Post-Baby Budget

April marks the first official month of our new budget with one full-time and one part-time income. My new part-time pay is not quite as much as we anticipated so we're going to have to learn to adjust our lifestyle a bit. Let's just say the trade-off with being able to spend more time at home raising our daughter is knowing that some luxuries are no longer at our fingertips. Date nights will be fewer and farther between (but of course that was expected with a new baby anyway) and eating dinner outside the home is pretty much not going to be an option. However, knowing that I am contributing even a little bit and carrying the benefits for my family reassures me that all the hard work and sacrifice is worth it. Now the hard work really begins - coming up with a new budget. I can feel my blood boiling already. I have a love-hate relationship with budgeting, especially now that Claire is here. There is just so much more to think about. We need to be mindful of the things we've added to the budget since having a baby like wipes, diapers and the occasional can of formula or clothes as she grows. Let's not even think of those co-pays and our part of the doctor visits not covered by insurance. Or what about the fact that we really need to be saving money, but what if we can't afford to put away much (if anything) into our savings? What about saving for Claire's future? Where do we cut corners to save? I am a firm believer that you must, must, must always pay yourself first and save that money! Why else are you working your life away than to save your money for a rainy day? How much is too much for weekly grocery budgets? How much do we need to budget for gas every week? Luckily, we are heading into summer and our utility bills will be getting smaller and smaller. However, how do we anticipate for the fall and winter months again? See! So much to think about!


I anticipate an adjustment period to get all payments in line with our budget and to adjust our spending to live within our new means. It will take time. We will get behind before we move forward. There may will be months that we don't save anything. And, it just might get a little tricky to make ends meet here and there. But, we've done it once, we got through it and we'll do it again. Ahh, the beauty of babies and the way they make life so wonderfully unpredictable.