AMEN

 

My son will be turning 2 this summer and the funniest thing is he has tons of toys but what he enjoys most... is a good book and an empty cardboard box!! Congrats on expecting!! There is nothing better than being a parent!!

 

Give a child a box and their imagination will soar. The bigger the box the more they fun they have. Every big box we ever had stayed around until it was completely crushed or ripped. Lots of fun!

 

I'm onto grandchildren. My baby is 30 and I wouldn't even want to add up what I spent over the past years. Every penny worth it, even when........oh never mind, don't want to scare you off.

My oldest grandchild is 6 and it's great to spoil her, feed her candy and send her home to Mom...lol.

Enjoy them and don't worry about the money. Somehow one always seems to manage. Of course being in Canada, health care was pretty much covered and one less expense to worry about.

 

One thing to think of is maybe the cost of daycare if you need it. The one I use has a rate of $70 per week for part-time care(5hrs a day or less) and $140 per week for full-time care(5+ hrs a day). I think the cost of daycare was the biggest surprise for me though.

 

My first was inexpensive,just diapers,baby food and clothing. My third cost over $100k by the time he came home two weeks after his birth. Thankfully we have good insurance,hope you have some.

 

Actually, I've never purchased a baby, so I don't know what they cost...

Seriously, people talk about what it costs, but I never really noticed. Until of course my kids started driving, shopping at Abercrombie, and the like. For college, start putting it away now. Check with your bank to set up a fund. Most of all, stick with it. Like most....your kids grow up and you realize that they are just like you. Just like your mother promised.

BTW - after a few months we pulled our kids out of day care and my wife quit her job. We saved over 100 bucks a week (over 20 years ago)

 

It depends on the child. My daughter was premature, had to have special formula, $60 a can. Dr. visits, etc... It was EXTREMELY expensive the first year. Even with insurance, but let's not go there.

My son on the other hand, everything went smooth. Regular formula, diaper rashes here and there and tubes in his ears. Can't put an exact number on it, but would guess no less than $5,000 first year.

You'll need bottles, wipes, more diapers than you can shake a stick at, toys, clothes (yeah, you'll need more) stuff for diaper rashes. The list goes on and on.

Oh yeah, get some sleep now while you can.

I really hope all goes well for you! Believe me, no matter the cost, NOTHING can compare to the first time you get to see and hold your child, you'll never forget it.

 

You can spend a fortune on a child, if you want to. But all they really need and want is your time and attention. Kids can do without a lot of things. They don't have to "keep up with the Jones". They won't remember all those things anyway. But, believe me, they will remember the good times they spent with you.

Buy that HHR now and enjoy it with your entire family. But, be prepared for nasty messes in it. Babies are not always clean!

 

The baby furniture for all three of mine came from yard/garage sales, and so did a lot of the clothing. They grow out of it quick, or so it seems. You'll be surprise at the "name brand" items you find at the sales. Of course we didn't buy the diapers/pampers at the yard sales.