For the past few weeks, I’ve really struggled to write a new 5 Ways We’ve Saved Money This Week post. I finally realized that it’s probably because not only are we not saving a lot of money….I’m actually spending more than usual.
It’s part guilt and part pregnancy brain.
Now, it’s important to me that you don’t take this post as an anti-pregnancy rant. While I’m not a big fan of being pregnant, it’s always worth it in the end. 🙂
If you’re missing the regular 5 Ways post, get your fixed with the handy book instead!
5 Ways Being Pregnant Has Blown Our Budget
Fast Food
Between morning sickness (more nausea than actual sickness for me, luckily), cravings, and extra running around for doctor’s appointments and check ups, I’ve been eating more fast food than usual.
Yes, I know this isn’t great for a growing baby, let alone for me. But there are days when junk food is all I can stomach, or the thought of standing in the kitchen is more than I can handle.
Pregnancy in your late (late) 30s is not for the weak, that’s for sure! And I hope that as the second trimester takes a better hold, I can fit more yummy salads into my diet (and energy reserves).
Drinks
Water hasn’t been a friend of my weak stomach, either. Even adding fresh fruit to my water helps. But of course, that costs more than a nice tall glass of ice water.
But I’m already able to stomach water better these days. In fact, a tall glass of ice water is one of my favorite things! So this expense is already getting better.
Asking for Help
Growing baby number 6 while raising the other kids, running this blog, homeschooling one child, being PTO president, and trying to keep up with regular, crazy life is quite enough for me. In fact, I question whether I’ve bitten off more than I can chew on a fairly regular basis.
So I decided that I would hire out the cleaning. A friend has been coming over each week to help me clean. She’s a natural at organizing and cleaning, and we both love the adult time!
Yes, I’m spending money that I could be saving. Luckily I’m able to cover this cost with money I’m making from the blog, so this money isn’t coming from our regular budget. (See Everything I Learned In My Third Year of Blogging for more on that!)
Medical Bills
Kinda obvious, but with a pregnancy comes increased medical bills. Happily, we have an HSA set up and ready for them, and I’m hoping the savings will hold us through the end of the pregnancy.
Car Shopping
While it’s still fairly easy to find a car that fits a family of 7 (most mini van accomplish that easily!), fitting a family of 8 is proving to be a challenge!
We’ve slowly begun the search for a new to us car that fits all of us without breaking the budget. Time will tell if this costs us more money. My hope is that we can find a better deal on a used car that helps us break away from having the dreaded two car payment budget.
Can We Save Any Money???
Luckily, when I stop to think about it, I can actually find some silver linings. There are a few areas of our budget that I’ve found ways to save on.
Clothes
It’s a bummer to have to buy clothes that I’ll only wear a few months. In fact, this could probably be another area we’re spending more.
But so far I’ve made it work with a combination of cheap thrift store finds, borrowing from family, and I even splurged on a fun shirt for myself using credit card rewards points!
Clicklist
Yeah, it’s another win/loss. We do have to spend the $5 fee each time I use Kroger Clicklist. But considering that I’ve been far too tired for our large family grocery haul, this fee has saved us a lot of pizza delivery. I’d call that a win!
Out of Credit Card Debt
The biggest thing I’ve been thankful for is that we were able to finish paying off our massive credit card debt! Dealing with all of the changes in our budget would be difficult (impossible??) if we were still tens of thousands in debt.
If you haven’t read our how to get out of debt story yet, don’t miss it. The #yearofno could be just right for you, too!
That’s how this pregnancy has blown our budget!
It’s not ideal, but our family can’t wait to meet the newest member! It’s a great reminder that money isn’t everything.
You might be surprised to find that being deep in debt is actually the best time to practice good money habits. Check it out!
Has pregnancy ever thrown your budget for a loop?
I'm Jamie, and I want to help you afford a beautiful life with your family. 
