Planning on having a baby now?

“Having babies no be joke o” these are some of the lyrics to the song “Wait for Me”by KSA and Onyeka Onwenu. When this track was released, it didn’t have much meaning to me until now when i’m thinking of taking the plunge to start my own family. However, being emotionally ready is one thing, but if you don’t have the finances, it can completely ruin you and your well laid out plans. Now more than ever, most Nigerians increasingly take their late 20s to early 30s to reach adulthood, as defined by the completion of school, entry into the work-force and leaving parents’ home. Cultural shifts have also occured over the decades, with women having greater control over their fertility than what was previously obtainable. So, if you are ready to take the plunge, these are some of the creative things you can do.
* Spend wisely – I know of someone who recently splurged GBP2,000 on clothing items without considering that babies quickly outgrow clothes within a short space of time.
* Open up a separate baby saving account to take care of all the expenses needed for the arrival of the baby ( this you need to start once you’ve made up your mind to have a baby).
* Ask and be on the lookout for places or shops where you can get baby items at discounted prices so you save for other bigger items such as car seats, baby swings and the rest.
*Don’t turn up your noses at hand me downs – we all have siblings who have tons of baby items they’re completely clueless about. Go through what they have and pick out what you know your baby might need cos it saves you more money for other purchases.
* Don’t wait until you can afford kids because it will never happen – you can definitely take that piece of advice to the bank.