Strategies to Budget for Two Babies Born a Year Apart

Bringing a newborn into the world can be both a joyous and financially costly thing to do. Bringing in two babies a year away from one another can really be a financial strain. The newsstands and bookstores are filled with magazines telling you about all of the essential items you'll need for your baby's first year. If you stick to those lists, especially with two babies having been born so close to one another, you may just break the bank. Here are some helpful ways around the "essential" items and suggestions to save some money.

The first thing you can do is search through all of the newborn clothes that your first baby wore. If you had a boy and now expect a girl, or the other way around, no problem - you may be surprised how many of the pajamas, onesies and other clothes that are gender neutral. This will save you a bundle. If you really want your newborn to have gender specific clothes, then you might consider letting up on this a bit as very few people other than the family will be seeing the baby the first month or so.

Think about reusing the newborn car seat for the baby that's on the way. Babies that are born a year apart might be different enough in weight to make this happen. Make sure to check with your doctor on whether or not the first-born child is heavy enough to move into a convertible car seat before you commit to reusing the newborn seat for the second child. Budgeting for two babies isn't too difficult if you learn to find things to reuse - that's the key.

Make sure to evaluate what the items of necessity really are. You may find that many of them you can do without. You don't need a changing table when you can use the top of your washer/dryer. You don't require a diaper genie despite what the magazines will tell you. Pay close attention to those things that your first born has grown out of, and that doesn't just mean clothes. Play swings, perhaps a bouncy seat or two, and things like this are generally tailored to the size of the child. By the end of the older kid's first year there should be a plethora of toys and fun items that you can use for the second kid on the way. You can refrain from having to drastically increase your baby's monthly budget of you stick to reusing toys.

Attempt to stagger the purchase of items that you may need double of so that you don't need to buy double at the same time. Don't go out and buy a double stroller right away when the second-born makes his or her arrival. You can continue to use the stroller you already have and simply carry the newborn in your arms any time you might find yourself in public during the first few months. The budget for two babies born so close to one another takes the biggest hit when you don't stagger the purchase of double items when possible.

Once you learn you have a second baby on the way, make sure to start putting some money away. Even if it's a little every month, it will add up and by the time your second child shows it may be just a bit easier to budget for both babies.