I have a question for the moms out there...?

Question

I was just curious on how much you spent pre-paring for baby to come.. like on clothes ,furniture,baby hygeine,and accesories ...ect.. my husband and i are having an argument over this he is in iraq and doesnt believe the cost...

I forgot to add.. maternity clothing...

I have spent around 4,000.00.. anyone spend anywhere around there?

I bought everything brand new i'm in hawaii 6,000miles away from family and yes i bought the important things but i also got the fun stuff and i spent lots of money on groceries for myself (healthy food, and im not going to lie some junk food)

Answer 1

We spent maybe $1000. I got a lot of stuff on sale or free, and we had a baby shower as well.

$4000 sounds like a LOT, but what good is all that combat pay if you don't have something to spend it on?

ETA:

Being stationed in Hawaii explains a lot of your spending. The cost of everything is so much there due to having to ship it so far. The cost of living where we are stationed is low, thus, we spent considerably less.

Answer 2

Personally, short of eating healthy during your pregnancy, I think lots of things marketed to pregnant moms are not necessary. Take care your YOUR needs, but for baby, you are not gonna need all that junk. Get a few outfits, cloth baby wipes, a sling, a good car seat, and if you HAVE to have a stroller, get something affordable that will grow with your child (like one that reclines for a newborn, but that will also be good for a toddler). Save your money and don't bother with a changing table. Just do it on the floor or bed or couch. Save your money and don't buy a crib. Just have the baby sleep with you. Save your money and don't buy all that expensive baby soap, creams, and all that crap. I totally don't get why people are convinced they need all this stuff. Don't get me wrong; I was confused as a first time mom also, but after the second baby (I have had four so far), I realized none of this stuff was really necessary. And $4000?? Wow! I would freak out on that too. I got my crib and changing table used, my crib mattress new for about $100, a car seat for $60, and then the rest, I got as shower gifts (high chair, play pen, stroller, etc). I also never used the crib or play pen. Never. Luckily they together only cost me only about $60. And the changing table? While I did use it, I could have lived without it. Get a changing pad, a small waterproof pad to put on top of it, a wicker basket, some cloth wipes, a small squeeze bottle for a wipes solution, and keep it in the corner of the room and that will take up a lot less space than a changing table AND will save you some money too.

Answer 3

It is fairly expensive, and it may be hard for your husband to believe it since he's out there with the bare necessities! Some ways to keep from spending too much at one time is to buy a little at a time...For example...what are the odds that you are going to have your newborn baby sleeping in a crib as soon as you bring them home? Maybe instead of a crib and the bedding, you can get a playpen that has a bassinet, that way you can use it now, and later...as for the hygeine stuff, if you have a baby shower, you will get most of that stuff from friends and family, as well as some of the clothing items. I know its fun to shop for clothes for baby, but for now just buy the necessities, like onesies, and sleepers, etc...babies don't stay in the newborn sizes very long (unless they are pretty small at birth like 5-7lbs). What you absoloutely need to start off are things like the car seat, maybe the stroller (try to get the travel system stroller/car seat combo), a bassinette or playpen w/ the attatchment, and maybe a swing or bouncer so you have a place to put baby when you have to do something...It must be stressful trying to plan for baby while your husband is deployed! I hope he's back home safe soon...then he can help you shop for baby. Best of luck and thank you both for your sacrifices!!!

Answer 4

We were very lucky, we had a great baby shower and I have an aunt who bought all my baby's furniture. I think all in all we ended up spending maybe $300?? We really only had to buy some tiny onesies (my son was premature) and as far as hygiene type stuff, the hospital loaded us down with diapers, tylenol, diaper bag, bottles, etc. when we got to take my little guy home.

Now of course, since then, we've spent a LOT. He grew really fast so we were having to buy new clothes every month or so. He's 9 months old now, and I think there are things we bought that we probably could have done without (Diaper Genie, wipe warmer to name a couple) and things I wish we could have afforded (we had a hand me down swing and I would have liked to have a new one) but all in all you can do it on a shoestring if you have to, even better if you breastfeed. As long as the baby has a place to sleep, diapers, food, clothes and LOTS of love and affection, your baby will do great!

Congrats to you and good luck!


~~~EDIT~~~
Just read your addition to your additional question.....
$4000????? Oh good lord no! I don't think I've spent that much since he was born! That's more than we make in a month!
That baby's gonna have a sweet setup! =)

Answer 5

You really do not need a lot to take care of the baby, newborn are actually not that expensive. You really do not need a changing table it is much easier to change the baby were they are when they need it, the bed, crib, couch, etc. You can find everything else you need for very reasonable at garage sales, thrift stores. I just started my daughter out in a normal size crib, and skipped the bassinet, they out grow them very fast. Besides the crib you will need a infant car seat, (I would buy brand new or get one that is less than two years old, and has not been in any accidents), baby wipes and diapers, diaper bag (hospitals usually give one out in a care package after the baby is born), lotion, shampoo, clothes appropriate for the season, and formula if you are not going to breastfeed. I would see about having a baby shower that helps wrap up all the odds and ends you need.

If you have any more questions about getting ready for the baby or the birth let me know, I am due to have my second in less then 2 weeks.

Answer 6

I spent around 1000.00 on my new baby. I bought everything brand new also and I stocked up on diapers and wipes also. My son is three months old and I just started buying him diapers and wipes because I just ran out. Also, the clothes for him and maternity clothes aren't cheap either. Just tell him how every little thing adds up and be sure to keep your reciepts to show him what you spent the money on. Im sure the argument will end very quickly. Good Luck & Congrats!

Answer 7

If you do have a baby shower, you'll probably be surprised at what you get. It sounds like money is an issue, so call a few good daycares and ask them about local consignment sales in your area. I spent less than $100 the first year to cloth my child on these sales - and they have great deals on cribs, exersaucers, etc. At this age, babies barely use this stuff so it's in great condition.

Yes, kids are expensive. But there are certainly plenty of ways you can save money. Go with the basics - crib, carseat, swing, bouncy seat.

Answer 8

I spent $50 on maternity clothes.

I had a crib, my parents bought the car seat, my mom bought a lot of baby clothes, I got everything on my registry.

I think I spent about $50 on clothes 0 - 12 mos. And $20 on diapers.

I didn't use most of it and passed it on to my sister who is expecting.

Babies don't need much stuff. I can't imagine how you spent that much money!

Answer 9

Well it depends. First off, babies aren't cheap, so if he is complaining about the things you are buying then you guys should have thought financially about it before you got pregnant. You really never stop spending on a baby...diapers, formula, clothes every 1-2 months because they grow so rapidly, etc tell your husband these are all necessities and he is just going to have to deal unless you want your child to do with out......

Answer 10

The answer would depend on how much you have.

We didn't spend CLOSE to $4k - there'd have been nothing left for food.

It sounds to me like you may be focussing too much on the "fun stuff" before knowing what the needs are. A pretty crib bumper and a nice glider rocker is nowhere near as important as a) good quality shoes when the kid is walking, b) a good breast pump... c) whatever else makes you and your child healthy - like high quality food, and d) some money tucked away for whatever special need your kid may have.

By the time your kid notices the pretty nursury, he or she will have outgrown it.

Dare I ask what is in your 401k?