Being pregnant in college brings financial ups and downs.
Okay, mostly downs.
That doesn’t mean one can’t learn how to be prepared.
Budgeting is the single most important aspect of having a baby and every day living.
Let’s start before the baby is born.
Babies don’t need fancy things. Most baby buys are directly for your own comfort.
A baby doesn’t know what a changing table is for, and has no use for it.
It’s for you to store diapers and easily change your baby.
Strollers, bassinets and fancy portable cribs are mostly for the mother’s comfort and ease in raising a newborn.
All these things cost money. The only thing I can think of that is a must is safe crib.
A new crib, dresser and changing table set can range anywhere from $500 to $1,500 at Babies “R” Us.
Two places that are helpful to an expecting college student in the cutting cost area are Craigslist and Amazon.
Both these websites have competitive prices. On the second-hand Craigslist website, sometimes the equipment is new or barely used.
My mother-in-law bought a crib and set for our baby, her 1st grandchild, to use at her house on Craigslist.
Even though it may seem foreign to some people to take second-hand items, it’s one of the only ways to avoid breaking the bank when it comes to preparing for baby.
A full, new nursery can run in the thousands of dollars if one only buys new things.
Now, when your bundle of joy arrives:
I am not at this stage yet, but have spoken to many mothers my age or younger, and they have told me that their two biggest expenses are diapers and formula.
The best way to deal with diapers is to stock up before baby arrives.
Whenever I make a trip to Costco, I throw in at least one box of Kirkland diapers. We have six boxes at this point.
That may not seem like a lot, but when there is a newborn, not having to worry about that particular expense for a few months could be a life and sanity-saver. The only downside to this is hoping your baby is not allergic to the diapers that have been stocked up. However, Costco and Babies R’ Us both have excellent return policies regarding the return of diapers.
The issue of formula is a tricky one.
A woman can only feed her baby the way she feels is right for her. If we are talking budget, however, breastfeeding will always be the best bet. Why? It’s free!
If you are dedicated, it can be done successfully while working.
Also, breast pumps can be rented for a fraction of the purchase cost.
There is a stigma that babies always cost a ton of money, but there are definitely ways to make it less expensive, remember: People have been having babies for thousands of years without the aid of all these fancy things that are advertised.