Saving for Fertility Treatments: A Budgeting Journey

Budgeting has never been my thing. The idea of restrictions and limitations always made me cringe. Plus, I never seemed to prioritize the time and effort needed to create and maintain a budget. But then the costs of fertility treatments entered the scene, and my perspective took a sharp turn.

Even with health insurance, the copays for doctor appointments, medications and procedures added up faster than I could have ever imagined. Add on the out-of-pocket expenses for healthy food, supplements, and supportive treatments, like acupuncture, and the bank account dwindles by the minute.

I needed to find a way to manage my finances in this journey because, truth be told, you never know how long the road to fertility will be. And let’s not overlook the obvious here. The ultimate goal is to have a baby, which isn't exactly cheap either.

So, I had to start and the best way for me to start anything that I have hesitation or resistance against is with a simplified approach. Here’s what that looked like for me, but I would love to hear in the comments below what helps you to manage your expenses.

Opening my eyes to the financial reality

The first step in my budgeting journey was to face the reality of the expenses. I sat down and took a hard look at the numbers. To the best of my ability, I identified the costs for appointments, medications, procedures, and other related expenses. It was eye-opening and humbling, but it helped me understand the magnitude of the financial commitment I was undertaking.

A budget is not a punishment

Instead of viewing budgeting as a restriction, I reframed it as a tool to prioritize our dream to have a baby. I realized that by proactively managing my expenses, I was doing my part to make this dream come true and setting a foundation for our family’s financial future. It’s the shift I needed to see budgeting as a positive thing rather than a punishment.

Simplicity works best

Given my initial resistance to budgeting, I knew I needed a simplified approach to make it more manageable and sustainable. I started tracking my expenses with an app on my phone. It was helpful because it automatically categorized each expense. This eliminated some of the manual work that I thought I had to do. Having the app on my phone also made it easier because it is something I always have with me. I could update my budget and reference it throughout my day or week.

Finding money specifically for fertility

To ensure I had enough funds to cover the expenses of fertility treatments, I started a dedicated fertility fund. It didn’t feel like I had much of anything to contribute but, as my little fund started to grow, I began to realize how much small choices can add up. That was an exciting experience. It was such a reflection on how being intentional with my money and my spending wasn’t about restriction but about empowerment.

While budgeting might not have been my forte initially, the realities of fertility treatment expenses pushed me to face my resistance and develop a simplified approach to managing my finances. Ultimately, it took what would have been an additional source of stress and gave me a sense of control and empowerment. It’s far from perfect as life does throw us curve balls, but, at least I feel like I’m putting my best foot forward as much as possible.

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