As a first time parent, I was curious to learn how much it would cost to raise a baby. I thought the best way to accomplish this is to document each itemized spending.
It may sound like a daunting task, but having the data at the end would be worth it. I’m curious to see the end results.
In addition, I’m tracking all of the inventories of baby stuff from month to month. This can provide insight into what a baby needs for optimal care without the need to overspend.
Since most of the up-front costs are covered by the first six months, I expect the on-going expenses to be less significant.
Without further ado, I will now be sharing my total spending as of the 8th month with itemized details. I will also provide a quick update of Baby Bear’s development at the end.
Hopefully this information will provide valuable insights for new parents.
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Spending Review of the First Seven Months: $2,575
I aggregated the first sixth month’s baby spending since it was the toughest period where I did not have time to track spending month by month.
Once Baby Bear reached the 7th month, she became much more manageable so I had time to analyze and concretely detail all of the spending.
Here is a summary of total spending thus far:
- First six months: $2,267 (average $378/month)
- 7th month: $308
- Total spending: $2,575
8th Month Inventory & Spending: $277
Since majority of the up-front costs have been made (such as stroller, baby crib, cloth diapers… etc.), I expect the ongoing monthly cost to edge lower than the average spending of $378/month.
It is worth mentioning that I do not have a budget, because I do not want to limit spending for the baby. As a new parent, you could never know what might happen.
Rather, I strive to make conscious decisions and consult with my inventory list every time I make a purchase. This proves to be quite effective in maintaining a mindful spending habit.
1. Healthcare: $137
The biggest expense, unsurprisingly, continues to be the monthly health insurance at $120/month.
We also have another $17 out-of-pocket costs for skin creams (made for sensitive baby skin). We have been combating her dry skin throughout the winter. Luckily, the skin cream soothes her itchiness so we had to continue using it.
2. Breastfeeding: $21
This month I re-ordered the Lecithin supplements, which cost $21 after using a pharmacy coupon (original price was $38).
I must continue to take this supplement as long as I’m breastfeeding to prevent blocked milk duct.
Related: Why I Chose to Breastfeed My Baby
3. Food: $10
Since we went to Portugal, I bought eight varieties of baby food totaling about $10. I also started to feed the baby some bread and vegetable soup that I ordered at the restaurant.
(Note: This consists of baby food in a jar, infant formula or bottles that assist with feeding. Her normal food cost is absorbed in our grocery bill, as it’s hard to itemize just how much she consumes since we buy in bulk.)
4. Disposable Items: $37
We stocked up on disposable diapers since we got a 50% coupon from the mail. It’s always mind boggling to know how quickly they get used up despite the fact that we also use cloth diapers interchangeably.
5. Baby Gears: $60
Since we made a last minute trip booking to Portugal this month, I bought another Ergobaby carrier that cost $27 from a Swiss retail store that sells excess stocks in brand new condition. I wanted to have both a stroller and a baby carrier since we’ll be traveling with the baby for the first time.
I also bought three Lorena Canals crochet blankets (a Spanish brand featured in the Martha Stewart Shop) from the same Swiss retailer for a total of $23 (normal retail price: upwards of $80 each). These blankets are super warm and would be perfect for the long winter in Switzerland – Mama Bear always plans ahead!
Lastly, I bought a used baby walker that cost $10 because I saw that Baby Bear is beginning to enjoy standing a lot more. I only planned on letting her stay in it for no more than 15 minutes a day since we were told that walkers tend to delay walking, which is why I’m not sweating to buy the best one
6. Toys/Books/Games: $12
We visited the famous Lello bookstore in Porto, Portugal where the school hall of Hogwarts from the Harry Potter series was inspired.
The entrance fees were $5 for each adult and free for babies, but this could be used to apply to book purchases. So with the $10 reduction, we bought the Little Prince (an excellent children’s storybook about imagination by a French author) and another book about the Lello bookstore for kids.
Spending Up till 8th Month
The total expenditure for the 8th month came out to be $277 making the total 8-month spending at $2,852. Here is the 8th month’s itemized expense report and inventory list:
Baby Development at 8th Month
At 8th month, Baby Bear continues to go through teething pain that invoked a lot of agony resulting in a pair of sleep-deprived parents.
To combat this, we gave her Camilia Teething Relief. We could see two little teeth are starting to pierce through, ouch!
Baby Bear is also starting to sit up very nicely since we were at Portugal. Here’s a cute picture of her posting next to a famous Porto design pillow.
Related: Traveling With A Baby For the First Time: The Planning
We were very glad to see that Baby Bear is finally getting used to rolling over. It was so cute to see her roll back and forth. But since we saw that she’s capable of rolling, we have to watch her tentatively when putting her in places without barriers.
In another development news, the baby is eating solid food really well and was able to chew on bread. This was the second surprise we saw while traveling in Portugal. What a fantastic way to discover new places and watch Baby Bear’s development at the same time!
She also started to mumble a lot, too. And she loves to smile and interact with people. For now, she seems ultra outgoing and talkative. Let’s see if this trend continues.
Finally, as she’s starting to stand more on my lap when I hold her, I thought that having a walker might be useful to allow her to stretch her legs a bit rather than sitting or laying down all the time.
Read More: Cost of Raising a Baby in the 9th Month, 10th Month, 11th Month and 12th Month
How much did you spend on baby expenses for the first 8 months? Have you traveled or vacationed somewhere far with your baby? If so, what was your experience like?
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This is enlightening. I myself have a baby nephew and it’s pricey to sustain milk and diapers in the first place.
Thanks for the feedback. Yup, little babies can really drink a lot of milk and poop and pee all day, every day!