Baby on a Budget

For those of you who don't know, Emerson wasn't "planned".  He was the best surprise blessing we could ever get!  So, needless to say, we weren't financially set to become parents when we found out we were expecting.  I mean, we had no maternity insurance.  We lived in a tiny one bedroom apartment.  We ended up having to sell our second car to pay for hospital bills, and we only had one car until Emerson was 9 months old.  We were even on food stamps until Caleb started his job in May.  So, I thought I might share a few tips with any other parents or parents-to-be out there on how to have a baby on a budget.  I really feel like we haven't spent THAT much money on Emerson.  However, I do have to say that we have been very blessed with a giving, sharing family.  My sister, Ashley, has shared basically all her baby stuff with us.  Thanks, sis!  But here are a few things we've learned along the way.

-Reason with the hospital.  If you don't have insurance, hospitals offer a self-pay package, which is much cheaper than the full price.  Hospitals can also do a lot to reduce any additional bills.  For instance, because I went into labor during the night, we received an unexpected bill for around $800, because we had to go through the triage unit.  After calling the hospital, we were able to get our bill reduced to about $150.  Even if you don't qualify, it's worth a shot, yes?

-Bare minimum.  There are a bazillion baby things these days.  It can be a little intimidating when you start looking into what you need.  But really, that is the question, what do we really NEED?  Though many of the extra gizmos are nice and add convenience, most are not essential.  A bassinet.  Some onesies.  Diapers.  These are truly essential items.  And you can always purchase new necessities along the way as your baby becomes ready for them. 

-Buy used.  Many, many, many of the baby things we have are used or borrowed.  We got a five piece furniture set at a garage sale and then we distressed it to make it how we like it.  Rhea Lana's is a fantastic consignment sale to find gently used baby items.  I have gotten MANY things from these sales.  Same for clothes.  Babies fly through clothes, so used clothing is a great option. 

-Breastfeed.  No bottles to wash.  No formula to mix.  No expensive formula to buy.  I didn't realize how much easier and cheaper it is to breastfeed.  I did find it helpful to have a pump so Emerson could take a bottle when I was out or during church.

-Cloth diapers.  These are actually coming back "in style" I think.  You may pay a little more up front, but in the long run you save hundreds.  They say that you spend about $2,000 on diapers for one child if you use disposables by the time they are potty-trained.  And there are so many great, convenient options out there these days.  By using cloth diapers, you also keep from throwing bags and bags of dirty diapers into the landfill.  During the times I have used disposables, I have been shocked at how many trash bags of diapers we produce.  And I've heard it takes FOREVER for diapers to decompose.  I used the flip system and would highly recommend it.  It is a more affordable brand and can fit from 7-35 pounds.

-Make your own baby food.  Jars of baby food are expensive.  By making your own, you save money and you are feeding your baby more nutritious, fresh food. 

By using these strategies, Caleb and I feel like we really haven't put forth THAT much money towards having a baby.  The Lord has been so good to provide for us and for blessing us with sweet Emerson.  Now we can't imagine life without him!!