Here is a great question one of our readers sent in. Remember, if you want to Ask the Bees, just contact us!

Topic: Save For a Baby

Question:

Hi! Thanks so much for all you do! I have a quick question for you. I’m having a baby early next year, and I have NO idea how much money I will need. I feel so overwhelmed, hectic, and busy. I feel like I need to do about a thousand things to get ready for this baby, but I have no idea where to start. Any suggestions on how much money I should save for a baby?

– Angie G.

Answer:

Hey Angie! First of all, great question and thanks for sending it in! More people should be asking this and preparing better for their little bundles of joy. I just had my babies four months ago, so I get it. There is so much conflicting information out there. Some people say kids will totally drain your wallets while others will say they don’t really need much at all. Honestly, the most important thing for us was having enough money to cover all of the healthcare costs. Even with excellent insurance, we still had to shell out thousands of dollars for everything leading up to the birth and the delivery. Plus, my kids spent two weeks in the NICU because they were preemies, so there were those costs to take care of as well. My advice would be to get very familiar with your insurance plan. Know what your out of pocket max is and save up enough to cover that so you don’t have to deal with incessant hospital bills arriving at your house while you’re trying to get used to your new baby.

My next piece of advice is just to get things as you need them. If your baby is having trouble sleeping, go buy a white nose machine. If you’re nervous about bathing your baby in the sink, go buy an infant bathtub. But don’t buy the crib, white noise machine, bathtub, bath toys, teething items, bottles, pacifiers, etc. all at once. Just get a couple of things and see how they work and add them on as needed. With the beauty of Amazon, you don’t even have to leave your house if you want to order something.

I know I don’t have all the answers because I’m a new mom myself but I have noticed people get a bit excessive with the baby stuff. Frankly the less money you can spend, the more money you can save for their future which is much more important!

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