Precious newborns are so tiny and require little beyond basic care that it’s hard to imagine increasing your monthly budget as a result. But those little bundles of joy come with a price tag. Here are some of the expenses you might need to plan for with a new addition to the family.
Nutrition
Even if you breastfeed your child, you will probably be prescribed vitamins by your doctor along with a healthy and nutritious eating plan. After a few months, you might begin to supplement your child’s diet with pureed food or store-bought baby food. Nursing bras for breastfeeding or formula for bottle-feeding are some of the supplements that you will need to add to the budget.
Clothing
Newborns usually wear onesies, sleepers, or maybe infant t-shirts at home. But you will probably want to dress up your baby in cute seasonal outfits for visits, errands, or photoshoots. Of course, you will need to buy disposable diapers or hire a diaper service if you are using cloth diapers unless you have time to wash a dozen diapers per day. Receiving blankets, hats, and booties or baby socks are additional items to consider.
Supplies
This miscellaneous category can include toys, a car seat, a playpen, a crib with sheets and a blanket, an eventual highchair, baby bottles, teething rings, and nursery furniture. There are dozens of other supplies you may need or want, such as a diaper bag and baby monitor to check on your child from another room.
Health Care
Health care costs for a new baby will include the delivery fee deductibles after regular medical insurance pays its share. Typically, newborns are seen by a pediatrician within a few weeks of birth. Vaccinations begin at the age of two months on average. Routing checkups occur every month or two, and you will need to pay whatever the insurance doesn’t cover.
Insurance
You will need to update your home insurance, which will likely increase your monthly payments. In case something happens to your home, you want to make sure that you get coverage for everything including everything you used to create a nursery, clothing, diapers, and anything else that you may need to be covered.
In addition to home insurance, you’ll also need health insurance. Unless you have health care insurance provided by your employer, you might have to pay monthly premiums and copay deductibles for your child’s doctor visits. You may also want to increase your life insurance to provide for your little one if something should happen to you.
Children are priceless, but their care and upbringing come with a price tag that we are very glad to pay. Be prepared to update your monthly budget to cover these and related costs to provide your child with quality care.
