Question by Army Bride: Costs of raising a baby?
Okay:
1. I’m a second hand store kind of person. Babies don’t know the difference and if its still safe there is no difference except the price. I will even buy baby furniture this way if I found a store that sold them that way.
2. My bf will be going into the army. We can choose between two insurance plans. I plan to choose Tricare Prime so I see military doctors, they do the paperwork, and I pay nothing for copay or prescriptions or anything.
3. I hope to breastfeed and hopefully exclusively for the first 6 months and continuing as long as I can (The World Health Organization says babies should be breastfed to two years, I hope for 12 to 16 months). But I know this isn’t always a possible, that I may have problems early and have to use formula
4. We can also choose to get Basic Allowance for housing to live off base or live without house rent/payment (and many places still offer free utilities). We would have to pay for additional “luxuries” like cable and internet and such though.
If I can I’ll be a stay at home mom
Best answer:
Answer by meka g
You will always have base access and it helps because you dont have to pay taxes on anything. Theirs programs for moms like you with military spouses when he does decide to go into the army. I would check with the ?Resource Center? I think that’s it. Diapers and food will probably be the main thing that will hurt you but if you check into the programs they help you with that monthly. Its like a WIC but they dont call it that though. Are you planning on having a Baby Shower because that helps too!!! I would hit up garage sells, even the dollar store has nice baby clothes just wash the clothes first before you put them on. People like to buy all that expensive stuff Its good sometimes but its not necessary
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I hope this helps.
My family is a second hand store people. I would prefer not to but the truth is that the babies will grow out of their clothes so quickly and get them so dirty, I really do not think it matters. I actually was just given some hand knit baby clothes that my older brother and I wore, some 21+ years ago.
Anyways, being in the military there should be many second hand stores around or just find other mothers.
Also, For baby showers most receive many pairs of items like thermometers, bounce thingy, and other stuff that one is enough. I am lucky to have two cousins that just gave birth recently, so if I have a boy I will have plenty of clothes and some of their furniture too.
Lastly, at babycenter.com you can estimate your first year expenses.
Good Luck.
O.K. Whats your Question.
The most expensive things about a baby are diapers and formula.
Formulas the most expensive. Around $25 a can where I live. Figure out which formula you would use if you were going to use it and sign up for thier baby club. I Breast fed till mine was 1 year and he didn’t want to nurse any more. Then I just fed him meals and gave him milk. But if my husband was watching him he would bottle feed formula. The formula companies give you some free diaperbags, free formula, and coupons for formula. I used similac. This is good because if you do have problems nursing you will have formula there just incase. Stick with it though nursing is the best thing.
If you want cloth diapers are cheaper than disposable, and better for the environment. They make good burp cloths too. But It’s a big hassle. You have to dip them in the toilet and keep them in bleechwater till your ready to wash a load.
Sign up for any babyclub you can find. Similac. Enfamil, Publix, Sears, Huggies, Pampers, They all give free stuff or coupons.
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLR_enUS249US250&q=Free+baby+stuff
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLR_enUS249US250&q=baby+clubs+to+join
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLR_enUS249US250&q=baby+clubs+free+stuff
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLR_enUS249US250&q=baby+clubs
Sounds like yo have it worked out well. On buying used baby items, especially furniture, make sure that the item has never been recalled and meets current safety standards. Car seats literally have expiration dates, and arent safe to use if they have previously been in an accident, so I would buy a new one.
Breastfeeding, among its multitude of other benefits, is very economical. Bear in mind that the first few weeks wont be a walk in the park. It takes time for your supply to regulate, so feed ON DEMAND and do NOT supplement or you will create supply problems. After about the first month, you should be in the clear. Use your hospitals lactation consulatant and La Leche League for support. Many problems that mothers encounter and think mean they “cant” breastfeed are really rather simply solved, so dont give up.
If you have health insurance, are breastfeeding, and buying 2nd hand, having a baby is really no big deal, financially speaking. You can also look into cloth diapering to save even more money. Its not the messy affair that our grandmothers dealt with. Many advances have been made, so I recommend checking it out. Its also better for the environment
Being a SAHM is also a good choice. Not only for the well-being of your child, but also financially. Daycare is quite expensive, and you just never know what is going to happen when your child is in someone else’s hands.
Newborns really require very little. A warm and safe place to sleep, clothes, diapers, and a full belly. They need more as they grow though, so keep in mind future expenses such as schooling.
Sounds like you have a good start. Best wishes to you
Just remember not everyone can breastfeed so make sure you figure in the cost of forumla if you cannot breastfeed or decide that it isn’t for you. Formula is very expensive.
Also diapers and wipes are a huge expense as well, but as your boyfriend will be Army, the PX has a brand of diapers that works very well and is half the cost of name brand diapers.
Thirdly, you do know that you have to be married to your Soldier to rate any benefits at all. You cannot just be a girlfriend and get health insurance, base housing/BAH, etc. Even when you are pregnant with his child, if you aren’t married, you won’t rate any healthcare or any benefits. The child will rate healthcare once it is born, but you will not.
For those first starting out in the military, the pay isn’t all that much and can be tight for even just a husband and wife so I strongly suggest you find the military pay charts for your boyfriend and work out a budget to see where a baby fits into all this because you need to include groceries, car payments, telephones, internet, etc and see what you are going to have left over for a baby. You may think you have it all figured out but you have to take EVERYTHING into consideration not just the baby stuff, look at the entire picture especially if neither of you have ever lived on your own..