How much will it cost on a monthly basis to have a baby?

[Growth2016]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this, I am thinking of having a baby, I am in the middle of planning financially for this.

Any advice or suggestions are welcome, please feel free to point out anything I may not have thought of yet.

Many thanks for all your time.

xx

 

[fairyprincess]

Hi and welcome, it really depends. For example, we're going to be using re-usable nappies so obviously there's the initial cost of purchasing but then no need to buy disposables on a weekly basis x

 

[MrsS15]

Hi and welcome to PF

As FP said, it completely depends. When I was pregnant with our son after our first scan each week we started buying a packet of nappies and wipes into our weekly shop. We barely noticed the price difference each week and by the time he was here we were stocked up for ages We also bought neutral things (unless you know the sex) whenever we had spare money and saved up so when he was born and we knew the sex we went on a shopping spree. One of my favourite days! I also breastfed so didn't worry about formula. Its one of the main things you can't stock up on because you don't know what milk will agree with your baby so best to wait. Again just add that into your weekly shop (about 10 pound). When babies start to eat if you wait till 6 months to wean they can eat pretty much whatever you do so you'll barely see a price difference in that too!

If it's your first baby you'll probably find people will be keen to buy you things. With our first my parents bought us the nursery furniture, hubbys parents bought us the pram and my sister bought us the moses basket. We're obviously trying for our second this time so we're budgeting to buy everything ourselves. We've put away about 1200, we've worked out this will buy us our pram, moses basket/stand, cot and set of drawers (got a big cupboard in the room so don't need a wardrobe). Just look up the prices of things to give you an idea. Like everything you can get a pram that's £200 right up to 1200, moses basket for £20 or 100. Just have a look at what you like and save it, that's what I do. Or there's always second hand depending on your budget!

For us we also have to factor in child care, so this is another thing we save for. If that applies to you then try to work out what you'll be and put as much away as you can afford. It'll make such a difference when you've potentially saved enough childcare for your costs to be halved in the first year

Also, if you work calculate what your maternity pay will be so you can also budget for this.... or you don't need to be as anal as me, you could just throw it all to hell and get pregnant

Hope this helps a little xx

 

[Phoenix85]

I breastfeed & cloth nappy so actually once the baby arrives it costs nothing really during the first 6 months.
I've already bought all the clothes I'll need for the first 3 months or so (depending on size, my babies were small so there's a good chance this one will fit 0-3m for longer than the first 3 months). I also have a few 3-6m outfits too and 7 bibs. I will have to buy a few vests and maybe a few more outfits or sleep suits in 3-6m (and later, 6-12m etc) but that's as expensive as you want it to be. You can get by on just a few outfits by then and there are always sales on & bargains.

I've also bought enough cloth nappies & wipes, but there's a cloth nappy library nearby that I'll look into using if I did think I needed more nappies (but hopefully will have enough as I bought 8 or 9 first size, some small prefolds, and I already have a few left from my last baby).

So until mine starts eating solids after about 6m there's very little cost, just what I want to spend on clothes. And actually even after 6m food costs are minimal, and then it's just however much you want or can afford to spend on clothes, toys etc.