Preparing for Twins on a Budget Like a Pro: Free PDF Printable

How to prepare for newborn twins on a budget while pregnant

Hey, I don’t know about you but when the tech told me I was expecting twins. My initial reaction was holy crap how am I going to afford twins?

Is there such a thing as preparing for twins on a budget? How can I actually prepare for twins financially?

So if you’re asking yourself some of these questions. Then you’re at the right place.

Look I’m not Beyonce nor JLO… So in order to deal with such a financial burden a budget needed to happen.

A budget doesn’t have to be crazy strict but throughout your twin pregnancy, you should start saving and prioritizing your needs.

Each one of you has completely different financial needs and situations.

However, my goal is to give you ideas to help you in preparing for your new life with twins without breaking your bank account.

It won’t be easy but I’m going to provide you ideas that will make the process of preparing for twins on a budget much easier.

This post is broken down into 5 categories:

• Start saving now

• Shopping for twins

• Childcare cost

• Government assistance

Before getting into the different sections below is preparing for twins checklist to help you stick to a budget and stay on track

This is a FREE checklist I created to help you stay focus!

Start saving the moment you find out

As soon as you get the news surprise you’re having twins. Start preparing and saving.

Create a budget ASAP.

Twin budget worksheet printable

This is a simple worksheet to help you start keeping track of your expenses so you can know where you can start saving.

If you’re a visual person then this worksheet will help. I’m no financial expert. But is a start.

Is completely FREE don’t even need an email.

Starting a budget right away is going to give you plenty of time to save up before the twins arrive.

You will be able to learn all the things you need to know about twins, when you should buy stuff for twins, as well as what to skip.

Plus it gives you ample time to buy things as you go and not feel completely rushed.

Some other things to consider right after finding out about twins is to:

• Cut out expenses

• New job or extra job

• Speak to insurance company

Cut out expenses

Look I’m a Starbucks, Dunkin, Amazon, and Target junkie. I get it.

We all have that one thing or place we love to spend money on.

Well, this might be the time to look at your expenses and cut off certain things to allow you to save for twins.

So if you love some good old Starbucks coffee you might want to consider cutting back or completely cutting it out.

$5 here and there might not seem like a lot but when you add it all up. It turns out to be a lot of money.

If you go to Starbucks 5 days a week and spent about $5 per drink that’s about $25.

$25 can buy a box of wipes.

So I don’t know your spending habits but consider cutting out extra things you don’t truly need.

Not forever but at least to help you save up for the things you need to buy for your twins and yourself.

Side hustle

Consider adding some hours to your job or a side job?

The more you get into your twin pregnancy the harder doing anything will be.

With the online world getting bigger and bigger every day.

You can pretty much do any and everything online.

You could be a tutor, you can sell old clothes, bags, shoes, etc…

You could be a virtual assistant and so much more.

The possibilities are endless. So consider getting an extra gig, asking for a promotion, or applying for a better position.

Talk to insurance

Don’t forget to reach out to your insurance.

You need to know what your coverage would look like now that you’re adding two extra babies.

Deductibles? What if the twins are born early and require a NICU stay how much could that cost?

A big part of having twins is the hospital expenses and medical bills.

So start reaching out to the insurance companies, talk to the hospital and your doctor about the different options available.

Payments plans, what your co-pays could look like, deductibles, etc.

The earlier you prepare and plan for this big expense the better.

Shopping for twins

Part of becoming a mother of twins is the extra items twins come with.

You will need to buy certain things to take care of them but is also about shopping the smart way to maximize your money and make it stretch.

So when shopping for twins here are some things to consider:

You don’t need two of everything

Just because you’re having two babies you don’t need two buy two of everything.

Some items like car seats, cribs you do but other bigger items like a stroller, swing you don’t

Before you buy two of everything try one item and see how it goes.

Your twins might hate the swing and you went ahead and bought two of them.

The best thing you can do is to wait and see if your twins both like the same item then you could double up.

Buy in bulk

I know at times paying for a membership is an extra cost but if that extra cost is going to save you money long term then why not.

With twins buying in bulk is key.

You’re already going to need more diapers, wipes, formula, etc. Why not buy them from stores that are made for larger families?

To this day we buy diapers and wipes from Sams.

So invest in a membership.

The great thing about this type of membership is that you can continue to buy things for the whole family as your twins continue to grow.

Stick to the basics

Honestly, babies don’t need much we are the ones that get caught up on baby land and make all things baby really complicated.

If you truly think about it all your twins will need the first couple of weeks is a safe place to sleep, a couple of outfits, diapers, and food (breastmilk or formula).

Everything else is extra.

So focus on the basic needs such as:

Diapers, wipes, car seat, bassinette, items for breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, a handful of clothing items, and you’re set.

Get twin items discounted of for free

This is the perfect opportunity to reach out to friends and family and ask them for handy-me-downs.

Check out local consignment stores, garage sales, or even the Facebook marketplace and buy gently used items.

You will be surprised by the quality of some of these items.

Some people sell brand new clothes that their babies outgrew fairly quickly or they just couldn’t return them back to the store.

If you have older siblings this is the perfect time to also dig out all of their baby clothes and use them for the twins.

I had a boy before the twins were born so I save a lot of the clothes and some baby gear that my twins used throughout the newborn stage.

How to shop for your twins?

Below are some tips to keep in mind when shopping for items for your twins:

• Buy generic/store brand

• Bulk- get a membership

• Store discounts: Target app offers discounts and promotions on baby items all of the time

• Sign up for newlestters coupons: huggies, pampers, similac, etc

• Use completion coupons from baby registries to buy other items. Make sure you add extra items you want in order to get the discount.

• Keep twin registry with essentials only. This way people will buy you exactly what you need. Keep clothing minimal. People will buy this regardless.

Other things to consider when shopping for twins?

• Before you buy something ask yourself do I really need this item?

• How is this item going to help?

• Can I use it for more than one thing?

Also, don’t forget that at times you might need to buy an item just for convenience. So budget for that.

Taking care of twins is hard and especially when you need to do it alone.

At times you might need to buy an item just because it makes life much easier and simpler.

So what would that item be?

Who knows… Only you know what item will make taking care of twins easier.

It could be a baby brezza because it means making bottles much faster OR

A mamaRoo swing because is so high-tech that it provides so many positions and swing modes that helps keep your twins safe while you attend to the other or do other things.

OR a Twin carrier because your newborn twins want to be held all day long and you have things to do.

These are just a few items that are expensive that you might need to consider splurging on one because they will make life with twins easier.

So keep that in mind when creating your budget.

DIY baby items

Look I’m not the most crafty person but I wouldn’t be doing you any justice if I didn’t at least mention this.

If you have a talent for sewing and making things you need to use that to your advantage.

Making things will save you lots of money.

The best part about it is that you get to customize and make things exactly as you want them to be. You add your own personal touch.

Some things you can make yourself are:

• Burp cloths
• hats
• Shirts
• Blankets
• curtainns
• Art
• Baskets
• ETC

Make your own baby food

Part of DIY is making your own baby food. Once your twins are ready for solids you will be surprised as to how much a jar of baby food costs.

You could spend on average between $1-3 per jar.

Plus when you make it at home you know the exact ingredients and you get to customize any and everything.

Skip the nursery

Look don’t we all love to see videos and photos of all the cute nursery decor, wallpaper, color scheme, and so on.

I love it too. But if you’re really talking about being on a budget then maybe forget all about it.

Honestly we never really had a full-blown nursery with our kids. Think about it.

They’re going to spend the first weeks and even the first months sleeping in your room.

And like we learn before babies only need basic items. We are the ones that want to create that wonderful put-together space.

So consider either ditching the nursery altogether or maybe just putting a crib in there and call it a day.

You could also build it slowly as you begin to transition your twins into their own room.

You will be surprised as to how much money you can spend decorating a baby room.

Childcare cost

Having one baby in daycare is expensive now add two… That’s a whole another level.

If you currently work full time then consider your options.

Would you be able to afford childcare when it’s time to go back?

Is all of your income going to paying for childcare?

Which childcare option would be better: A nanny or daycare?

Would it be cheaper for you to just stay home?

Start looking at daycares in your area so that you can calculate the cost and see if it’s soemthing you and your spouse can actually afford.

Daycare for a newborn baby can range depending on where you live, location, etc.

But expect to pay anything between $150-300 per week per baby. So do the math.

Government assitance for twins

As far as the financial assistance from the government goes is all based on income status.

So if you make a certain amount of money per household while you are pregnant with twins and after they are born you could qualify for something called WIC.

Your twins can also be on Medicaid once they are born.

WIC is a program created for women and children up to age 5.

You can get resources such as food, lactation support, nutrition, and breastfeeding classes.

They give out a certain amount of food items such as bread, eggs, milk, juice, formula, baby food, etc all depending on each baby and age.

For more information about WIC, you can GOOGLE your local WIC office. Each state is different and they each have its own rules and regulations.

If you live in TEXAS here is the WIC website

Last words for how to prepare for twins on a budget

Twins can add up fairly quickly. But they are many ways you can begin to save as well as stick to a budget!

The Key is to: Start early, stick to the basics, and get resourceful.

You were given two babies for a reason. You can totally do this. It won’t be all rainbows and butterflies all of the time.

But it will be so worthed.

I would love to hear in the comments how you have been preparing for twins financially.

Other twin related articles

• Nanny vs daycare which is best for twins?
• When should you start buying baby stuff
• Tips to stay healthy in a twin pregnancy
• Preparing for twins checklist
• Things you can expect the first month with twins
• Steps you need to know before setting up your twin nursery
• How to take care of twins alone
• How to survive newborn twins
• A letter to the new mom expecting twins

How to save money for twins: Preparing for twins on a budget