Unexpected Expenses of SAHM?

Ducktale · August 2013

First time posting here, but I would appreciate your advice! DH and I are a few months out from TTC. We've always planned on having me be a SAHM, and we're pretty confident that DH's income will be enough, though we will definitely have to live on a budget. We have been saving and cutting back on expenses for this, and we've been trying to plan ahead for an estimated future budget. So outside of the obvious (diapers, possibly formula if breastfeeding doesn't work out, new baby gear, clothes, hospital costs for L&D), did you encounter expenses you did not expect or did not plan for? Or was something more expensive than you thought it would be? (or possibly by chance less expensive? a girl can dream). Like I said, we'll be on a budget so I'm trying to plan as much as possible, and appreicate your input. Thanks!

soexcited317 · August 2013

If you plan to work again someday, you may have costs associated with upkeeping licences and certifications specific to your profession. We also spend more money on activities for the kids, fun stuff to do during the day, memberships etc... though I doubt its more than day care. I spend less money on clothing, and less money on gas than when I was working.

kcisthebombdotcom · August 2013

Medical bills have been brutal for us. L&d was costly and my youngest has some medical issues which requires lots of testing, doctors office copays, medication, etc. wed have that either way (and me being home makes that a lot easier to manage) but definitely make sure you have a sufficient emergency fund before considering sah. Besides that I really think its a wash. Technically I would being in more working full time (esp long term) but when you factor in the $500 daycare would cost for two, extra food expenses due to lack of time to plan/more eating out, dry cleaning, gas/car maintenance from commuting, more clothes needed, etc its close to a wash on a month to month basis.

ariel06 · August 2013

I bought a way more expensive double stroller because I used it daily when the kids were little. I wouldn't have needed it if I was working. So if you're thinking of having kids 2ish years apart, getting the strollers that can add another seat may be a smarter long term choice.

Plan for plenty of money for co-pays for doctor for appointments. That first year it seemed like we were in almost monthly for something (on top of well child appointments).

Andrewsgal · August 2013

Daily activities. I am not one to sit home so we had a lot of memberships and classes. These added up to thousands a year. They are not necessary for all but are for me.

Court0026 · August 2013

Ditto on the activities! I also think I drive around as much or more than I did when I was working (probably more in gas).

Minipenguin · August 2013

As far as having a kid, in some ways it was much more expensive than I thought and in other ways it was much cheaper. DD was born in January and with her birth we hit our out of pocket maximum on insurance, so all our healthcare this year is free (prescriptions, no copays, everything is covered). So that saved us a lot of money since we've had a couple medical incidents this year. There's also tons of stuff that stores want you to think you need that you don't. We cloth diaper, which saves a lot of money but it isn't for everyone. I think I've bought her 3 outfits in the last 3 or 4 months because people love to buy clothes for babies so we get a lot as gifts.

As far as specifically being a SAHM (because that other stuff applies to WMs too), I was a teacher so I spent money on my classroom, lol. That expense was gone. I thought I'd save money with no having to buy work clothes but I end up buying clothes, anyway. If you want to sign up for any classes, you'll need to budget for those (they have swim classes and gymnastics for babies and stuff that people do, and it's important to get out of the house so it's a good idea to sign up for something, though there are free classes like library story time). I use a lot more gas now.

Even if you BF, don't forget things like a pump, storage bags, bottles (you may need to try a few to find one that works), nursing pads, you may need a lactation consultant... If you end up with formula, you may need "special" formula like Nutramigen, which is expensive. I recommend signing up on Similac Moms and Enfamil Family beginnings when you get pregnant, they send you samples and coupons so even if you BF you can donate them or trade them for other coupons (free photobooks!).

Oh, and I spent WAY more money on pictures than I thought I would. Between the photographer and the prints... but I'm a ftm so I guess I should have expected that.

Good luck!

JCM · August 2013

I also agree on the activities. I also put DD in Mom's Day Out for 1 day per week when she was 1 so I could have a bit of alone time for my own sanity & get things done around the house. When she was 2 & 3 she went 2 days a week & at 4 she will be going 3 days a week. That is not necessary for some but DH travels 4 nights a week & I just had a hard time trying to entertain DD & maintain my sanity for those hours and hours on end just the 2 of us. Over the years she has also done swimming, gymnastics & tap/ballet classes. Those kinds of things really add up over the course of a year. I just estimated all the activities DD will be attending this year (including private pre-school, public isn't offered here unless you're low income or ESL) & it's roughly $4,500 per year. If you were to have told me these things when I was pregnant I would have said, what is wrong with that mom? Why does she have her kid in all these things when she's a SAHM? Again it comes down to the fact that we have the means & I'm DD's ONLY source of entertainment most of the time & I need help breaking up our days.

DD also had some medical issues and that was about $3,600 her first year and follow-up's have been about $800 per visit each year since.

lorist202 · August 2013

Just lurking here, but I was a SAHM for 20 mos. As I'm sure has already been recommended to you, we completely banked my paycheck for my entire pregnancy to test out living on DH's income exclusively, and it worked out just fine, so SAH I did.

Then our furnace needed repairs. Then it was the oven. We have car tax in our city, and it increased significantly. The sweltering summer caused our utilites bill to go up from watering the lawn more than usual. I didn't fit into any of my old clothes- or shoes. As other posters have mentioned, the activities start to get expensive too, and if you have SAHM friends who try to make plans to do these things with you on a week when you have other things to pay, it becomes a tough balancing act. Good thing I banked my check for 9 mos.

I have since returned to work, but for me, the one and half years of staying at home was perfect. There are definately unanticipated expenses, but in my case, I made it work anyway! Do what works best for your family and best of luck!

bumpuser8448316 · August 2013

Loppy19 said:

Daily activities. I am not one to sit home so we had a lot of memberships and classes. These added up to thousands a year. They are not necessary for all but are for me.
This. We don't have a lot of them right now because I'm not as active but it's a rare day that DD and I stay home all day. I utilize the free options like the park and story time but we've also done swim and dance lessons and are planning on gymnastics soon.

This for me too. If I couldn't go out and do stuff I couldn't be a SAHM. And after awhile the free stuff: park and library gets old. We have two museum, botanical gardens, zoo and a theme park memberships and we use all of them regularly so they're totally worth the money.

&orchid& · August 2013

Ditto memberships and activities. Also, the expense of eating out when on said activities. Food at the zoo and other places are always $$$. I try to pack as much as I can, but sometimes you just cannot get around eating out when you are out and about.

Any upgrades to your house to make it baby safe, or building a playroom to make your house mama sane. We're building a playroom in our basement, and it will end up costing us $1k when we're all said and done. Those safe foam tile things were $450 alone. The nice baby gates are like $80 a piece. We have two sets of stairs, one to the upstairs and the other down to the basement. So there is 4 baby gates. Of course you don't need to start using those until they are like 8 months or so. So, you've got some time to save up. Toy storage containers, some for outside play items and some for inside. Etc.. it gets crazy.

Definitely pictures.. those are expensive. You always find deals for free portrait settings and $20 for one pose. But then you want all the pictures, and they lure you in with those deals. Then you buy all the pictures and it's $200.

We cloth diaper, but for outings I use disposables. So, there is an added cost for us.

The big items like shoes, coats, hats, swim diapers, sun coverups etc. I find grandparents often buy him tons of shirts/pants and onsie outfits, but not the big stuff. Oh and sunscreen. I don't use chemical sunscreen on him so it's more expensive. I just found a bottle of california baby sunblock on clearance for $28. One bottle.

Ducktale · August 2013

Thanks SO MUCH for the replies. It is a lot to think about it, but I'm so glad to know now and prepare than to be surprised. This is really helpful, I appreciate the responses.

littlemermaid · August 2013

If you aren't already doing so start living off of just your husband's income now and bank your whole check into an emergency fund that is not touched. This will give you guys an actual reality check of how much extra cash you will have to work with for extras and savings each pay period.

Also you will want to look into continuing to fund your retirement account so plan on that being an expense too.

Allycat11 · August 2013

There have been a few things for us. We have had more medical bills than we anticipated due to DD's lack of weight gain and hip dysplasia. The same thing could happen for anyone when a health issue arises. I spend more on gas than I thought I would because I drive around when I'm bored or to get DD to nap; I also take more trips to visit family across the state that I wouldn't have time for if I was working. Sometimes I catch myself shopping whether online or in person just because I have more time for those things . We also have more time for various types of entertainment that can cost money, and the amount we spend on that will definitely increase as DD gets older.

Ways we save money: Our grocery bill because I meal plan, cook a lot from scratch and shop sales with coupons. I made all of DD's baby food. I EBF so I have never purchased formula or bottles. We cloth diaper. My SAHM wardrobe is much less expensive than my wardrobe from when I worked in sales. I spend way less on dry cleaning and alterations. I don't have to repair at least one pair of high heels every 4-6 weeks like I used to. I research products before buying them so I buy things that are a good value and pair sales with coupons.

kcisthebombdotcom · August 2013

I agree about the activities but they don't need to be expensive. If you get a lot of memberships you'll have plenty to do. We have the zoo, aquarium, and children's museum passes. We pay under $500 a year for the three of them and use taxes to pay. We do the y for the kids/gym but we've always had a gym membership prior to kids and would have that regardless if I worked or sah. They offer tons of activities included with our membership. Between those four places plus free activities like activities at the library, playdates with other sahms, playgrounds, hiking, cycling the bike path and stopping at parks to play along the way, etc we have plenty to do and don't have an extra monthly expense to keep busy.

CrazyMary77 · August 2013

Our electricity bill is higher since I started staying at home. We also use more water. We buy things more often now like laundry detergent, hand soap, toilet paper... It all adds up.

I save also by getting a Target card (saves %5 on all purchases), shopping at Costco, and using coupons. So I guess the extra expenses of stuff I mentioned above is offset by this.

Because I'm not driving as much, I don't spend as much on gas, car maintenance, car washes. I also don't buy as much clothes since I don't need clothes for work. And we eat out less often.

kellyagogo · August 2013

I ended up having twins which wasn't expected. Diapers and formula cost us around $400 a month, but it's my choice to use disposables and they were 27 weekers so our $17 can of formula maybe lasts a day. And we hit out OOP max quickly but DD1 has hydrocephalus and we aren't sure what yearly med bills will look like here on out. I probably save money in gas by not really going anywhere besides Target and having everything delivered from Amazon.

spring_time · August 2013

My utility bills went up because we are home during the day.

Don't count on using less gas, we do a lot of driving.

In my case food went up because DS was in daycare for two years where he was served breakfast and lunch as part of the cost.

When buying memberships, make sure it is worth it to you. I bought a membership to a pool last year and didn't use it enough. I would have been better off paying as we went. The zoo, on the other hand, pays for itself in 3 visits. As long as I know I will be there 3 times, it is worth it.

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