It is an exciting time in your life when you are making the most of family life and adding to your tribe but having children requires a fair bit of advance planning, not just financially, but also from a logistics point of view, as you need to make sure you have enough space for your expanding family.
It might be that you use someone like Matco Calgary to move you to a bigger home or it could be that you want to try and expand the space you have in your existing property.
Here are some pointers on ways to prepare for the future as a larger family unit.
Get your finances in order
If you already have children you won’t need reminding how expensive kids are and if there is another one coming along shortly you will need to take stock of your financial position and see how prepared you are for what lies ahead.
Planning for a baby involves reviewing your existing budget and making sensible adjustments to what your expenses are likely to be when there is another one to look after in the family.
All the food and clothes you will need will add an extra strain to the household budget and there are also things like increased healthcare costs that you will have to make provisions for.
It would be a great idea to try and accumulate a bit of spare cash in preparation for the new arrival so that you have a bit of a financial cushion to see you through that initial period where expenses can often get out of control.
Is your home ready to cope?
A growing family needs more room and that means you have to decide whether your home is up to the challenge or whether it might be better to consider a move to a larger property.
There are ways to make your home bigger and it is well worth weighing up both options to see whether it works better to stay where you are and expand or sell and move to somewhere that already has the space you need.
You might be able to tank out your basement and convert it into living space or add a loft conversion to create an extra bedroom or two.
Find out how much and how practical these building ideas are and see whether it makes more financial sense to do this or sell and relocate.
Make a list
On a practical note, it is a great idea to create a list of things that you will need to shop for in preparation for the arrival of your baby.
Quite clearly, you are going to have your hands full when the bundle of joy actually arrives and there are a number of specific items that you will need to have in place and ready before the baby comes along.
Create a shopping list and start working your way through it as the big day draws closer.
It is also better to spread the cost rather than rush out and buy everything you need at the last minute, which could get expensive if you put it all on your credit card.
Care arrangements
Once you have shared the joyous news with other family members there is also a practical discussion to be had about who might be willing to help with chores and babysitting the other children when it is needed.
Most families are quite happy to lend their support, even if it is on a temporary basis, and if you know you have got some extra help when you need it that can be a weight off your mind.
These are just some of the things to think about when expanding your family and being prepared means you can enjoy welcoming a new addition without so much stress.
