Married Money Archives — Beating Broke

Why You Should Get Braces for Your Child When Needed

July 6, 2020 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

Raising children and providing them with basic needs like food, clothes, and shelter can be expensive, especially as they enter the tween and teen years. And then there are other expenses like school, sports, entertainment, gifts, etc. that get more expensive as your child gets older. If you have a child that needs braces, especially if the problem doesn’t seem that bad, you may decide to forego treatment. However, if at all possible, there are several reasons why you should get braces for your child when needed.

Why You Should Get Braces for Your Child When Needed

Although paying thousands of dollars for your child to get braces is a financial hardship, there are several reasons why it’s smart to make the investment.

Waiting May Lead To More Problems Later

I have a small, narrow mouth, and my mom was told I needed a retainer to correct an overbite and a crossbite. Admittedly, on the surface, my teeth don’t look that bad. I don’t think that the crossbite is that noticeable, and I have just a bit of overcrowding. My mom did pay for a retainer, but I wrapped it in a napkin when it was time to eat lunch at school, and inadvertently I threw it in the trash. My mom didn’t have money to buy a new one, so that was the end of my orthodontic treatment.

Fast forward 30 years later, and I’ve had many problems with the side of my mouth that has a crossbite. Because I clench my teeth at night, I wear a mouth guard. However, even with the dental appliance, I damaged the teeth with a crossbite. I had a botched root canal that couldn’t be fixed on that side, had to have the tooth pulled, and now I’m waiting for a dental implant. I also had to have a root canal on another tooth on that side.

The side that doesn’t have the crossbite? I’ve had no problems despite my clenching. Now I’m in Invisalign to correct the crossbite and hopefully mitigate any future damage.

Double the Expenses

Why You Should Get Braces for Your Child When Needed — Photo by Alex Robinson on Unsplash

If adults need braces, chances are, at least some of their children will also need braces. Then, the adults are not only paying for their children’s braces, but their own. In our home, I’m in braces, my son completed his treatment last year, and my daughter started hers last year. Paying for two kids in braces is expensive enough, but to then pay for my adult braces on top is a financial strain.

Children’s Teeth Are Easier to Move

While a child is still growing, their teeth are easier to move with braces. Yes, adults can also see good results with braces, but treatment will likely be more difficult and take longer.

More Stigma with Adults Wearing Braces

Even though more adults are getting braces, adults still only make up about 20% of the total braces-wearing population. Many adults may be self-conscious to wear braces when they’re working in the business world, and there may be a stigma attached to those who wear them.

Final Thoughts

Many people consider braces optional, especially if the problems aren’t immediately visible. However, not getting braces for your child to correct a crossbite or other issues can lead to expensive dental procedures for your child in adulthood. If at all possible, try to pay for your child’s braces, especially when considering all the reasons why you should get braces for your child when needed.

Did your parents pay for your braces, or did you have to wait until you were an adult? Do you agree that paying for braces should be a priority for parents if they’re necessary?

Make Sure You Set Aside Money for These March Expenses

March 12, 2020 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

One of the hardest parts of trying to develop and maintain a budget is the irregular expenses. You might have a $600 car insurance payment that is only due twice a year. Some people budget for these by setting aside a little money each month for each irregular expense, while others choose to face them as they come. If you use the latter strategy, make sure you set aside money for these March expenses.

Bookkeeper and Accountant

Ah, tax time. The procrastinators among us have less than a month to get our taxes filed. If you own your own business, you will likely have bookkeeping expenses. Then, you’ll need to pay the accountant to file your taxes. This can quickly add up to several hundred dollars. Many people forget to budget for this expense because it only happens once a year. (And let’s face it, for the rest of the year, many of us want to forget all about filing income taxes.)

Taxes

And then there are the taxes themselves. Sure, many individuals break even or get a refund, but for those of us who don’t, we’ll need to pony up and pay anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars to the federal government. As tax situations vary yearly, there’s really no way to adequately estimate how much these taxes will be ahead of time.

Easter

Make Sure You Set Aside Money for These March — Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

Easter is in April this year, and it brings with it many small expenses. You may need to buy new clothes for the Easter religious service, and then, of course, there’s all the candy to fill the Easter baskets. Although Easter never seems like it should be an expensive holiday to me, I’m always surprised by how much we spend on this holiday.

High School Special Expenses

Spring brings so many expenses for high school students, especially upper classmen.

Prom

Prom will be fast approaching. Now is a good time to determine how much money you will contribute to your child’s prom. Will you buy the tickets? Buy the dress or rent the tux? Pay for the dinner out? How much do you expect your child to pay for, or will you pay for everything?

ACTs and SATs

If your child is college bound, she will likely be taking either the ACT, SAT or PSAT this spring. You’ll likely be paying between $20 and $60 for each of these tests. You’ll want to have money set aside for these expenses.

College Visits

If your child is a senior, he has likely received his college acceptance letters, and if you haven’t already done so, you may want to take a trip to visit the college to see if it’s a good fit. That’s fairly inexpensive to do if the college is within a few hours of your home, but if it’s farther, it will likely cost a couple hundred dollars at least.

Final Thoughts

To make sure your budget stays balanced, make sure you set aside money for these March expenses. You’ll be glad that you did, and you’ll head into April with a healthy budget.

6 Unexpected Baby Expenses to Budget For

February 27, 2020 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

There is nothing more exciting than the anticipation of a new baby. However, a baby can increase the budget even if you’re frugal. These are just 6 unexpected baby expenses to budget for. These items can’t bought second hand and likely won’t be gifted at a shower.

6 Unexpected Baby Expenses to Budget For

If you’re planning for a new arrival this year, there are a number of expenses you should plan for:

Formula

6 Unexpected Baby Expenses to Budget For — Photo by Rainier Ridao on Unsplash

I breastfed all three of my kids, but all three were such massive babies with big appetites that I had to supplement with formula while breastfeeding. We hadn’t planned on that expense, and formula is expensive!

Breast Pump

If you are going to breastfeed, you’ll need a breast pump because even if you’re a stay at home mom, there will be times that the baby doesn’t want to eat or you won’t be with the baby at feeding time, and you’ll want the option to pump. If you don’t plan to breastfeed for long, you can rent a pump month by month through your local hospital. I bought mine for $200 and used it for all three children, so it was well worth the expense.

Unexpected Medical Expenses

While most babies are perfectly healthy, some babies have issues and have to visit the ER. My friend’s baby got RSV and then had a partially-collapsed lung, all at 5 weeks old, so she spent five days in the hospital. That was an expense they had not planned for, and it took them a few months to pay it off.

My daughter had jaundice for three months, and we had to see a number of specialists, and she was checked into the hospital one night. (She was fine, but we hadn’t planned on the specialists and going to the hospital several times a week to check her bilirubin.)

Increased Grocery Bill

If mom is breastfeeding, she’s going to eat a lot! It takes a lot of energy to produce all of the nutritional needs for baby. Don’t be surprised to see your grocery bill increase for the duration of the time that mom breastfeeds.

Clothing

Mom’s body changes after delivery and the post-partum period. Not only will she need clothes that fit her when maternity clothes are too big and she can’t yet fit into her pre-pregnancy clothes, but she’ll also need some good nursing clothing if she’s breastfeeding.

Miscellaneous Items

There are other, little items that you may need such as diaper rash cream and gas drops. Our second child had so much gas that she wouldn’t sleep at night, and we went through baby gas drops what felt like every week. We later found out she had a milk intolerance, and when we took her off milk, she did fine.

Final Thoughts

If you’re expecting a baby, you can get many of the items that you need at your baby shower. However, there are other items that you’ll need that you won’t get as gifts and can’t get secondhand. Being aware of these before the baby comes can help you create a realistic budget.

What other expenses would you add to this list?