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Exactly How Much I’ve Spent Over 6 Months Of Pregnancy
...it's a lot!
June 16, 2025
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I also know that we have been spending…a lot of money on this stuff. Some of it has been necessary (a crib, stroller, etc.), while some has been completely frivolous (a flower-shaped lamp that I got at a decent sale price, at least). But I honestly didn’t have a grasp on how much my husband, Peter, and I had spent in total, so I decided to add it up, if for no other reason than curiosity. Please keep in mind that almost everything on this list can be done for much cheaper than we have spent! I’ll note the items I have gotten secondhand so far, but the vast majority have not been.
In terms of how we have covered the costs, about half has come out of our monthly budget/typical spending. A lot of our regular monthly expenses have decreased since I found out I was pregnant (way less going out simply due to energy levels, pausing our climbing gym membership after my doctor told me to take it easier, not spending any of my “allowance” on non-maternity clothes, etc.), which made room for a lot of the spending below, especially since it’s been spread out over the last six months. The other half has come from savings or commission payouts — we had a big travel year last year and have kept up the same hefty sinking fund contributions, but some of that has gone towards baby expenses instead of travel this year. And various commission checks have been split between long-term savings and paying for some of the below.
Without further ado, here’s how much being pregnant and prepping for a baby has cost us:
Rearranging our apartment
The now-nursery was previously our shared office. We ended up moving our desks elsewhere in our apartment (Peter’s to the guest room, mine to the living room), which has honestly worked out great, but did necessitate a few purchases like updating the storage in the guest room now that there is slightly less room in there. We also needed to make our dining room safe for a baby, because there is an open set of rails on one side where the staircase to our basement is. That included getting a bench for one side of the table to make more space, plus putting up a set of cabinets to block the railing.
Total: $2,000
Setting up the nursery
We essentially needed to furnish and decorate an entire room from scratch, because once we moved our desks out of that room, we had nothing left that could be useful in a nursery. So far we’ve bought a crib (prioritizing one that can be turned into a toddler bed/last us for up to 5 years), rocking chair, wardrobe, dresser, curtains, various storage supplies, a few lamps, and paint/painting supplies. This is pretty much everything we are planning to buy for this room, aside from some shelves and wall frames/decor, though I admittedly was not trying to stick to a specific budget. I settled on things based on what we needed to fit the space (it’s a long but quite narrow room), as well as what we could make work from our budget/allotted savings. Also, it was important to me to make it a cute room that I personally would want to spend time in! I am aiming to create a gallery wall solely with items we already own, family photos, thrifted art, or art I make rather than buying anything else new — watch this space for that project sometime in the next few months!
Total: $3,880
Baby gear
We are listing most baby gear/supplies in our baby shower registry, but after researching the best strollers and car seats for our very walking-heavy city life, Peter settled on a pretty pricey model (Uppababy) — which would ultimately end up becoming even pricier thanks to a certain world leader’s tariff announcements. Since it was already quite expensive and would only get more so, we didn’t feel right putting it on our registry and decided to bite the bullet and just buy both ourselves (before the new tariff pricing set in). We also found a high chair and a bassinet stroller attachment (like new!) on Facebook Marketplace.
Total: $1,245
Maternity clothes
I really wanted to avoid buying maternity clothes as much as possible, but once I got to second trimester, I simply had no pant options — even my stretchiest yoga pants were becoming super uncomfortable. I also started running out of tops once the weather got warmer and bulky sweaters were no longer going to cut it. I’m luckily very into the nap dress aesthetic, so a lot of the dresses I already owned have worked just fine, and I haven’t purchased any maternity dresses. I’ve bought many basic staples from Hatch Maternity (almost exclusively on sale), which is all really well-made, and much of which will work for a long time postpartum. Otherwise, almost everything else I’ve gotten (mainly leggings/activewear and various t-shirts/tanks) has come from Old Navy or Poshmark. I never usually purchase fast fashion, but affordable maternity options are admittedly limited, and it’s harder than you’d think to find basics secondhand.
Total: $1,121
Hiring a doula
I won’t get into it here, but based on my research and my preferred birth plan, I decided to go with the services of a doula. There are a wide range of pricing options, but we didn’t skimp on this cost because we could cover it with our HSA through Peter’s insurance, which has plenty of funds in it currently.
Total: $0 (would have been $1,500-5,000)
Frivolous baby purchases
I feel like I have exercised extreme self control when it comes to buying random cute baby outfits, but this has still added up over the last few months in the anticipation of welcoming a new little family member. It’s hard to go on vacation and not get a souvenir onesie, okay?? I’m happy to report that the vast majority of cute baby clothes I’ve bought have come from a secondhand shop here in Brooklyn, though the cost of those only accounts for 25% of the total here (which just goes to show how cost-effective it is).
Total: $440
Reading materials
We’ve both been reading plenty on the topic of pregnancy/childbirth/newborn care, and I wanted to purchase the books from our local indie bookstore rather than get them from the library so that we could write in the margins and reference them later. These have all been worthwhile, especially Cribsheet and The Birth Partner.
Total: $100
Takeout
In our regular/”before” life, we really didn’t spend that much on takeout or food delivery, mainly because we both enjoy cooking and also go out to eat plenty — takeout feels like an unnecessary indulgence most of the time. However, since Peter has been doing basically all of the housework/cooking, and I have been much less interested in going to restaurants than usual, this line item has gone up quite a bit. It’s still under $200 a month, though, which honestly surprises me!
Total: $1,115
SUM TOTAL: $9,771
This is a lot!!! I don’t anticipate spending any more on maternity clothes or home furnishings for the time being. I’ve also been familiarizing myself much more with our local buy-nothing groups and Facebook Marketplace, so I know there are plenty of future baby/toddler purchases I definitely won’t need to buy new (literally never buy a new balance bike, activity table, or Baby Bjorn bouncer without checking FB marketplace first). I’m planning to stick mainly to secondhand clothes for our child for many years, because they just grow so quickly, and it’s very easy to find good quality stuff. I have also had the privilege of being the recipient of many hand-me-downs so far!
This list doesn’t include the costs yet to come, which will add up to be even bigger than the above, especially thanks to infant daycare and finalizing our estate/trust. Last year, we were able to put about 33% of our post-tax income towards long-term savings (including retirement); this year, thanks to planning for a baby, it’s looking more like 20-21%. That still puts us way ahead of the average savings rate, and I’m grateful that we’re expanding our family with such a solid financial footing! But it’s clearly a privilege to be able to prepare for this baby in the ways that we have. Yes, we could have easily spent much more so far, but even this amount is not feasible for many families.
Welcome back to our weekly series, Ask A Financial Advisor with Kellen Thayer of Advisor.com! Dozens of members of the TFD community love and trust Advisor to help them on their financial journeys. Get $500 off your first year with Advisor by signing up through TFD! Click here to take our short quiz and schedule a FREE consultation call with Advisor today and never make another financial decision alone!
Q: How can someone financially prepare to take care of elderly parents?
A: Caring for elderly parents is a significant emotional and financial responsibility. Start by opening the lines of communication with your parents about their current financial situation, insurance policies, and long-term care preferences. Create a budget that accounts for potential costs like medical expenses, caregiving services, or modifications to their home. You could potentially use your HSA funds to help cover some of the costs down the road.
It’s also wise to look into long-term care insurance while they’re still healthy enough to qualify. Finally, consult with an elder law attorney about setting up a power of attorney or healthcare proxy to manage their financial and medical decisions if needed. Preparing now can help you and your parents navigate this stage of life with confidence and focus on your time together rather than financial concerns.
Get $500 off your first year with Advisor by signing up through TFD! Click here to take our short quiz and schedule a FREE consultation call with Advisor today and never make another financial decision alone!
I’m always on the hunt for a good wireless bra and decided to try out the Honeylove Crossover bra after seeing it everywhere on social media. As a larger-chested girlie who despises wearing a bra, but absolutely needs to, I was shocked at how much I like this bra. Good lift, very comfortable, and looks good under most tops. I purchased 1 and have worn it multiple times, and am planning to order a few others in different colors.
Every summer I purchase a fresh pair of white slip on keds. I normally opt for a canvas pair because they’re super affordable, and can be thrown in the washing machine, but they’re always super yellowed by end of summer, so I end up throwing them out which just feels wasteful. This summer, I purchased a leather pair and am hopeful to get more than 1 summer out of them. Even at $65, though, when I plan to wear them almost every day, I feel good about this purchase.
Music is obviously a very personal choice, but I’m in full on summer vibes mode and have been listening to Adam Port radio on Spotify for the past month. If you also want to feel vibey as well, I highly recommend.
This is a shameless plug, but my last rec is to come to one (or all!) of our free workshops in June and July. We’ve put a lot of TLC into creating these upcoming workshops for the TFD community, so we’d love for you to join us. Links to register are in the Happening At TFD section :)
📣Events
We’re almost halfway through the year, so what better time to check in on your 2025 financial goals? Join us June 25th for The Mid-Year Financial Check-Up, a totally FREE workshop, in partnership with our friends at Monarch Money. In this workshop we’ll help you gain clarity on the following questions: Are you still on track to hit the milestones you set out to reach back in January? Do you need to make adjustments to your goals and spending habits based on major life events that have occurred in that time? And overall, what can you do now to make sure you leave 2025 with a brighter financial outlook than you had entering into it? Click here to register!
We’ve been getting a ton of questions, comments, and DMs as of late about the omnipresence of AI and worries about digital financial safety. So we thought — why not have a workshop about it? We’d love for you to join us July 31st for a totally FREE lunchtime workshop, How To Protect Yourself From An Increasingly Scammy World, where we’ll walk you step-by-step through how to protect yourself from online threats and identity theft, featuring a cybersecurity expert from Aura. You'll learn about the most common digital threats you face and leave with practical tools to spot red flags, set up protection across your devices and accounts, and respond confidently when something feels off. This workshop will include an hour-long presentation, followed by 30 minutes of audience Q&A. Replay available if you can’t join live but you must register ahead of time for access — click here to register!
We’re SUPER excited to announce our next workshop in partnership with our friends at Advisor.com! Join Chelsea and CFP Kellen Thayer on July 16th for How To Build Wealth In A Scary Economy — a timely deep-dive workshop where they’ll break down everything you need to know to build wealth and financial security even during chaotic economic times. They’re covering everything from leveraging down markets for investment optimization, to managing cash flow, to setting long-term goals based on your personal career and income paths. This totally FREE workshop is all about taking back financial control. Just take our very short quiz to register!
🎥YouTube
It was a busy week for us over on YouTube! Yesterday we premiered episode 4 of Asked & Answered (season 2) co-hosted by Chelsea & Erin Lowry. This series is turning into a community favorite! Check out our latest episode, TK TK with 2 more episodes dropping this month!
We also premiered a brand new capsule series late last week title Wedding Season, co-hosted by Chelsea and Ashley C Ford. In this series, Chelsea and Ashley deep dive into wedding culture, bachelorette culture, the wedding industrial complex, and of course, the finances of it all. Check out the first episode, We Have Totally Lost The Plot On Weddings, now live on YouTube! Come back for new episodes dropping Thursdays throughout June!
If you haven’t already, make sure to catch up on May video essay, Marrying The Wrong Man Will Be Your Worst Financial Decision! In this video essay, Chelsea dives into the realities of marriage for women, statistically speaking: how we’re sold an idea of an egalitarian partnership, and how that ultimately does not play out for many women — financially, or emotionally. Marrying the right partner can add so much to your life, but the wrong one can do exactly the opposite. Watch now!
✨The Society
We’re excited to announce our June workshop, Voting With Your Dollars: Building Community for Economic Change, with friend of TFD and sustainable money expert, Kara Perez! Kara is back for another important and timely event where she’ll lead a discussion on how building strong communities can lead to real economic change. We’ll talk about how people can come together to support each other financially, share resources, and create more opportunities for everyone. This session is great for anyone who wants to make a difference through connection and collaboration. Register here.
Check out our latest guidebook, How To Build Financially Healthy Relationships, a 17-page guidebook designed to help you understand your own relationship with money, set financial boundaries without shame, and create more honest, supportive dynamics with your friends, family, and romantic partners. Join The Society at the $9.99 tier for access.
ICYMI: We dropped a timely 2-part podcast series in the second half of May featuring friend of TFD, Anna Gifty! Anna joined Chelsea for The Economics of Winning to discuss the current state of our government, economy, and more. Check out both parts here!
Check out our full June Society calendar below!
The Society at TFD is our members-only community with access available on both YouTube and Patreon. Joining The Society is the best way to directly support TFD! The Society offers the exact same things on both platforms, so choose whichever one you prefer!
We offer 3 tier options:
The Society at TFD Lite: $2.99/month
Monthly office hours with Chelsea to chat and get your personal questions answered
Access to our monthly book club hosted by TFD Creative Director, Holly
Illustrated tech backgrounds every month
Access to Society Discord
The Society at TFD: $4.99/month — includes everything in the $2.99 tier plus:
Monthly ad-free extended director's cut videos from Chelsea
Exclusive members-only events and workshops
Complete post archive (including exclusive members-only videos of Chelsea ranting on different topics)
The Society Premium: $9.99/month — includes everything from the previous tiers plus:
Weekly newsletter from Chelsea
Monthly multi-page workbook/guidebook on a different topic each month
Members-only capsule podcasts