How Due Mom's Prepare for the Third Baby Financially!!!!!!

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I don't have all the answers but here are some things that worked for us:
1. If you need stuff, just ask. Join freecycle and see if anyone is giving away the things you need. Also check craigslist, church yard sales etc. These are GREAT sources for cheap baby stuff - frequently hardly used at all.
2. Save before you even see the money. If you don't have direct deposit on your paychecks, get it. Then have the bank automatically put $100 (or more if you can afford it) into a savings account on your payday. That way you'll never even see the money. I did this all through grad school while living on $13,000/year (but put it into an investment account) and at the end of four years I had over $5000 saved without even trying!
3. Pay off your credit card. YOu can use the same tactic here - budget $500/month (or more if you can possibly afford it) to go to your credit card. Pay it first, before you spend anything else - right after you get your paycheck.
4. Don't carry your credit card. Use only a debit card until you get the cc paid off. That way you can't spend any more than you have. Once you get the cc paid off, only spend what you can PAY OFF COMPLETELY every month. You should never carry a balance.
5. Keep a sheet on the fridge where you write down what you spend every day. We did this for over a year to get a handle on what we spent. Kept it in categories like: Groceries, Eating out, Discretionary (for both me and husband), Household, Personal Care (haircuts etc). It became very apparent where the money was all going after doing this for a couple months. And then we could identify where we needed to go without.

Good luck with your pregnancy!!

You've got some great advice here already, i just wanted to comment on your leave time. While your employer may not pay for maternity leave they MUST allow you to use any sick, personal or vacation time you have accumulated for the time you take off after the baby is born. That falls under the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Start saving up as much of your time as you can. Also, some companies have short-term disability and in some cases it can be used after a baby is born. (For example, Cook County allows a new mother to use short term disability at 50% pay after the first 30 days.)

chicago.craiglist.org Its great for everything a baby, kids or you may need on a budget. we didn't have much in the means of toys or baby accessories when we moved back to chicago from FL, just the essentials, crib stroller, clothes, bassinett, etc and we found a generous lady 5 minutes away who gave us probally about $300 worth of accessories (kick n play, free stand jumperoo, baby sling, etc) for FREE. Hope this helps

I think karen's got GREAT advice!! Use your debit from now on- you don't have it, don't spend it. I took a financial class and we were taught to live off of 80% of your income- 20% to savings. Craigslist is the BEST website ever for cheap or free stuff. Half of my house is furnished from craigslist and everyone's always pretty impressed with my home. I've gotten everything from paintings, furniture, mirrors, toys- EVERYTHING from there. I'm a huge thrift store junkie too. Not sure where you live, but there's a thrift store out south where every Monday is half off. I get my kids' clothes there- $1 for jeans, 50 cents for a new toy... you'd be amazed. Make sure to network with other moms too- you'd be amazed what's in your own friends garage that they're not using anymore. I'd love to help any way I can!!

Thrift shops and craigslist will get things for cheap. Children's Orchard and Once Upon a Child are my favorites.

I'm a huge freecycle fan. (www.freecycle.org, for the chicago group go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chicagofreecycle/ ) We've given away books, a grill, and a bookshelf so far, and I picked up a super nice wooden chair/booster for my daughter. It just needed a new buckle. No big deal.

Don't be afraid to ask your friends. I just sent off a bunch of my daughter's little baby stuff to a work friend. He'll give it back when they are done. You'd be suprised what people will do to help!