Its amazing how different Hubs & I lives are after just a few years. Of course that's what happen when children are welcomed into the world, and things haven't "changed" between Hubs & I, that's a different post at a different time on why...
Our financial situation can get a little scary. When it was just Marc & I, we had a very hefty combined income. Even so when Ava was born. Now that we need that income more than ever, it is so far from our grasp. We didn't imagine all the hardships we would experience over the last year could change the way we live our lives. Of course kids are expensive.. but TWINS, o you have no idea. TWINS & a TODDLER, yikes and on one income. When we moved back to Ohio, Marc had taken a big pay cut to get us back home. I had two opportunities lined up with a good shot for at least one. Well after a couple weeks here, the Bed Rest is brought down on me like a hammer and so some of struggle began. The money we had saved was used to pay off some bills before we moved back. We made money off the sale of our house, but that quickly ran out because we had to pay to fly Ava & myself back to Ohio & rent a uhaul for Hubs & my stepdad to bring all of our stuff back, two car payments, etc... Anyways...
Before I would do some couponing if I thought of it and hardly ever looked for the best priced item between stores. Now, that is a necessity. Yesterday we were low on formula so I went to Giant Eagle to get a small tub to hold us over until we ran to Sam's Club. The girls are on Enfamil Gentlease and Sams has a version of their brand that we buy.
So I'm standing in Giant Eagle at 10pm, in spit up stained sweats, a frizzy curly ponytail &a scarf wrapped around my mouth looking for a small tub to get us through a day, which is literally just one 12oz tub (or less)... that's only one days worth pretty much. They only have the GE in the 21oz Powder, some powder packets & liquid... the 21oz can was $27.99. I didn't have a coupon with me. I normally have some, but we've used them all. There was NO WAY I was going to spend $28 on 21oz when we can get a 48oz tub at Sams for $25. But we needed it... so I'm standing there. Starting to get hot. Doing math. So I take off my coat. We can afford to do this, but this is absurd. Spend that much money for one day of Formula when the Sams tub will last us 4 days and is $3 cheaper!??! On days like this, I feel so guilty for only breastfeeding 4m. After 5mins of arguing with myself , I call Hubs for reinforcement. He said he can go to Sam's on his lunch break and get the formula along with some other things we need in bulk, plus the cashier from my last trip FORGOT to put my wine in the cart and I didn't realize until I got home! So he had to pick it up... BONUS!
But... its good to always have reserves. I have 8, 8oz ready feed bottles on hand along with 6, 4oz powder packets that are for emergencies or travel. So I figure that is more than enough to get us through until he goes to the store.
Anyways... this incident made me realize just how expensive this is. I've never really wrote it down, but I do remember the days we started a new tub of formula, or opened a new pack of diapers, so in Part 2, I'm going to do a cost break down.
Unless you have indisposable income, you should really get a Sam's/Costco/BJ's Membership-- Lesson #1!
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