills, groceries, entertaining/eating out, etc…like the other person mentioned, you’ll want to limit eating out…see what free activities are available in your community for mommies/babies, like mommies who work out with their babies, baby reading and play time at libraries, and things of that nature…

I also agree on the second hand clothes…I get a lot of my son’s clothes free at clothing swaps and cheap at places like Goodwill, and if you look carefully, you can find stuff is almost mint condition. Wash everything before your baby wears it of course

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By Georgie's Momma on Dec 12, 2009 | Reply

Make an spread sheet and create a budget. List all your bills and what they cost each month. If you base your budget on $750 a week, then anything above that can be set aside for savings. Having a little in savings is always a good idea in case there is an emergency or you need new tires on your car etc. Also, now is the time to bargain hunt for groceries. Find a grocery store with good prices that has the items you like to purchase and shop there. Plan your meals for the week so you can by all the groceries at the beginning of the week. I always plan meals that will feed us for 2-3 meals. Look around on the internet for some easy, inexpensive recipes and meal plans. Also, the biggest way to save money with a new baby is to ****** feed. I am not one of those crazies that say you have to ****** feed only, but it really makes sense on a tight budget because it is free. I am a SAHM also on a tight budget. I have one daughter currently and am expecting another in Feb. It is very rewarding to stay home with your child and is definitely worth it monetarily due to the high cost of child care. Good luck and best wishes!

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By Lisa W on Dec 13, 2009 | Reply

You should be able to do this no problem, you will have to budget your money and watch your spending but it is very do-able.

Start by making your menu for the week, then plan your groceries around that. Make your grocery list and stick to it. Buy off brands, you may have to try some different ones, some off brands are crap but others work just as well as the more expensive brands. Some off brand paper towels are not worth it because you have to use more for the same effect. You will have to just try to see what fits your needs.

It is also cheaper to buy some things in larger quantities. Being you are only having to cook for you and your husband you can make larger meals, divide them into what you will be eating and freeze the rest in portions you can fix for a later date.

Buy things on sale, turn off lights when not in the rooms, use coupons and other common sense things that save money.

You can do it and will be happier being able to be home with baby.

You can also save on some cleaning supplies by going “green”. Use vinegar and water in place of Windex and 409, for stains on counter instead of using the expensive 409 or Clorox cleanup you can make a mix of bleach and water to do the same jobs.

You can also make your own baby wipes, when baby comes. Did you know baby wipes you buy can clean oil stains out of your carpet, when I learned that and tried it I started making my own, viva paper towels, baby oil and natural liquid soap (just an extra tid-bit of info there ).

Good luck and have fun getting ready for baby.

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By My kiddos r my life on Dec 14, 2009 | Reply

First off always eat at home. Get a Sam’s membership and freeze leftovers. You can make enough food for one week for under $30. Next make see what is the cheapest cable\internet. You don’t want to be paying extra for the same channels. When the baby comes, you can save tons by breastfeeding. Since babies grow out of their clothes so quick, you can buy their clothes at consignment shops that are in great condition. Another thing is clipping coupons, they can save you like $20 on a whole grocery bill.

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By EthansDaddy on Dec 16, 2009 | Reply

I take care of my son making 540 a week. If you think you might need alittle help get WIC. Saves you about 150 a week in baby milk

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By ??RN?? on Dec 17, 2009 | Reply

i would sell the car with payments and buy a reliable used older car with no payments first; your mortgage…can u downsize? that’s more than the 25% of your income that should be the max for housing costs…put the money for the car if you can, at least part of it, to your debt and try to be debt free except for the house….by everything you can from craigslist, ebay, freecycle, garage and yardsales, goodwill, etc…let your friends know what you are looking for if they go yardsaling a lot, etc…i have gotten some great deals on toys and things like that from craigslist….and some from freecycle….my mil loves goodwill, it is like her hobby, so i tell her things i am looking for and of course she buys baby clothes all the time….if u have a washer and dryer, that is great, bc u will be doing more laundry than u think….instead of dreft, look for something that is frag and dye free at least for the first few months; babies r us has a bath sponge shaped like a bear that you can lay baby on in the big tub to keep them above the water and hold them in place while they are little; buy your car seat new! they say not to use a used one, or a mattress, shoes….
buy mostly sleeping type clothing for the first few mos with only a couple going out outfits for doc appts etc, they will grow out of them fast and there is no need to overbuy; i would buy a couple ’swaddle me’ wraps by kiddopotamus at babies r us, they are only ten bucks and worth their weight in gold!!!hth

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