When I first found out I was pregnant with twins, I was completely overjoyed. However, as time and my pregnancy went on, I began to feel the financial worries take over my mind at night. I tried to reassure myself that there are families all over the world with twins, and everyone makes it work no matter their means. How much money would it take for someone to be completely at ease? What does one need to keep two babies happy, healthy and thriving at once?

This is obviously a question with several answers depending on whom you ask. Everyone has a different plan, as well as different factors to add to or subtract from the expenses. If you take some time to plan, you can easily cut down on the expenses dramatically. Here are a few of the major items that new parents of twins may want to think about-before they arrive.

Medical bills are probably the largest of the expenses, considering the amount of premature births, time spent in the NICU, and complications for the mother following twin pregnancies. When you consider the odds, having a decent insurance plan in place is the wisest plan that new parents can put into place. There are family plans available all over the internet if one is not available through an employer. Remember-after the babies arrive there are twice the visits, colds/fevers, and immunizations. It is a big help when you have a nice plan that cuts down on the co-pay each time, let alone the other costs.

While the diapers to not have the potential to deplete savings as the medical bills can, they sure seem like they fly off the shelf in a hurry! There are those who follow in the footsteps of our thrifty parents and opt for cloth diapers, but the disadvantages are plentiful. Laundry is piling up enough, and who wants to actually scrub those things? I know there are services that handle that sort of thing, but they stay in a smelly hamper too long, and you never know what sending them out will do (will I actually get OURS back?). As the kids get older, you can use them a few more times if they stay dry, but for the early stages, it’s so worth the money to join a warehouse club like Sam’s or Costco and just know that they give you the most for your money. It’s worth it if you’ve ever had panic set in when you cannot find one extra diaper anywhere in the house, and you just fed the baby!

Formula is another tricky expense, because some have the luxury (if you want to call it that) of not having to pay a thing! Those who can (and do) breastfeed would hardly call it a luxury, but obviously if you can, you save a lot of money. Some just plan never to leave the child’s side, and some pump ahead so they can sleep while a family member or friend can lend a hand. This is all great; any mom who doesn’t breastfeed knows how particular a child can be about their formula! With twins, one could also be allergic or displeased with one, while the other doesn’t like their siblings choice. A breastfeeding mom also needs to eat a bit more-so you may have to budget in a few more dollars for good, healthy meals. My recommendation here, as a mom of twins who could not breastfeed, was to look around for bargains.

While I am a fan of the warehouse clubs, I found that the brands were limited, and there were times when Walmart was the cheapest thing around when my brand popped up, so I pounced on as many cans as I could find. One more tip-lay off the powder; it wasn’t worth the hassle. I wanted to make the water warm enough to make it dissolve, but then if you don’t shake it forever it settles. You never know if the baby is finicky because of the mixing or the formula, and it just takes a little more guessing out of the equation.