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VIDEOTrouble Multiplying?
Why it doesn't have to cost twice the price when you have twins or more.
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How can I feed two at a time? Truly nurture and console two crying babies? Transport two babies in their car seats simultaneously up to a third-floor walk-up? Push a double stroller through the clothing racks at the Baby Gap? Pay for everything twice over?
As with most anxiety, it quickly dissipates once you face the challenge. After I had my twins, I discovered an inner calm that got us all through colic and many a sleepless night. Seven years later, my upper-body strength -- developed by hoisting those heavy car seats up the stairs -- remains impressive.
Along the way, and with the good advice of other moms of twins, I discovered some ways to lessen the money hit that comes when you are raising more than one.
The Big Two
Diapers and formula (should you choose) will dominate your budget in the first year. There was a period of time where we spent around $400 a month on disposable diapers and formula for the twins, and this was buying by the case. In the early months, “Breastfeed, if possible,” suggested a friend at the time. “Formula is so expensive.”
Breastfeeding is good for the baby and the wallet. As for diapers, you could go with cloth and do the laundry at home (like my mother did), but that wasn’t for me.
Ruthless about Returning
Mom of 7-year-old twins, Laura Freese of Carlsbad, CA, wished she had been more merciless about retuning unneeded baby gifts. “I held on to a lot of clothes that friends gave me even though my kids never wore them,” she said. “I didn’t want to hurt my friends’ feelings.” No such problem in my household, where my husband handled the returning, and we ended up with enough store credits to see us through a year of wardrobe changes.
Buy in Bulk
Warehouse clubs are your friends at this juncture in life. Sites, including www.diapers.com, a specialist in bulk sizes of diapers and case-loads of formula, are also helpful. In the case of Diapers.com, shipping is free on orders over $49. Home delivery also offers the added bonus of not having to push two babies in their stroller through a store while carrying heavy boxes. (Not every store has two-seater shopping carts.)
Defer Expenses
My twins shared a crib and slept side by side, horizontally, for the first few months, while we were living in a small walk-up apartment. Besides being sweet and replicating their womb connection, it saved some space and briefly some cash as we were able to amortize the upfront costs of buying two cribs over a few extra months. We also went with one chest of drawers and changing table. Often, you don’t need two of everything.
Friends and Family
Most people love to pass down their children’s items. And when you are having twins, people can be truly kind. “My neighbor across the street, who I didn't really know, had also had twins five or six years earlier and when she saw the sign announcing the girls' birth, brought us over this specially made-for-twins tabletop seat that was a blessing,” said Rochester, N.Y. mother of twins, Cindy D’Amico. “It seems like as soon as anyone heard I had twins, they offered me whatever they had.”
Double Duty
Save where you can by getting only one of certain items. Obviously, one diaper bag suffices for two. When they are tiny, one pack-and-play is plenty. We only had one Exersaucer and alternated the babies between that and other toys, like the Gymini activity mat.
Twin Discounts
Always inquire about a twin discount. Buy Buy Baby offers a 10% discount at the checkout when you buy two or more of the same item, which came in handy when buying car seats and high chairs. Babies “R” Us will do the same, but the 10% comes back later as a rebate or gift card.
Twins Clubs
If it’s a double stroller you are after, look for your local twins club. Most of them have biannual sales where fellow members unload their unneeded items. Garage sales are always an option, but you are unlikely to run into that many double strollers.
When your children have grown out of their cribs and double strollers, there’s always the possibility of selling what you no longer need at any assortment of places – Ebay, Craigslist, neighborhood consignment shops…or returning the favor and donating to a needy friend of charity.
(Twins Photo by Josephine Dvorken)
Share your experience as a parent of multiples on The Exchange.
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