Prioritize the needs of your baby
You must consider the needs of a baby, and how it fits into your budget when financially preparing for pregnancy. You can save for maternity leaves within old budgets for utilities, foodstuffs, and housing. Set a target of how much you want to save and work hard to achieve that target. It would help if you take it as an urgent fund
Here are some questions to help you adequately prepare for maternity leave [2].
What should I add to my budget? Studies done by the National Diaper Bank Network show that diapers [3] are worth up to $900 per year. You may also have to buy bottles, clothes, wipes, toys, and formula. Adding these expenses means you have to spend or save more money. It would also help if you made a list of the cost of products needed by the mum during pregnancy. You can measure the price using a first-year baby costs [4] calculator, so you can determine your new bills and financially prepare to be a new parent.
Do you have to decrease your recent spending when on leave?
It is not enough to consider new expenses that will be placed in the budget, you must also consider the ones you will remove. In most cases, the reduced expense is transport fees because you are no longer driving or boarding public vehicles to work every day. You may have to remove budgets for entertainment, restaurants, and other unnecessary expenses.