“True indeed, having a baby is indeed a financial struggle unless you have saved up enough for a couple of years. It is even more costly when you wanted to shower everything on your first baby! Well, I guess it’s a typical response for 1st time parents. But parents should learn to save and be more practical as there are a lot more expenses to await when they start schooling.”
How to Trim Down Your Family’s Expenses
Right after I gave birth to my first daughter, a funny thing happened: Virtually every dollar I owned seemed to sprout wings. Then one by one, they flew away—to the pediatrician, the drugstore, and any chain that sold cute kids’ clothes. Sure, I’d known that a baby would bring new financial pressures. But when I saw my first postpartum credit-card bill, I totally freaked out.
If you have a newborn, you’re probably panicked too. No wonder: Depending on your spending habits and child-care needs, you’ll likely shell out $7,000 to $14,600 annually between now and your little one’s second birthday. But there’s hope. Through trial and error, I learned a lot about raising a daughter on a budget. Now that my second girl is here, I’ve gotten even savvier. Here are ways you, too, can cut your baby expenses by half—or even more.
Hospital How-Tos
- Say no to add-ons. Pass up a private room if there’s a charge. Fees can vary wildly, from about $30 a day in Alabama all the way up to a $500 daily charge where I gave birth, in Manhattan. By opting for a two-person room for my second hospital stay, when a C-section required me to remain five days, I saved $2,500. With nurses popping in every hour, I would have had no privacy anyway.
- Don’t turn on the TV. Some hospitals (like mine) also charge patients about $8 a day for television privileges. But you’re there to rest, not watch a Three’s Company marathon. Relish the time with your newborn and the fact that there’s …
Read more: http://www.parents.com/parenting/money/family-finances/32-ways-to-save-money-when-you-have-a-baby/