Family | Pregnancy Center

Top Baby Costs

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As you get ready for your new addition to your family, realize that you may feel a little light in the checkbook. There are some outstanding ways to save on many of the costs associated with having a baby, but it is still important to plan in advance for as many as you can.

What Costs Most?

As you consider what your finances are going to look like after baby arrives, or just planning for his or her arrival, realize that you will find a variety of things are costly. Look at these sometimes very expensive baby necessities.

Formula is perhaps the most expensive thing you will pay for after baby is born. In some cases, you may spend $500 or more a month. The best way to save is to learn how to breastfeed instead. This cuts your costs down considerably.
Diapers are the next expensive thing. Try to plan by buying diapers on sale. Consider using cloth diapers to reduce the costs, too.
Something you may not have thought about paying for after baby arrives but that can easily top the list is childcare. You may wish to consider who will care for baby. The cost of daycare for a child can be hundreds of dollars a week in some cases depending on the child’s age.

The more you know and plan for these baby costs, the better you will feel heading into the labor room. The good news is that there are ways to save on most of the costs associated with having a child. Take the time to talk to a mom with a younger child to get financial planning advice.

Filed Under: Family, General Tagged With: Child, Diaper, Infant formula

Finance Tips for Monthly Medical Expenses During Pregnancy

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You’re pregnant—congratulations! But how will you ever afford it? With your budget stretched by buying clothing and purchasing food you can actually keep down, how will you be able to afford the medical expenses?

Good news. Getting control of you medical expenses is possible if you focus on them month to month.

Pay your doctor as you go. If you have insurance, you’ll just be paying the deductible for visits every month, but what if you don’t have insurance? Paying a portion of the total bill each month will allow you to pay it off before you deliver. In the same vein, consider what you’re out-of-pocket costs will be for delivery and pay as much as you can upfront.

Put a percentage of money aside monthly for surprise costs like complications during or after the baby’s birth. Now, you don’t want to dwell on complications, but just be prepared. If none arise, you have some extra money to do whatever you want with.

Consider payday loans to get you back on schedule if you run short of funds one month. Keep your clothing and baby purchases to a minimum and you will have that much more to spend on your monthly medical expenses. Clothing for you can be purchased at thrift stores and garage sales. Clothing for your baby can be donated from friends and family members, obtained via a baby shower or two, or purchased when on sale.

Keep the vitamins coming! Take your prenatal vitamins daily and eat healthy—this is the surest way to avoid extra medical costs during pregnancy.

Filed Under: Family, Giving Birth Tagged With: Baby shower, Expense, Pregnancy

Keeping Track of Family Contacts

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Through pregnancy and childbirth you may find yourself depending on your family a little more than usual. Don’t panic! This is completely normal. Whether you have questions about what is “normal” when it comes to contractions or you just need someone to bring by an extra jar of pickles to take care of that outrageous craving, your family members are the people that you tend to lean on.

Keeping track of everyone’s contact information is important. Most people don’t keep numbers written down in an address or phone book anymore. If you have something like a Blackberry smart phone, you have access to the latest technology and will be able to get a hold of anyone with just the touch of a button. Tried everyone’s cell phone but no one seems to be answering? No problem. In addition to all the phone numbers, this piece of equipment will store email addresses and even all of your social network contacts. This is just in case you want to create a status update that lets all of your friends and family know the progress you are making.

When it is time to head to the hospital, it makes life so much easier to have all contact information in just one place. You don’t want to call everyone in advance, but you might want to send them a call, text, or email to let them know that the little one has finally arrived. A smart phone allows you to take a photo and send it out to multiple people in multiple ways easily. Make communicating about and sharing this special time in your life with others simple.

Filed Under: Family, General Tagged With: Blackberry, Mobile phone, Smartphone

4 Benefits of New G2x for Teens

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The LG G2x is a phone from T-Mobile that won’t leave you disappointed. It has a rich and diverse set of features that are perfect for those who enjoy multimedia on their phone. This is certainly no exception with teens; here are just a few reasons why teens should get their hands on this phone.

4G Speeds: The network from T-Mobile is perfect for teens. When you choose a smartphone, you want it to have fast speeds. The G2x will not disappoint, from downloading movies and games to watching other multimedia.
Graphics: When’s the last time you saw a smartphone with HD and 3D graphics? Gamers will delight in this phone, as well as users who want to watch movies in full HD. By the way, you can stream 1080p HD movies and games right to your TV.
What’s Under the Hood: This is an LG Android phone, which means that you’ll have reliability and a great platform. However, that’s not all: you’ll also have T-Mobile’s first dual-core mobile processor. The G2x is powered by the NVIDIA Tegra 2, which will give you all the power and speed you need.
Rich in Multimedia: Need 3D HD games? Head to the NVIDIA Tegra Zone. Need on-demand T-Mobile TV and movies? The G2x can do that, too. Your HD and 3D multimedia needs are ready to be satisfied.

Any teen, as well as any individual looking for a smartphone, will enjoy the LG G2x. With its speed and power, it could help you do some research for your studies as well. It might even provide an incentive to get homework done much quicker.

Filed Under: Family, General Tagged With: Android, LG, Nvidia Tegra

How to Determine How Much Your Doll Is Worth

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Being pregnant with your first daughter can make you nostalgic for the toys and dolls you enjoyed as a child. If you treasured your American Girl doll 25 years ago and are thinking of one for your new daughter, you may be surprised to learn that your favorite doll is no longer in production and is highly sought after by collectors.

Two factors determine how much your doll is worth: the doll’s rarity and its condition. Dolls that are still being produced are more readily available and are therefore worth less than those that have been retired. The demand for retired dolls, such as the Samantha model, determines the market price. The doll’s condition is the second most important factor. American Girl doll clothing, books and accessories are highly collectible, particularly if they are no longer being produced. Items in mint condition will always command a higher price than those that have been played with, especially if they are still in the original packaging.

While doll collecting price guides can provide a starting point, there is no standard “blue book” value for dolls like there is for cars. The best way to test the market is to check online auction sites to compare asking prices with final sale prices. This should demonstrate the average price collectors are willing to pay for particular models. Dolls and clothes in better condition will always be worth more.

Rare or pristine dolls might command a higher price at live auctions that cater to serious collectors. If you find the right buyer, the proceeds could be a nest egg for your new daughter’s college fund.

Filed Under: Family, General Tagged With: Barbie, Collecting, Shopping

Budgeting for After Baby’s Birth

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Bringing a baby into the world is one of the greatest joys a young family can have. This time, however, does bring plenty of unknowns with it, though. One thing that many people wonder and worry about is how they will manage financially after the child is born. Can they afford the time off?

Tips for Money Management

If you are planning to get pregnant or you are already pregnant and looking ahead, realize that one thing you will not want to worry about after giving birth is the checkbook. It pays not to have to worry about the finances when you have so much more to focus on. The following tips can help that to happen.

Plan to be out of work for at least a month, up to three months, if possible. Those who do not have maternity care may need to save so that you can maintain the same quality of life after the baby is born.
Add to your monthly budget. Things like diapers, formula and take out are going to be things you will need more of in the months after your baby is born. The cost of a child can be significantly higher.
If you have a baby shower, ask for practical gifts, even diapers. This is a great way to cut down on the costs associated with your new baby, without having to plan for it.

Take the time to realize that baby is going to be an extra mouth to feed, but if you plan, it does not have to be a harsh budget check. Just having a budget in place can help with finances.

Filed Under: Family, General, Medical Tagged With: Baby shower, Diaper, Pregnancy

Pregnancy Do’s and Don’ts

As a mother to be, you may have plenty of questions. There is no doubt that you wonder about things like the child’s health and well being, his or her growth and maybe even if it is a boy or a girl. You may spend a lot of time focusing on these things.

What to Know

Before you worry yourself too much, realize that you can do a lot of harm to your child simply by not taking care of yourself from the start. The good news is that this does not have to be hard to do and it does not mean doing anything too special. Consider the following tips on things to do and not to do while you are pregnant.

Do stay active and fit, unless your doctor tells you to slow down. In most cases, it will be easier to lose weight and to keep your energy levels up throughout your pregnancy if you remain active.
Don’t miss sleep. Sleep is perhaps the most vital component to your health and to your baby’s development. Get at least eight hours of sleep a night and if you are struggling to sleep, talk to your doctor about options to improve it.
Do eat a healthy diet that is loaded in vegetables, fruits, lean meats and whole grains. This will give your body the necessary nutrition to help your baby to develop healthy. Avoid too much sugar or highly fatty foods.

If you have questions about your health or the way you are managing your pregnancy life, ask your doctor about them. He can help you make decisions to ensure baby’s health.

Filed Under: Family, Medical, Nutrition Tagged With: Health, Nutrition, Pregnancy