By Mauren Kunz
For one year, the average cost of powdered baby formula is $1,590. The average cost of using disposable diapers for a year is more than $1,000, which doesn?t even include the $1,300 more that will be spent on diapers before a child is potty trained.
Wipes will cost another $80 per year, not to mention buying clothes for the baby will cost more than $500.
With so many costs and prices so high, raising a baby can be extremely expensive?especially on the budget of a young married student couple.
Mary Pinegar, a senior studying marriage, family and human development, and her husband Dave, a pre-med student studying exercise science, are preparing for their first baby.
In preparation for their little boy, the Pinegars have started to gather some of the necessary items?some of which have been donated, and others that will have to be purchased.
?Baby showers are helpful, but you don?t get everything you need from them,? Mary said. ?A lot of people have been generous to us and just offered to give us their baby stuff. There will still be a lot that we have to go buy ourselves and that?s okay. I don?t mind buying things myself because the new items will probably last for several of our kids. It?s an investment.?
Mindi Mitchell and her husband, Scott, gave birth to their first child, Kate, on February 2, 2005.
While they are still early in the process of raising a child, the Mitchells have started learning money-saving techniques.
?There are a lot of programs out there that you can rent from or get free stuff from,? Mindi Mitchell said. ?There are even second hand baby stores. We?ve gotten a lot of stuff from those stores, re-covered it and saved a lot of money.?
Mitchell has also found that while sometimes the generic brand can save money, the quality is not always the same.
?Generic wipes are harder and they smell gross,? Mitchell said. ?We bought a big pack of them thinking that we would save money but they ended up being awful. But the shampoos and lotions are the same.?
Having a baby is not only expensive to prepare for, but expensive to have. Doctor bills for visits and ultrasounds add up quickly and it?s important to have a good insurance to help with the costs.
Two of the most common insurances used by students are the BYU Health Plan and Medicaid. The BYU Health Plan is available to any student, while couples must meet certain qualifications based on their income to qualify for Medicaid.
Another major part of preparation for first time parents is attending a prenatal class. IHC offers various types of prenatal classes, ranging in time from one day to six weeks. Classes range in price from $10-$55 and may be covered by some insurances. For more information, visit www.ihc.com.
* Cost estimates were determined using information available at kidsource.com, punkinbutt.com and surebaby.com.