Affording Triplets

Sorry folks, this does NOT apply to triplets!

One of the questions people ask me is "How are you going to afford triplets?". Sometimes they form it in a slightly less nosy statement like, "Wow! Buying three carseats (cribs, high chairs, etc) at a time! I feel bad for you!"  (By the way, I don' t mind the questions, nosy or not! I'm really an open book and love discussing all aspects of this pregnancy, from fertility issues to financial issues.)

From the very first moments after we found out we were having triplets, we have wondered the same thing. How are we going to afford this? My husband is a teacher...a very rewarding career in every possible aspect except financially, and I teach music lessons out of our home, which has always provided a nice second income for us, but will also have to be cut back considerably towards the end of the pregnancy and after the babies are here. So exactly HOW is this going to work?

I am a big believer in the fact that all the little things add up. Not all of us have the option of getting a higher paying job or winning the lottery. Though my husband was lucky enough to find another teaching position with a considerable raise, that raise won't be felt by our family until at least a year or so after the babies get here due to the fact that we have to take the most expensive insurance option for the first year to help offset the costs (oh, and don't even get me started on the fact that thanks to the job change we will end up meeting TWO insurance deductibles this year! But the job was too good to pass up).

So until finances find steady ground in our household once again, I am going to do the best I can to contribute in small ways in the hope that they will add up.

So here are some of the things I am planning, from earning money to free samples and such:

1. Swagbucks  (and other online pay services - surveys, shopping rewards sites, etc)

I used to do all sorts of activities to earn money online - surveys, getting paid to find answers to questions, etc. The one I have been most successful with and also find the easiest and least time-consuming is Swagbucks. It's kind of your all-in-one online earning experience - you can win by searching, completing surveys, watching short videos, completing no obligation offers, etc. I use it mostly for its search engine. You use it just like you would Google or Bing. Every time you search you have a good chance of winning "swagbucks" for your search. Your Swagbucks add up until you have enough for the reward you want. For me, it's always Amazon gift cards. I've paid for many a Christmas gift for my kids this way. Now I'm hoping to pay for wipes and diapers, and maybe a high chair or two if I'm lucky.

2. Depending on the Kindness of Strangers

And by that, I mean asking for samples, coupons, etc from popular baby companies and the hospital! I know with my previous pregnancies, the hospital sent me home with a can or two of formula. I plan on asking for that this time around! My OB and pediatrician also gave out one or two cans. Now for me, who primarily breastfed my first two, those samples lasted until they expired. I know I am not going to be able to exclusively breastfeed three hungry babies, and formula is pricy, so I am going to try and gather all the samples and free cans I can get and *hope* that one of the babies doesn't need special formula.

One big ticket thing I plan to try is to contact Mead Johnson (the makers of Enfamil) after the triplets are born. I have heard that with verification from your pediatrician, they will send you a case of formula for each child through their multiples program. They can be reached by phone at 1-800-422-2902 or 1-800-222-9123. I haven't verified this yet since I haven't had the babies yet, but as soon as I do I will update this post as to whether the program still exists and what requirements I had to meet.

There are a number of other companies I plan to contact, based on lists I have found on the internet when searching for discounts for twins, discounts for multiples, discounts for triplets, etc. As I find more I will add the links below:

Discounts for Twins

3. Garage Sales and Second Hand Stores

I want that fancy new swing or bouncer just as much as the next mom, but think logically here...each of these items you will really only use for a short time. Are they worth the large price tag? Do you HAVE to have all matching jump-a-roos? I am as OCD as the next person when it comes to things matching and coordinating, but I have had to let that GO with this pregnancy. In the long run, it doesn't matter if your high chairs matched or if you were given a free pink and purple bouncer even though you are having all boys. I am speaking from experience here...my Boppy pillow was given to me brand new and free, and it is the most darling girly pattern ever. But I am having all boys. Is it worth the $10-$20 to go buy a boyish cover? Nope, not when that money could buy me 20 cartons of wipes with coupons (though that won't stop me from putting one on my registry). And speaking of coupons, that brings me to my next tip...

4. Use Coupons and Watch for Deals!

Before I had my second child, I was an avid couponer. Not quite the "Extreme Couponing" type, but I did have a mountain of free toilet paper stacked up in my closet and a lot of free toothpaste in my bathroom cabinet. When my second child came, I had to cut back quite a bit but I still use coupons to this day (I just don't hop in my car as soon as I see a deal to beat everybody else to it any more).  If you follow couponing blogs or subscribe to couponing services you will find that there are often deals on diapers and wipes. It's a great way to start building your stash slowly and over time. I buy a lot of my diapers on Amazon using their Subscribe and Save and Amazon Mom programs. I watch the couponing/baby blogs for good deals and when I see one, I buy a box to add to the pile. Same thing with wipes - Amazon often has them on sale for under 2 cents a wipe, which is my buy price.

Don't be afraid to sit back and wait for a good sale. You don't have to buy every piece of baby gear right away. My tendency is to run out and buy it all right now so that it's done.  But I've had to learn to watch and wait for good deals with this pregnancy, because buying three of everything all at once would certainly put us out on the street! I have found some good deals on Craigslist, and my deal watching really paid off a couple of weeks ago when I read in the "Pinching Your Pennies" blog about a rare code-stacking sale at Kohls and was able to save about $300 on my 3 car seats, a double stroller, and a single stroller for the seats to snap into. I am so glad I sat back and waited to buy them - they had been on my Amazon wish list for weeks!

5. Sit Back and Enjoy the Blessings from Unexpected Places

People get really excited when they find out you are pregnant with multiples. At this point, I am only 18 weeks along and we have already received a huge gift of 13 cases of diapers (about a 4 month supply for triplets), to be delivered as needed after the babies are born. This gift was generously given to us by the parents of my husbands' students. It was completely unexpected and we are so grateful for it.

You will find that gifts come trickling, then pouring in. You will likely have offers to host a baby shower - say YES. If you don't need clothes, ask to have a diaper shower, or have your hostess request gifts of wipes, Babies R Us gift cards, Amazon gift cards, etc. You could also ask your hostess to request that money be pooled for the larger gifts like high chairs, bassinets, all the way up to cribs.

I hope these ideas have helped you. I think the key is to remember to do everything little by little - start setting aside some money every month just for baby expenses, start collecting a supply of diapers and wipes so that the cost won't hit you at the same time you are trying to pay medical bills, and don't be afraid to ask for help. Ask companies, ask friends with children if they are willing to lend clothes or if they have extra diapers left over after their child moves up a size. It can only help!