The arrival of a new baby is all consuming. In the early weeks, your waking hours are a cycle of feedings, nappy changes and googling, “Is it normal for a baby to (fill in the blank)”.
Mustering the energy — and attention span — for otherwise routine tasks such as showering and paying bills can feel like a tall order. You’ll be lucky to remember what day it is, much less when your next credit card payment is due.
Do your future, sleep-deprived self a favour and start prepping your finances early in your pregnancy so things can run on autopilot for a while after the baby arrives.
If you don’t already have a budget, start there, says Cecilia Williams, a mother, certified financial planner and chief operating officer of Halbert Hargrove, a financial planning company.
“Outline all your current income and expenses so you and your partner have a solid understanding of where your money goes each month,” Ms Hargrove says.
“This will absolutely need to be adjusted as you get closer to your due date, so having a starting point is priority No1.”
Then build a plan for managing the other costs, large and small, that come with having a baby.
Research the cost to deliver your child
The price tag for childbirth can be steep. Even with insurance, new parents can expect to pay some money out of pocket for maternity care.
Contact your insurer or the hospital where you plan to deliver to get more specific numbers. Then take a deep dive into your healthcare coverage to understand your coinsurance, deductible, maximums and coverage limits. Use these figures to set a realistic savings goal to cover them.
Plan ahead for parental leave
If you have paid leave through your employer, ask questions early. Find out how many weeks are covered and at what percentage of your salary. Do you need to use vacation and sick time first?
You also want to know when and how your benefits will be paid out, especially if they’ll come from several sources.
Trust me, you don’t want to be one week postpartum emailing your benefits provider to unravel the logistics of your leave payments.
If you don’t have access to paid leave, or you’re planning to take additional unpaid time, practise living on a reduced income to the extent possible. This will help you identify optional expenses to reduce or eliminate and help you build a savings cushion before your baby’s arrival.
Start saving for child care
Child care is the single largest monthly expense for most new parents. Get a jump start by paying for day care well before your baby arrives.
Put the money into a separate savings account — ideally one that earns interest — every week or month. This helps you adjust to the new expense and allows you to bank a few months of child care costs that you can tap for upfront costs such as deposits and application fees.
Not sure what child care costs in your area? Ask around your friend group or local parent group to get a sense of what day care, a nanny or other arrangements cost.
You can also build other baby essentials, such as nappies, formula and wipes, into your budget now, making an educated guess. It doesn’t need to be perfect; you can adjust down the road.
Automate bills and credit card payments
Set any recurring bills to autopay, ideally from one account or credit card. If you can, go one step further and set that card to autopay, too.
Carly Campbell, a blogger and stay-at-home mother of two, says this was one of the best things her family did before welcoming their first child.
“All the various bills were taken care of without our active attention,” she says. “We only had to check the bank account once per month to make sure there was enough for the lump-sum payment.”
Associated Press
Match info
Uefa Nations League Group B:
England v Spain, Saturday, 11.45pm (UAE)
MATCH INFO
Azerbaijan 0
Wales 2 (Moore 10', Wilson 34')
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m
Winner: Arjan, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Jap Nazaa, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi.
6pm: Al Ruwais Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 1,200m
Winner: RB Lam Tara, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinal.
6.30pm: Shadwell Gold Cup Prestige Dh125,000 1,600m
Winner: AF Sanad, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
7pm: Shadwell Farm Stallions Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Patrick Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
7.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Dubai Canal, Harry Bentley, Satish Seemar.
If you go
The flights
The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings
The stay
Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Fixtures
Opening day Premier League fixtures for August 9-11
August 9
Liverpool v Norwich 11pm
August 10
West Ham v Man City 3.30pm
Bournemouth v Sheffield Utd 6pm
Burnley v Southampton 6pm
C Palace v Everton 6pm
Leicester v Wolves 6pm
Watford v Brighton 6pm
Tottenham v Aston Villa 8.30pm
August 11
Newcastle v Arsenal 5pm
Man United v Chelsea 7.30pm
Company%20profile
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Abramovich London
A Kensington Palace Gardens house with 15 bedrooms is valued at more than £150 million.
A three-storey penthouse at Chelsea Waterfront bought for £22 million.
Steel company Evraz drops more than 10 per cent in trading after UK officials said it was potentially supplying the Russian military.
Sale of Chelsea Football Club is now impossible.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
