Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Planning for a family - challenges/advice

Options
2»

Comments

  • Options
    #32
    cbyrd
    Registered Users Posts: 3,214 ✭✭✭cbyrd


    There's never a good time to have kids, there's always something to buy first or travel to have or a level of living to achieve before you start. Trouble is you can get all that and you've left it late to start trying and then may need help to conceive.
    Babies will cost as much as you want to spend.
    You can go out and buy the newest up to date everything and spend a couple of grand before they're born or you can buy as you need, a car seat, some nappies and some babygros and vests to start off with and see what you actually need once they're here. :D
    If you're going to do private fee paying schools, start saving the child benefit from day one, add to it as you can.

    You see, you could be in a very good place now, decide to go for it and then lose your job at 6 months pregnant..
    There is never an ideal time.


  • Options
    #33
    OscarBluth
    Registered Users Posts: 48 ✭OscarBluth


    One thing I'd recommend is talking to people near you with children about the cost of childcare in your area (it varies hugely, even within cities) and then start saving that amount now. There's something to be said for taking folic acid/prenatal vitamins before you even start trying, so you could give yourselves three months practicing with that as a lifestyle. Keep the money separate, keep saving, and then you'll have money to help with the one-off buys (buggy, car seats) a buffer for maternity leave and hopefully a nice bit of general savings.

    If you absolutely can't live on what you'll have every month after childcare then its probably worth thinking seriously about what cuts you can make now, rather than doing it while pregnant/you have a baby. Most people do manage on what they have, but some people go into debt, are incredibly stressed etc when a bit of planning could avoid that.


Advertisement