You Have More Flexibility Than You Realize
You’re probably spending about $1,497 a month you don’t need to. Look at your finances. Drinks and eating out are around $450 a month, takeout and delivery is similarly costly.
Purchasing lunch will knock you back $100 a month, as will varying subscription services, online shopping that’s non-essential, paid apps, daily coffee at the coffee shop, monthly streaming services, and extraneous costs likely also come into play.
So spend $200 a month eating out, $200 a month on drinks, $150 a month on takeout, $100 a month on coffee from Starbucks, $100 on subscription or cable services, $100 a month on spurious online purchases, $200 a month on unnecessary creature comforts like chocolate or something similar, and about $100 a week pleasure shopping, and you’re at $1,450 a month.
You can cut most that cost from your monthly spending, and as a parent, you should. Annual savings through cutting such spending can produce as much as $18k annually. Save that money, spend it on your baby instead. Also, there are a few other things you want to think about in advance like this, we’ll go over them.
An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure
If you buy a plastic receptacle of Folger’s Coffee, that’s probably $10 to $15; depending on where you buy. That will last you 1 to 3 months, depending on your coffee intake. If you spend $30 a month on cream and filters, plus a negligible amount on the utilities of electricity and water, you’re probably looking at $33 a month through the year; or $396 a year.
Meanwhile, a $5 coffee at Starbucks (when you factor in tip and travel), is $100 a month, or $1,200 a year. So call home coffee $400, and you save $800 a year over Starbucks. Similarly, medical issues work like this.
If you you have trusted pros in whom you rely, and you get checkups from a healthcare group offering OB/GYN services in Walpole, you can get ahead of medical issues. If you know you’re at risk for something in advance, you can take measures to mitigate that risk. With women’s health issues, OB/GYN options tend to be the best way to do this.
Applying Medical Planning to Other Areas of Motherhood
Similarly, you want to prepare before, during, and after birth for the baby. You can start with your budget, lean into OB/GYN options, and find a lactation consultant expert before you give birth for when unexpected issues develop. Mastitis, nipple injury, expression issues, sore paps, blocked milk ducts, and more are common nursing difficulties.
Being a Strong Parent Regardless of Your Social Station
Even if you’re not making a lot of money, you can free up around $18k a year for parenthood. Getting help from women’s health professionals like OB/GYNs and lactation consultants also save money. Prepare in advance, and you’ll be better prepared for unexpected future situations.
