Baby
The Financial Checklist Before Having a Baby
Having a baby costs $12,000-$15,000 in year one alone. Here's the complete financial checklist to prepare -- from insurance to childcare to the will you've been putting off.
Baby vs Everything Else
If we have a baby in [month], here's the impact on our house savings / debt payoff / retirement. Shows how baby costs ripple through other goals.
Baby vs Everything Else
If we have a baby, what happens to our other financial goals? Let's see the ripple effect.
$
$0$50,000
Combined take-home pay
$
$0$20,000
Total going to house fund, retirement, debt payoff, etc.
6
124
About 6 months from now
A baby would delay your goals by roughly 1y 10m — significant but not impossible
Here's what I'd tell a friend
A baby would push your goals back about 2 years on average. That's significant but not unusual — most families adjust their timelines. The key is to not abandon your goals entirely. Even reduced contributions keep compound growth working for you. $800/month still adds up.
Monthly budget impact
$1,200/mo less
Your goal contributions drop from $2,000 to $800/month
Average goal delay
1y 10m
Baby cost (first 5 years)
$70,100
Based on USDA data for a middle-income family
House down payment — delay
3y 8m
Lost growth: $68,856
House down payment — reached in
7y 9m
Without baby: 4y 1m
Retirement savings — delay
no delay
Lost growth: $48,963
Retirement savings — 10yr projection
$128,014
Without baby: $176,977
Total opportunity cost
$117,819
Extra interest paid on debt + lost investment growth over 10 years
The Money Friend
A baby would delay your goals by roughly 1y 10m — significant but not impossible
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