These past few months have crazy. Last year, we had decided our goal would be to buy a house in 2020. We had also decided that we should start trying for a baby, because we knew it may take awhile. I thought at least a year or more with my PCOS and everything else going on. Well, both ended up coming to fruition this year which was extremely exciting and overwhelming. Both things, however, are very expensive. I will write more about our house buying adventure in another post, but for now let’s talk baby.
Baby Luca will have a room of his own, but not until he is at least 6 months. We have a bedside bassinet to keep him in our room with us until then. So, to save on money and try to keep to a budget we planned out all the big things we absolutely needed for the baby before he arrives. My husband is an accountant and we have a spreadsheet for everything. At first, I will admit, I hated it. Now…I’m a convert and it’s quite satisfying to see numbers balance or find you have extra money or that you’ve saved money!
Our spreadsheet looks like this:
It’s just a rundown of the big ticket items we absolutely need before the baby arrives. This is also including a rough estimate on what we may spend on diapers for the first 3 months and enough clothes to get us through a few months.
Yes, we still have a little bit to go but so far we are staying under budget for a couple of reasons.
1.) Shopping sales and using coupons. Thank goodness for those monthly BuyBuyBaby 20% off coupons. That alone saved me almost $80 on our car seat and stroller! Luckily, we are also about to hit another holiday sale weekend with Labor Day as well. So hopefully, we can grab a few more deals this weekend.
2.)Shop used when you can. When I found out I was pregnant I had a grand plan for the nursery in my head. All new furniture that I picked out online. However, after buying a house and realizing it was bit unrealistic to spend that much on furniture right now. I took to Nextdoor and Facebook Marketplace. Nextdoor has been my biggest source of furniture. I found a dresser changing table combination that a woman was selling for $50. It’s in great shape, though there still may be a transformation of it later. Mainly, because I haven’t had a project in awhile. Needless to say, that used purchase saved me about $170 from my original plan.
I know I could easily spend several thousand dollars decorating for and preparing for the baby, but the reality is we need to prioritize and take a more minimalist approach. We need things that will make our lives easier and functional with the baby.
Flourishing Boldly 