Baby Formula

[hammer]

If I could afford to stay home, I surely would. Handing over half of my paycheck to daycare just plain sucks. But we need that other half, so for now, I have to stick with it...

Hope you didn't take my comments as a criticism...they weren't meant that way. Everyone does what they have to do to make ends meet.

While we can "afford" to allow my wife to work at home raising our sons, we have also sacrificed a few luxuries to make that happen. Well worth it because nothing is more important to me than my family.

Hope this doesn't make us "bad parents", but my wife would climb the walls if she was home full-time, so we've always done the daycare route. She does work a part-time schedule (30 hours a week) so the time pressures aren't as great...

I can't say that time-wise it wouldn't be easier if one of us was at home full-time, but our kids seem to have come out alright so far, and having two incomes has allowed us to have a comfortable lifestyle in a nice town.

I do think it's pretty bad to see so many people struggling with just one income, though...that's just not fair...

 

[JimG.]

Hope this doesn't make us "bad parents", but my wife would climb the walls if she was home full-time, so we've always done the daycare route. She does work a part-time schedule (30 hours a week) so the time pressures aren't as great...

Sorry, I really didn't mean to imply that at all. My wife's biggest complaint is that she sometimes feels she's going nuts and that she's out of touch.

Once my 3 year old is in school full time she will go back to work part time.

 

[hammer]

Sorry, I really didn't mean to imply that at all. My wife's biggest complaint is that she sometimes feels she's going nuts and that she's out of touch.

Once my 3 year old is in school full time she will go back to work part time.

No problem at all...we have had our share of the guilts about both of us working when the kids have run into situations at daycare...

One of the best things about having two incomes is that I've been able to start more expensive hobbies like skiing. I'm not sure that would have happened if we were living off of one income.

 

[RossiSkier]

Which diapers do you use? I have a bunch of coupons I haven't been using and I could send some up your way if you're interested.

If I could afford to stay home, I surely would. Handing over half of my paycheck to daycare just plain sucks. But we need that other half, so for now, I have to stick with it...

Good luck to you and your wife!! It's a LOT of work, but so much fun at the same time.

My wife prefers the Huggies, but people have bought us packs of Pampers and I can't tell the difference.

My boy is feeding every 3 hours, but his sister is sleeping 5-6 at night. Even if my wife had a job and we used daycare, she/we would be asleep at her/our desk(s). It's going to be little while before we can get the 2nd paycheck going. Formula costs are 2nd only to rent. And now the boy is starting to eat 2 more ounces every 3 hours as he is growing by leaps and bounds.

I say this only as an academic comparison, but it would be LOTS cheaper if they drank gasoline. 128 ounces for $3.80 is a bargin!

 

[marcski]

Just think when they get older. All the extra lift tickets and ski clothing and equipment. And you have to replace them every year (lease the equipment). That will make formula and diapers look like that $0.25/lb of hey.

Costco has good bulk deals on diapers and formula. (At least the regular formula, enfamil, if i remember correctly)

 

[smitty77]

One of the best things about having two incomes is that I've been able to start more expensive hobbies like skiing. I'm not sure that would have happened if we were living off of one income.

Precisely the reason I haven't taken up skiing. Luckily my son didn't require any "special" formula. Come to think of it, he was pretty much an angel right from the beginning. I hope future versions behave likewise. :roll:

 

[JimG.]

If you think the formula and diapers are expensive, wait until they grow up and they're 9 years old or more. That's when they're appetite really turns on.

I have 3 boys and the oldest 2 are eating unbelieveable quantities of food. Both are skinny like Dad, so I don't know where they put it.

Last night I literally had to fight to get enough to eat!

 

[Terry]

My wife stayed home with the kids until the youngest started school. It was tough, we went without any luxuries, and I worked 2 jobs to make ends meet. That is also the reason that I only recently started skiing. But I am making up for lost time! We are 1 year away from being empty nesters!! I think I can't wait! :beer:

 

[NHpowderhound]

I work in a supermarket as some of you may already know. Formula is one of our most pilfered items. We have to keep it up at the registers just to keep it from walking out the door. Not so much because people cant afford it but rather because heroin dealers steal it to cut thier product! At least the junkies are getting thier Lipils,iron and calcium!
My sons mother recived WIC benifits which provided all the free formula my son would need. Instead of giving some to me while I had him(I have primary physical custody)she would sell the extra to her fiends for half price so she could get cigarette money :angry: ! I was left with buying everything he needed while she exploited the WIC program!
((*
*))NHPH

 

[skididdie]

This stuff is killing me. Both of my twins are on special formula due to colic. From $8 a pound for the regular stuff to $20 a pound for the colic formula and they eat about a pound every 30 hours. $400 a month! Yikes, and I still have to buy 150 diapers a week. Can't wait to feed them cereal.

i feel your pain Rossi. ive got twins who are 3 now and one of my boys was on that "special" formula (neutramigin or something like that) the funny thing was that my wife had to make two batches a night, one regular and the special blend. and my kids werent sleeping through the night til they were over a year old.
im glad that ive got my boys, theyre a lot of fun at this age. but the experience of having twins has sacred me from ever having more kids.

 

[RossiSkier]

Your absolutely right Skididdie. Even if I had to sell my socks and shoes and walk barefoot, I wouldn't change a thing. The twins are a sacred obligation. Since I posted this thread my pediatrician's office called and they gave us several pounds of formula for free. They get it from the Enfamil rep's. The office manager looks out for us. There is still lots of good in the world.

 

[RossiSkier]

Twins are 23 weeks today. They're packing off a 1lb can of formula a day at $19.99. Just got paid and went to market to buy a two week supply. Had to go to Hanniford and Price Chopper. Bought out both markets for all they had. Kid at PC askes me how many I want, cause it's locked up. I tell him straight faced, "everyone you have". He looked freaked out. The colic stuff sells out quick so you have to stock it. Each market get's 12 a week tops. I managed to get 12 total from both markets. Glad we got our all4one passes way early.

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

a buddy of mine buys all his formula on amazon with his amazon credit card, he is a penny pincher so he is probably right, he says even with shipping its cheaper than sams, costco, price club ect.....the CVS near my house is cheaper than anywhere (LI NY)...I have a 6mo old sucking back Soy formula like i used to suck back Guiness.....crazy expensive to raise kids..diapers, wipes, formula, clothes, 529 College funds, trust funds, and the lack of sleep...all worth it though!!!

 

[Marc]

Wow, child free for me. We're all better off that way anyway. Can you imagine another one or two little Marc's running around in the world?

:dunce:

Holy chit would that be a disaster.

BTW, SKIQUATTRO, the price of lead paint chips has come way down since when I was a kid. And I sucked those bad boys back like your new one drink the soy milk.

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

ya got to sit back and wonder,,,,,how the hell did the pilgrams do it?

 

[marcski]

COSTCO

Edit:

I just read back through this entire thread. I said the same thing on Oct. 8. At least I'm consistent if nothing else.

 

[RossiSkier]

a buddy of mine buys all his formula on amazon with his amazon credit card, he is a penny pincher so he is probably right, he says even with shipping its cheaper than sams, costco, price club ect.....the CVS near my house is cheaper than anywhere (LI NY)...I have a 6mo old sucking back Soy formula like i used to suck back Guiness.....crazy expensive to raise kids..diapers, wipes, formula, clothes, 529 College funds, trust funds, and the lack of sleep...all worth it though!!!

We need special formula for colic so we can't buy the less expensive brands. We tried to get them off it, but they cried all night.

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

he buys the Similac....dont know if they carry exactly what you need

 

[severine]

a buddy of mine buys all his formula on amazon with his amazon credit card, he is a penny pincher so he is probably right, he says even with shipping its cheaper than sams, costco, price club ect.....the CVS near my house is cheaper than anywhere (LI NY)...I have a 6mo old sucking back Soy formula like i used to suck back Guiness.....crazy expensive to raise kids..diapers, wipes, formula, clothes, 529 College funds, trust funds, and the lack of sleep...all worth it though!!!

Just remember to price shop before buying online. Our local grocery store is definitely cheaper than amazon for our daughter's formula (now she's on Similac Isomil). And if we're running errands 2 towns over, their CVS is about $.60 cheaper per bottle (we buy ready-to-feed bottles).

 

[RossiSkier]

he buys the Similac....dont know if they carry exactly what you need

Both Similac and Enfamil both make the colic formulas. The Similac is called Alimentum and the Enfamil called Nutramagen. Similac is more expensive. Ready made, it's $.28 an ounce. Ouch!

But it still has plenty of milk fat in it. My boy is at 20lbs and growing.