Budgeting and Traveling with an Infant

Budgeting and Traveling with an Infant

One of the most nerve-wracking experiences for a new parent is waiting to board a flight with their little one for the first time. We flew with our 7-month-old during the busy holiday season, and my anxiety was high as we approached the airport.

In South Florida, the humidity can overwhelm you. Visiting Georgia in the winter meant it was time to shop for baby clothes. No more wet heat!

We shopped at major retail stores to make finding items we liked easy. Baby Gap, Old Navy, and Burlington were our top choices. We purchased hats, jackets, two-piece sweatsuits, gloves, and furry shoes. We spent $246.84 on new baby clothes for a 6 - 12 month old.

I was ecstatic about all the items we picked up, some discounted and some purchased at full price. I imagined all the cute outfit combinations and the baby hats to match. I thought of places where we would take photos as a family and how adorable our baby would look bundled up. Sadly, the weather warmed up shortly after arriving in Georgia, and the heavy items we purchased to layer were useless.

He ended up wearing about 1/3 of the items we bought.

In situations like this, I would return the unused items. Florida is too hot for heavy clothing. But in haste, I removed all the labels and washed all the clothing because I was sure our trip would go as planned.

Overall, for flights, checking bags, sightseeing, and eating out, we spent $1030.75 for a 5-day trip. Here is a money breakdown:

$415.60 - Flights

$109.83 - Sightseeing

$ 78.91 - Eating out

$246.84 - Baby clothes

$91.93 - Uber

$87.64 - Target

I genuinely wish we chose clothing wisely! Knowing what I know now, here are my best tips to help prepare for travelling with a baby for a cost-efficient trip:

• Check the weather before your trip and compare it by reviewing historical weather trends. You can better plan your outfits if the upcoming weather predictions are lower or higher than the historical data.

• Create a budget you are comfortable with. You may overspend or underspend in some categories, but write down an overall number on which you are firm.

• Drop that budget into realistic categories. If you know you want to spend more time going to restaurants, sightseeing, or having experiences, the tradeoff is to spend very little on background items like new clothes, shoes, and beauty items if you can help it.

• Plan to see sights. If you are traveling with others or meeting up with friends or family, come up with an itinerary in advance and share with them your intent to go to specific places and have meaningful experiences. When you are on different pages, overspending heightens. Your money should go towards things or places you are excited about!

• Use public transit, and stay with friends or family when possible. Staying with family helped us and saved us hundreds in hotel and car rental fees.

Don't overthink it. You know yourself and your family's needs better than anyone. Bring items you know will soothe your baby. Adjust the feeding schedule so your baby can eat on the plane or have their favorite pacifier to help them adjust to the air pressure. If you are feeling anxious, your baby might feel uneasy. There is no need to buy them new clothing or toys for a trip. Go through what you have that can work and adjust for gaps in your child's needs.

Have helpful tips on how to travel with children? Let me know your travel hacks!