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Think of life as a car ride; sometimes that ride is smooth and peaceful, and other times it is bumpy, curvy and filled with unexpected roadblocks. Mothers of newborns know just how bumpy life can get, especially when money is tight. The following are some of the unexpected expenses newborns inflict on their mothers that can make that road trip called life a little bumpy.
The Picky Eater – Once Favorite Foods Left Unwanted
What happens when your child shows a love for a favorite food or formula only to turn it down a few weeks later? New mothers are often faced with this dilemma. Parents will go out and purchase a specific item in bulk because their child loves it so much only to have their child turn their nose up at it a few weeks later. That leaves all the previously brought food items and formula sitting there unwanted and parents reminded of the money that is wasted by that unconsumed food.
The Need for Customized Clothing
Department and retail stores are filled with a variety of clothing that is designed just for newborns, but what happens if your child doesn’t fit into the pre-determined sizes the stores came up with. Some mothers of newborns have to purchase customized clothing as their child is smaller than the manufactured sizes that retail stores carry. Customized clothing can be double or triple the price of regular clothing and an unexpected expense.
The Ever-Changing Diaper Size
Children, especially newborns, tend to grow a few inches in the blink of an eye. Literally, one day they fit into one size diaper and the next that diaper is too small. Mothers of newborns are often faced with the challenge of constantly buying new diapers that fit their child and at $20 a box that can be a huge expense that wasn’t budgeted into the parenting budget.
Toys, Toys and More Toys
Just like food children often develop a love for a favorite toy, but the truth is children usually show interest in a toy for a few days and then move on to another toy. Parents often buy dozens of toys for their children thinking their child will play with it for months, only to discover that the child plays with it for a day and wants a new toy. Next time you walk by a pile of toys your child no longer plays with think of the money that was wasted on purchasing a toy your child played with for two seconds.
Raising a newborn can come with dozens of unexpected expenses, not just the ones listed here. Mothers who are low on cash can use creative measures such as selling items online, taking out payday loans, or getting a job online to cover these unexpected expenses and make life a little easier.
What unexpected expensive did you encounter?
This guest post was written by Charli Radke. She is a freelance fashion, lifestyle, and technology writer exploring all things that are beautiful. Whether it’s about fashion, photography, family life, or whats new and cool in technology. Charlie is exploring it all. When she’s not out exploring and blogging the newest trends she’s out writing for established companies like Copy For By Lines.
You are so right as a mum I can so relate to this, I use to take the unplayed with toys and put them aside and bring them back out a couple of months later and the girls would be excited and say oh I forgot about this or that and then they would play with them again…………..
Yeah, my boys do that. They will go in spurts of playing with a certain toy and then forget about it and then it reappears being exciting again
Happy SITS day!
This is so true. For us it was formula. I had been planning to breastfeed, but couldn’t for medical reasons, so the cost of formula hit us harder than we expected!
Formula is crazy expensive. I tried to breastfeed too but it just didn’t work out. So I pumped and did formula.
In response to the toy dilemma, that’s why I purchase my toys at the Salvation Army. Give it a quick clean with Clorox – and for 1/2 price on Wednesdays, he has new toys for under 10 dollars.
Everybody wins. Once he’s sick of them, I donate them right back.
Great idea! I purchase things at resale stores too depending on what it is and if want something new I always check out ebay. They have great deals!
Many years ago we would go to children’s consignment store for clothes and other necessary items. It was so much cheaper and a God send because kids outgrow thing so fast. Toys were a dilemma. We sometimes would get really creative with basic things around the house. Manytimes they were to most fun for the kids:-)
You are right. Sometimes almost anything can be turned into a toy with a kid. I don’t think they really there as long as you are there playing with them and showing them attention.
Just stopped in to take a peek. Nice post.
Thanks! I’m glad you stopped by
Interesting article –we have gone through this at least 6 times and a another to happen along in Feb– life is just like that– you can have it smooth going for a while–We have had it all.. Medical problems–to no money– but somehow–we made it through it– I don’t think I would have changed anything– I am sure Dianna, my wife would though. We have learned so much, and I know with this new one we will be learning more..Thanks for the update and reminders.
Newborns are def a life changing experience that none of us would change 🙂
We picked up a lot of baby items and clothes at yard sales. And we did the rotate the toys thing with some storage boxes, so the toys were never all out a the same time.
I need to do that…rotating toys. My boys are so distructive though. They are always breaking something. Ugh.