Preparing for the emotional and physical aspects of pregnancy can be a challenge. Preparing for everything else? Well, that can actually be pretty easy — and budget-friendly too — if you have the right tips and resources. So, no matter where you are in your pregnancy journey, these are the steps you can take to get yourself and your home ready for parenthood.
Stock Up on Clothing in Different Sizes
You already know how much your body can change with every week and month of pregnancy. But even after giving birth, your body is bound to be different than it was before. Because you won’t have a lot of time to shop between feedings and naps, think about picking up some post-pregnancy options ahead of time. One essential all new moms need is a supply of nursing bras. Check out deals online to see if you can save on different styles and sizes to suit your needs. You may even be able to find promotions for maternity bras that offer a discount when you bundle bras together. If you need clothes and essentials during your pregnancy, you can also find a great selection of budget-friendly maternity options by shopping with retailers like H&M and Target, and you can usually find promo codes that will provide additional discounts.
Prepare Some Simple, Low-Cost Meals Now
If you are winding down the last few weeks of your pregnancy, you’re likely busy nesting and making final preparations to welcome your new baby. However, don’t forget to make preparations to care for yourself as well! Finding time to prepare healthy meals can be difficult for new parents, if not downright impossible. Since ordering out and fast food are not the best options for nurturing your healing body and new infant, preparing whole food meals ahead of time and freezing them or purchasing easy freezer meals may be your best bet. There are tasty and convenient options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but also be sure to stock some grab-and-go snacks in your pantry as well. Bulk buying meals and snacks may seem like a pricey option, but you can easily find online grocery coupons that can help you stay within your budget. So, be sure to take advantage during your pregnancy and after you give birth.
Save on All of Your Nesting and Nursing Needs
Once you have your freezer full of yummy meals, you can get back to nesting. After all, this is an important part of any pregnancy journey. So, if you feel a strong urge to organize the nursery or stockpile diapers, don’t fight it — just go with it and have fun doing so. There are so many creative nursery setup options you can choose from. You can stash all those diapers in a rolling cart for a mobile changing station or upcycle a thrift store dresser to fit your decorating scheme. Speaking of furniture, outfitting your baby’s room with a crib, changing table, and other essentials can get expensive. So, make sure you know how to save money on the furniture you need to complete your nursery. Mostly, this involves buying furniture that will grow with your growing baby, so you don’t have to keep spending more and more.
Consider a Baby Shower to Stock Up on Supplies
Remember that part about stocking up on diapers? Well, you will definitely need an arsenal of diapers and other supplies, such as bottles, bibs, and blankets, to care for your little one. Fortunately, you can reduce your costs by having friends throw you a blessing way or proper baby shower. It’s perfectly fine to ask guests to bring a package of diapers to the shower or blessing way, and most people will bring an additional gift as well. Be sure to list your desires on the invitation, and also be sure to list the stores where you are registered. Many of the best spots for registering for baby gifts are also the best stores for saving money. Target makes this list once again, but you can also help your friends and family members find great deals with other retailers.
No one is ever 100 percent prepared for pregnancy. However, you can at least use these hints to help your life and your budget feel less overwhelmed.
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Emily Graham | emily@mightymoms.net
"Successful Mothers are not the ones that have never struggled. They are the ones that never give up, despite the struggles." - Sharon Jaynes
