How the baby budget planner works
Last updated 10 November 2026
The first year with a baby brings once-off costs and new monthly ones. Planning them early removes some of the pressure.
How it works
- Each item has an estimate and what is paid.
- Allowance and months to go work as in the other event planners.
Worked example
With the starting figures:
- The estimates total R 45 000, or R 49 500 with the allowance.
- Saving R 6 188 a month covers it.
What goes on the list
A baby brings once-off costs early on and new monthly costs that continue. The planner starts with typical lines you can change, rename or delete. Each line has an estimate and a box for what you have already paid.
- Medical costs not covered by your medical aid or hospital plan, including a gap for the birth
- A cot, a car seat, a pram and a changing area
- Clothes, bedding and bath items for the first months
- Nappies, wipes, formula or feeding equipment
- Childcare, a nanny or a crèche deposit when you return to work
How the totals work
The planner adds up the estimates and then adds an allowance for surprises, which you set as a percentage. It subtracts what you have paid, divides what is left by the months until the due date and shows the monthly amount to put aside. If the date has passed, it tells you the amount is due now.
Once-off costs and monthly costs
Treat the two kinds differently. Once-off costs are gear and fees that you can spread over the months before the birth. Monthly costs are nappies, food, childcare and extra transport. They belong in your regular budget, so after the baby arrives, update the monthly budget planner with the new amounts.
Things that are easy to miss
- Waiting periods before a medical aid pays for maternity cover
- Hospital deposits and the cost of the gynaecologist and paediatrician
- A bigger car or a car seat that fits your car
- Reduced income during leave, if your pay drops
- Registration of the birth and a birth certificate, which have their own process
Where the starting amounts come from
The numbers shown when you open the page are examples to show how the tool works. They are not averages or quotes. Replace them with real prices from shops, your medical aid and your employer. Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere, so print or save the plan before you close the page.
Things to watch
- Check your medical aid for what it covers, including waiting periods.
- Ongoing costs such as childcare change your monthly budget. Update the monthly budget planner.
Update your monthly budget. Read the full disclaimer.
Like every tool on MoneyMzansi, this one runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent or stored, so download your data if you want to keep it.