When you and your partner come to the decision that you would like to start a family together, there are bound to be many emotions that arise. The first is likely excitement as you look forward to all of the joy that the future holds. However, it is completely natural to find yourself feeling a bit apprehensive about some aspects of parenthood.

Becoming a parent involves a great deal of responsibility. Whichever way you look at it, your entire life will change. In many ways, these changes are for the better, but acknowledging this can still result in feeling overwhelmed at times.

By and large, the area in which most parents-to-be find the most stress is that of money. To be sure, there are a few aspects of starting a family that can prove to be as overwhelming as financial ones.

The simple fact is that there are many things that you will need to purchase and plan for in order to prepare for the arrival of your little one. The best thing that you can do from a practical standpoint as well as for your mental health is to start preparing as soon as possible. The sooner you have a handle on your finances, the better you will feel overall.

With that in mind, if you are about to start your family, here are a few tips that can help you to be financially prepared for parenthood.

Look at Big Expenses First

When you perform a simple search online for what you will need for your baby, you will be faced with countless lists discussing items that you have never even heard of before. Unfortunately, there are times when all you will be able to see are the dollar signs.

In order to get a better sense of just how much you will need to spend so as to properly prepare for the baby, start with the big-ticket items. Things like a crib, a car seat, and the nursery will be important to have when you bring the baby home. While there are plenty of smaller items that you will want to acquire, the bigger items are the things that will eat into your budget sooner rather than later.

Once you know how much you are going to need to spend on these bigger items, you can come up with a realistic plan for how you will afford them. Some retailers offer payment plans for expensive items like cribs which can help to spread out the cost. If you anticipate several large expenses to convert a room in your home into a nursery, such as electrical work and drywall repair, a home improvement loan from OneMain Financial can be a good place to start.

Ignore the “Experts”

Everyone who has a baby blog claims to be an “expert” in preparing for a baby. Unfortunately, most of these “experts” are simply trying to push products so that they can receive a cut of the sales.

Instead of obsessing over such lists, have a look at trusted sources in order to get a good sense of what items you will need for the baby. Remember that different items will be needed for formula-fed babies and breastfed babies. Think about what your parenting journey will be like, and then build your own list from there.