Financial Tips for New Moms: Budgeting, One-Income Planning, and Baby Costs

Host Kaile Garcia interviews Aly Wood, a former tech professional, stay-at-home mom, military spouse, and future CFP, about financial tips for new mothers navigating postpartum, maternity leave, and potential shifts to one income. Aly shares her surprise pregnancy, breech baby, and positive scheduled C-section experience, then discusses the emotional and practical adjustments of leaving a high-earning job, including money guilt and planning for military pay uncertainty. She recommends tracking spending with a budgeting app (they use Monarch Money), building baby expenses into monthly/annual budgets, and using registries informed by other parents’ must-haves to avoid unnecessary purchases. Cost-saving strategies include investing in “grow-with-me” items, saving gradually for big purchases, buying secondhand when safe, and shopping sales. They emphasize budgeting as “favors for future you,” aligning spending with family goals, and starting financial conversations as a team. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for more information giveaways and more. Our handle is ⁠@NewMommyMedia⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/newmommymedia/] and follow us on ⁠Patreon⁠ [https://www.patreon.com/cw/NewbiesPodcast]! You get behind the scene clips, blog posts, videos and the episodes a week early and ad free! Complete our survey and enter to win a $50 gift card: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P8GTTR3 [https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P8GTTR3] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]