How Much Do Kids Cost A Month...

[rkwright]

Easy question, but I need an honest answer.

My wife and I are living on a tight budget. I'm still in school, and she is a teacher on a "reduced" salary because its her first year.

She has health insurance, and I don't think the delivery would break us - though we would really have to save for it.

My question is how much on average does a newborn cost per month. There are some websites that give an idea, but I'm not sure whats realistic, whats needed, ect.

[CatherineM]

Depends. Cloth diapers washed at home and breast feeding is the cheapest. Disposable diapers cost as does formula. Some kids need more trips to the doctor than others.

[HisChildForever]

Well I clearly have no idea (LOL) but I suppose some people are lucky to get hand-me-downs (from siblings and friends) - clothing, strollers, etc. Plus, if you have a baby shower, make sure you make your wish list practical. That will help you out a lot.

[saline_queen]

It really depends. My son was premature, so his hospital bill was through the roof. Then we had to buy formula because even if I did breast feed (I wanted to, but because he was premature, he wouldn't latch) he still needed a supplement in the form of formula. Ours had to be a special kind that cost $23 a can and he went through about 3 a week. Then there's diapers. Ours cost about $60 a month. And then there's clothes and toys. It just really depends. I wouldn't do it unless you're for sure able to take care of the child.

[stlmom]

The medical costs are probably your biggest budget concern----(prenatal care, maternity clothing should also be figured into your budget)----babies need frequent checkups and immunizations those first few years. I agree that breastfeeding is a big help as are cloth diapers, however, that also depends on whether Mom can stay home as long as possible or whether she has to return to work. Really, a healthy baby doesn't need tons of stuff. We bought lots of used furniture and clothes from consignment stores and garage sales, good quality items--babies just don't "wear out" things their first year. Babies are affordable. Teenagers, on the other hand....

[Chestertonian]

boys: $312.79
girls:$743.04

[Brother Adam]

That is like asking how much does a car cost. My car was $3900 and costs about $600 a year in maintenance. A cousin's car cost $85,000 and runs about $5,000 a year to keep it running perfect. You can literally pour money into having kids or you can be very frugal and still raise happy, holy Catholic kids. The medical costs are really what you have to check on. If your insurance doesn't cover maternity care find out if you would be covered by medicaid or if there is an inexpensive state option for medical care for pregnant women and infants.

Furniture is another expense. As are all the 'baby' things like car seats. We got a lot of it over time and a lot of it was given to us by family. Once the one time purchases are out of the way kids aren't actually that expensive. Certainly not as expensive as different internet sites say. I'd say we spend about $150.00 a month between our two little ones for food, clothes, diapers, etc.

[MIKolbe]

As for the delivery, most insurance companies will work on a payment plan. We did not 'save' for it, we made payments. Most hospitals/insurance companies know you will NOT have the whole amount right then and there. We made a small payment upon leaving the hospital, then worked out a payment plan.

When we got the "THIS IS NOT A BILL" statement from the hospital, I nearly had a coronary. It was $15k. The part we were responsible for was $800 or so. and Peyton, our oldest, was 'free'. I don't know what happened, but we never received a bill from our insurance, and it never went on our credit report. I heard insurance companies will do that with certain hospitals under certain conditions.

We got many of our daughter's clothes from family and friend and from various second hand shops. There are also some cute consignment shops specifically for baby clothes.

For newborns, a case of diapers is around $25 (that is a mid-brand, not top, nor low). For a newborn to 3 months, a case might last 3 weeks. As they get older, the price stay the same, but the # in the case decreaes.

As for formula, my youngest needed some lipid thing or another (i just had to get the purple can) that can get expensive. About $28 a large can. It would last 2-3 weeks. (closer to 3-4 weeks for a newborn as they take 2 oz, not 3 or 4) The 'normal' big can is like $23 or so. She is on milk now, so that is better on the pocketbook now.

Also, get online and apply for special offers from pampers, similac, infamil, etc... We used to get free cans in the mail, or coupons for $6 off a can. The savings can really add up.

Don't forget the power of a baby shower. LOL We did not have to buy diapers/wipeys or formula for 2 months!!!

If I had to guess a #, $60/month. That is assuming she is not breastfeeding. If she is, $30ish. Those are the consumables. Not sure what you co pays are for Dr. visits, but you will probably see the Dr. btwn 6-8 times in the first year, not including vaccinations.

I know it sound like alot, but it isn't. It's weird. I freaked out too about the expense, but it just worked out.


MIKolbe

[Laudate_Dominum]

So far our kid has been free... for the most part.

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' date='15 October 2009 - 09:03 PM' timestamp='1255654985' post='1986211']
So far our kid has been free... for the most part.
[/quote]
I take that back now that I've thought about it for than 0.24 seconds.

[rkwright]

I'm not as worried about the medical. I feel like we can save for that and she has decent coverage.

Thanks for the numbers. I understand they can vary greatly, but I meant that as a "minimum" that we should look for to spend a month. Thats mostly what I was worried about.

[Sojourner]

Re: medical:

Before you start trying, look very very carefully at what is and is not covered, and maybe she should even talk to other teachers who have dealt with the insurance company about their experiences.

The concern is not just medical expenses for the baby (which can be a big deal, depending on health) but also medical expenses for mom. Our first pregnancy was ectopic, and ended in me having to have surgery to remove a fallopian tube. I had insurance (through school) and our out-of-pocket expenses are looking to be more than $20K (we are still in negotiations to get that number reduced).

All the other baby accoutrements are negligible in comparison to that, honestly.

[little_miss_late]

It really does depend- on where you live and also on how you live. Remember that time is valuable also... not just in the obvious ways like missing work to take a kid to the doctor, but also that many of the money saving things you can do take a lot of time. Breastfeeding takes time (especially when your wife is learning), washing the tons of baby clothes and sheets that get dirty every day takes time, making cheaper food from scratch takes time, etc. If you don't already live this kind of lifestyle, this can be a big adjustment in itself (independent of the huge adjustment of having kids).

We had two kids before I finished school. I took a year of leave after the birth of my second child and went back to work before I went back to school. Luckily I was able to work in a place with child care on site so I could keep breastfeeding. Without that job we would not have made it. That year was probably the hardest.

[StColette]

I will concur with what many have already said.

Terra Firma brings up an important point. Have your wife speak with other women employees that have gone through a pregnancy with the insurance that she has. Also, have her ask about maternity leave and possible benefits towards childcare. Some school districts will help provide discounts toward childcare (if your wife chooses to continue to work).

MIkolbe pointed something important out also. Hospitals are willing to work with your when it comes to payment plans. I went to the ER several times with my first pregnancy and that created a huge hospital bill even with insurance. I contacted the hospital and set up a payment plan with them. I did similar things for the obgyn doctor payment and delivery charges. And after a year it's almost all completely paid off. hehe just in time too as baby #2 is right around the corner but he/she is free of charge thanks to our very generous doctor!!

I will give you forewarning that not every pregnancy is easy. Both of my pregnancies have been very tough and high risk. My condition only happens in about 2% or 3% of pregnancies, but there's always the chance your wife can land in that percentage.

As for monthly cost, it just really depends. For some of the families on here there's no need to pay daycare, but for others like Micah and I, we both have to work in order to afford health insurance and student loan payments. If either one of us could stay at home, Aaron would definitely be a lot cheaper lol. We pay around 400 a month in daycare, on average 60 or so dollars on formula, and about 30 toward diapers (this is for a 11 month old). Now, if your wife nurses you can subtract the formula cost. I had to stop nursing Aaron once I was around 3 months pregnant with baby #2 and I was getting dehydrated due to morning sickness and breastfeeding. Even if she works she can still breastfeed, but invest in a very very good breastpump (it's worth it!). She can speak with her boss about the need to pump throughout the day. It's a little awkward if it's a male boss (especially in my case since my boss is a priest lol) but they'll understand. If you use cloth diapers, you can cut diaper costs per month, though it is a little more expensive in the beginning. If you can find someone that does an "at home" daycare, they are usually cheaper and better than a large daycare.

For daycare, its also good to look into what aide you can possibly get from the state. People below a certain income or who are students can get huge discounts off of good quality daycare, even including at home private daycares. I'm not one for jumping on the free aide programs but you have to do what you've got to do sometimes. WIC can help cover costs of formula and baby foods as well.

Craigslist and Yardsales are great places to find cheap but good quality baby stuff. Ask for diapers if you have a baby shower. Hand-me-downs from older siblings or family members that aren't having any more children is a great source as well.

So, on average Aaron costs about 500 a month because of daycare lol Baby #2 will cost around 300 for daycare and $60 on diapers in the beginning. Micah has taken on some web design jobs to help supplement our income. Since he's teaching he'll watch both babies during the Summer to help cut some costs.

It can be done, even on a small/tight budget. Micah and I and well pretty much every other married couple on phatmass can say that it can be done. It's tough at times. And you go without what you want and live on just what you need. It's a whole new level of sacrifice, but the reward is wonderful. You live simply but your joy is definitely not diminished.

[Sojourner]

One thing you might look into is a membership in one of the bulk stores, like Sam's Club or Costco. From what I have seen (and granted I haven't looked too closely) diapers are about 1/3 to 1/2 cheaper there than in normal retail. Other things might be cheaper as well, but you'd have to look into it and see for yourself.