As I look through our mid and long term goals, the thoughts of a baby are now looming closer on the radar. And even though I thought I was doing well financially, with the thought of a baby on the horizon, I suddenly realize I need to completely re-vamp my goals, pay off everything within sight, and solve all the world’s problems before I can introduce offspring into the world. I suppose it is normal to feel the need for everything to be absolutely, over-the-top perfect for your future baby, am I right?
Before I was content with having credit cards paid off, a nice savings, and slowly paying off other debt like low interest student loans and car loans. And the mortgage? Oh, I can pay that off eventually. But put baby into the equation and it ALL must be paid of NOW, not tomorrow, not next week, NOW I say!
So I began making my little list of goals and putting a timeline to them. But no matter how I finagle it, I am not happy. I want to have no remote possibility of slight financial stress that future baby could be exposed to. I don’t want to fight with my husband over it, I don’t want baby to ever feel the pressure of financial tension, and I want diamond encrusted toys for said baby! In short, I want more than could ever be attained while still fertile, and worse I seek a perfection that even an old, infertile millionaire cannot attain.
Now that I have my piles of scrap paper with charts and numbers and calculations that prove I am a crazed, delusional, perfectionist incapable of attaining my overly ambitious goals…I have come to phase two: acceptance of my inevitable failure at reaching my goals and wallowing in self-loathe at this fact. Hopefully tomorrow I will move onto phase three: slapping myself silly then coming up with a humanly feasible plan that leaves us in a “good” financial place instead of a “perfect” one.
Any advice from parents? How were you able to feel financially ready for a baby? Or am I crazy to think there is such a thing?
