What you get
Three files, instant download
Excel / Google Sheets Template
The .xlsx file works in Microsoft Excel 2016 and later, plus Google Sheets. No macros. No add-ins required.
Step-by-Step Instructions
A complete HTML guide covering setup, how each tab works, and answers to the most common questions about the template.
Printable Worksheet
A clean, print-ready version so you can plan on paper first and fill in the spreadsheet later. No printer? Skip it entirely.
How it works
Baby First Year Cost Planner
The USDA's most recent estimate puts the first year of raising a child at roughly $13,000 to $17,000, not counting childcare. Add full-time daycare in a major city and you're looking at $25,000 to $35,000 in the first 12 months.
Nobody sits you down and explains that number before the baby arrives.
This planner breaks it into every actual line item so you can see what you're actually looking at and build a savings runway ahead of time.
What's in the file:
- One-time purchases tab: crib, mattress, stroller, car seat, monitor, swing, carrier, bassinet, bottle warmer, breast pump, nursery furniture, everything
- Monthly recurring tab: diapers, formula or breastfeeding supplies, wipes, clothing (babies grow fast), pediatrician copays, childcare
- Month-by-month total: costs are different in months 1-3 vs. months 6-12 as needs change
- Annual total with low, middle, and high estimates per category
- Savings target calculator: how many months before your due date do you need to start saving, and how much per month
- Registry comparison tab: what's on the registry vs. what you actually need (a shorter list than the store wants you to think)
Works in Excel and Google Sheets.
Features
What's inside
- One-time costs: furniture, gear, car seat, stroller
- Monthly recurring costs: diapers, formula, childcare
- Month-by-month total across all 12 months
- Savings target calculator: start X months before due date
- "Have vs. Need" registry comparison tab
- Works in Excel 2016+ and Google Sheets
Inside the template
Sample data
Real numbers showing what the spreadsheet looks like once you enter your information.
| CATEGORY | COST | TYPE |
|---|---|---|
| Crib + Mattress | $380 | One-time |
| Car Seat | $280 | One-time |
| Diapers | $90/mo | Monthly |
| Formula (if needed) | $180/mo | Monthly |
| Childcare / Daycare | $1,400/mo | Monthly |
| Year 1 Total Est. | -- | $24,800 |
Ready to start
Baby First Year Cost Planner
All sales are final, since the file arrives the moment you pay. If it will not open or does not match this page, tell us and we will make it right. Full terms.
Instant download after purchase. Works in Excel and Google Sheets. No macros, no subscription, no setup beyond entering your numbers.
Microsoft Excel 2016+ Google Sheets
Common questions
FAQ
What does it include that people forget?
The recurring costs rather than the one-time ones. Nursery furniture and a stroller get budgeted for. Twelve months of diapers, formula if it is needed, childcare from the month leave ends, the insurance premium change from adding a dependent, and the deductible reset do not, and together they dwarf the equipment.
Does it account for lost income during leave?
Yes, and it is usually the largest single line. You enter your leave length and what proportion is paid, and the sheet treats the shortfall as a cost of the first year, because that is what it is. Unpaid or partly paid leave frequently exceeds every other expense combined.
Is it US-specific?
The insurance and leave assumptions are, so a US household gets the most out of it. The expense categories and the month-by-month structure work anywhere; a reader outside the US should replace the insurance and leave lines with their own system's equivalents and the rest of the planner holds.
How do I get the files after buying?
Stripe takes the payment and the download link is emailed within a few seconds, no account needed. The link lasts 30 days and allows 10 downloads. Lost it? Send yourself a fresh one.
Refunds, file formats, Google Sheets, and customizing the template are covered on the templates page.