Ok, so I need a little financial guestimation.

[lovehayden]

Ok, so I need a little help guessing about what my future bills an expenses are going to be. Me and my other half are currently living with his mother, but we have to move out, we haven't been able to do so due to job circumstances, but recently my fiance` has gotten a better job. So, now we have to get up on our feet. I'm currently 18 and pregnant with my first child. Aproximately 5.5 months. And I'm wondering about how much I should be looking at for an average electricity and food and toiletries, (etc.) expense. And if you have any other expenses that I didn't mention please name 'em. Thanks =)

(BTW) We already have our ranges for rent,  cell phone, and car insurance.

[ivf_blessed]

Hi - congrats on your pregnancy and your fiance's new job!

Expenses can have a wide range simply based on what kind of person you are and how you are naturally with your money.

what kind of place will you be renting?  apartment, house?  what size?  what, if anything, is included in your rent (water, trash pick up)?  electric or gas heat?  Will you be required to make deposits to put new utilities in your name?  Do you plan on having cable/internet/home phone?   I HIGHLY recommend you look into renters insurance - it's usually cheap - check with your current insurance provider, see if they offer a multi policy discount too. 

Food - do you cook at home or tend to eat out a lot?

Baby - will you be nursing or formula feeding your baby?  disposable or cloth diapers?  do either of you have health insurance to cover the medical expenses for the baby (and you)?

I would like to suggest you check out youneedabudget.com and take advantage of the 30 day free trial and the free classes to help you keep track of your expenses so that you can learn to establish a healthy budget and savings fund.  I also recommend you check out daveramsey.com for awesome advice on how to live within your means.  I wish I had known about both when I was your age!

Best of luck to you! =0)

 

[QuiltLover]

For your elec, you can call the elec co and they will tell you the average monthly usage from the last 12 months from the previous renters, then ask to be on their level or budget biling, if your credit is good, they will do this, if not, then you have to pay the full amount of usage every month...for the trash, gas, etc. it is different in eash town, but you can call all of these and they will tell you. groceries for two people is also hard to judge, as pp said...if you eat out alot, it will be very expensive, if you stay at home, much much cheaper, start a savings at this point...no matter if it is only $5 a week...and YOU will have emergencies....rule of thumb is to have at least $1000 in fund that is set aside for car repairs, unexpected med bills, etc...you should be buying diapers and wipes every week now, and look at the cost of a container of formula and put that amount in a jar...you will need apprximately 2 cans a month of the biggest they sell, I may be wrong on that, check with a new Mom, or ask the nurse at the next drs appt...your toiletries will vary, there are two of us, we use around a roll of toilet paper a day, sometimes less, we each have our own bottle of shampoo, a bottle every other month for each...that kind of thing....hope someone can do better than I did, I feel like I wrote a book and didnt cover much....

[907PickleMom]

I would look into cloth diapering to save money. Cloth can save you over $2000 during your baby's diapering years. Cuties With Cloth Booties group here has a good sticky about cloth diapers. Breast feeding is much cheaper and better for baby! Also what quilt lover said about calling the utility companies. No one needs a landline phone or cable. Amazon Prime is $80 a year and you get free streaming movies and tv shows. Hulu plus is $8 a month for tv shows.
Renter's insurance is about $20-$40 a month and will protect your belongings in case of fire, natural disaster or theft. Most car insurance companies offer this too.
Good luck to you!

[SweetLuci]

 Ask his mother how much her grocery bill went up when you two moved in. That will help give you an idea on what your food will cost.  When you find a place to rent, call the utility companies before you sign a lease. they will tell you what your deposits will be and the averages of the previous renters. Good luck.

[momofsixangels]

Quoting ivf_blessed:

Hi - congrats on your pregnancy and your fiance's new job!

Expenses can have a wide range simply based on what kind of person you are and how you are naturally with your money.

what kind of place will you be renting?  apartment, house?  what size?  what, if anything, is included in your rent (water, trash pick up)?  electric or gas heat?  Will you be required to make deposits to put new utilities in your name?  Do you plan on having cable/internet/home phone?   I HIGHLY recommend you look into renters insurance - it's usually cheap - check with your current insurance provider, see if they offer a multi policy discount too. 

Food - do you cook at home or tend to eat out a lot?

Baby - will you be nursing or formula feeding your baby?  disposable or cloth diapers?  do either of you have health insurance to cover the medical expenses for the baby (and you)?

I would like to suggest you check out youneedabudget.com and take advantage of the 30 day free trial and the free classes to help you keep track of your expenses so that you can learn to establish a healthy budget and savings fund.  I also recommend you check out daveramsey.com for awesome advice on how to live within your means.  I wish I had known about both when I was your age!

Best of luck to you! =0)

Great answer.There are a lot of things that can alter the amount you spend

[flowerfunleah]

Congrats on getting things started and planning ahead!

A lot of that depends on where you live. For utilities I reccomend calling your utility company (or companies) and getting some estimates for the area that you want to live in. 

For food it helps to make a mock meal plan. Plan out your meals ahead of time, the ingredients it takes to make those meals, and then go to the grocery store with some paper and a calculator and add everything up. See how much it would cost to feed you guys a month and budget for it. 

Toiletries are much the same thing.

[Juniper53098]

You're doing a great job, in setting up a budget right away!!!  The costs of everything vary based on where you live.  Calling the utility companies will help you budget for them.

I agree that cloth diapering will save you a TON, if you don't get addicted to them =)  If you go the elimination communication route, you will barely need diapers at all.

Breastfeeding can be FREE.  There are lots of things you CAN get to help with BF, but none of it is essential.