Deciding what products to stockpile for your maternity leave, and how much, is no easy task! It’s no secret that when you transition to maternity leave you will take a big hit to your regular monthly income. What can make it even harder is that the adorable bundle of joy you just brought into the world additionally has a not so cute impact on your bank account!
So, how do you cope? Plan ahead! They say hindsight is 20/20, and I fully believe it! This list is based on my own personal experience of what I wish I had stockpiled for our munchkin’s arrival, and what I will be stockpiling when munchkin #2 comes along! The best items to stockpile are the ones that will help counteract the new expenses being introduced to your monthly budget while you still have a regular income, and simply to help you still live life with as little adjustment as possible!
Products To Stockpile For Maternity Leave
Stockpiling Diapers–If you are planning on using disposable diapers, try to have at least your first 3 months already on hand by the time baby arrives. If you plan far enough ahead, you are given the luxury of waiting for clearance sales and coupons to combine with them to get your diapers at rock bottom prices. A good rule of thumb is to try and aim for $0.08-$0.10 per diaper or less. This will go up as the diapers increase in size as there will be fewer units per pack.
When calculating how many diapers you will need, keep in mind that for the first few months of your child’s life they will go through 10-12 diapers a day! So you can do the math depending on the size of diaper packs you purchase when you have enough for 3 months. If you have decided to go the cloth diaper route, make sure you have LOTS or your savings will go out the window in laundry expense!
Stockpiling Laundry Detergent–Since your laundry loads will likely triple in size and frequency, you will want to have lots of laundry detergent on hand at the lowest out-of-pocket price possible. If you wait for the right sale and collect coupons, you should be able to get your laundry detergent for $1.99 a jug or less.
Stockpiling Personal Care Items–Once your baby arrives, it will be very rare that you get a chance to treat yourself…or even think to! By stockpiling items like your favorite shampoo, body wash, etc., you don’t need to feel as though you are “going without”, and don’t need to spend money you don’t have to treat yourself!
Stockpiling Food–There are many foods that can be stockpiled and keep for long periods of time. But again, you don’t want to feel like you are sacrificing normal life by having to eat spaghetti every night, and want to make sure you are getting the nutrition you need if you are nursing! My best suggestion for stockpiling food for your maternity leave is to do enough freezer cooking to last 6-8 weeks, so you can eat good healthy homemade meals once baby arrives, and all you need to do is pop it in the oven! Check out 50 Freezer Meals in One Day for some tips and recipes I will be using later this month!
Stockpiling Fruits & Vegetables–Freezing sliced fruits and veggies is great for making quick smoothies! This will not only provide much-needed vitamins and nutrients to a nursing mom (and therefor baby!) but will give you the energy you need to get through your day on little sleep!
Stockpiling Paper Goods–Stockpiling necessities like toilet paper and paper towels is always a good idea! They wont expire, you know they will be needed, and they are items that will affect your routine if you run out unexpectantly!
I hope this preparation not only helps ease the financial stress a new addition can bring to your life, but also clears some of the mental stress of worrying about the “stuff”, so you can spend your time enjoying your new little bundle instead!
If you have any other suggestions of what products to stockpile for your maternity leave, please feel free to share so we can all learn from each other!
Guest Post Bio: Save Big Live Better is a community of like minded Canadians who want to save money. Follow these tips and you will be well on your way to saving through stockpiling! To learn more about how to slash your grocery bill, check out Save Big Live Better for Canadian coupons, deals, freebies, and frugal living articles like this!
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