Budgeting for Baby, a practical choice!

OUR commitment to being frugal and practical:

A baby costs how much did you say??? I was reading an article on parenting.com that stated,  "According to a 2010 USDA report, the average middle-income family will spend roughly $12,000 on child-related expenses in their baby’s first year of life." Well, I thought to myslef, 'Thank God we aren't average then'!

 That being said, Matt and I are so blessed to be in such a stable position financially with baby LaClair on the way.  Many new parents seek out the latest and greatest products of the baby world, especially with their first baby. It is so easy to get tied up in the retail world of all the cute little gadgets and allow your 'baby lust' to consume you. This is why Matt and I have decided together to take a step back and examine the practicality of it all. It didn't take much after looking at the economy and remembering how hard we have both worked to see that it didn't add up to indulge in this 'baby lust' mentality. Instead, we have made a commitment to practice practical and frugal parenting.

 So what does this mean? Quite simply, taking a step back and thinking about every single purchase. Asking questions like, How much does it cost and can I get it on sale or gently used? Is this something I will really use, and for how long? Can it be used for the next baby(s), (should we decide to even go there), or can it be re-sold? What is the quality vs. the price? Is this an item I should splurge on? 

With these questions in mind, there are several resources available to us; especially as a military family. We are so lucky to have facebook swap pages, the airmen's attic (a FREE resource to Yokota air base I.D. card holders), Yokota ads classifieds, and of course  the tax-free BX! Why not take advantage of these resources?

Finally, an argument of the practically of it all... One of the things I find most ironic about babies is the fact that everything is so 'cute and precious' on the shelves in stores. Just think of what the reality is of what happens to that bib, onesie, or blanket. Babies are gross, people! Why spend twenty dollars on an outfit that fluids from both ends contaminate? (Sorry, too much information.) And the fact that they just grow, grow, and grow some more! Just blink, and they are out of that zero to three month wardrobe. 

This is not to say that we won't splurge here and there, or enjoy shopping with family/friends when we go home. It's an overall/ long term choice, especially with big ticket items.

Stay tuned for future finance related blog entries (like my plan to cloth diaper and breast feed)

http://www.parenting.com/article/the-cost-of-raising-a-baby