To all the dads out there, Happy Father’s day! With Father’s Day just days away, I wanted to reflect on how things have changed since becoming a dad myself. It’s one of the most wonderful and rewarding experiences. There’s something really special about cradling your newborn in your arms for the very first time. Or watching them take their first steps. Hearing them say their first words and hearing dad-deee for the first time. I cherish every day.

Knowing you’ve had a hand in shaping them is both scary and exciting all at the same time. And it’s something that makes it all worthwhile. But when everyone said your life would completely change, I can’t say I completely believed them. Ha!

People often ask when you have your first one, whether you’re getting any sleep. I can do with lack of sleep – I breezed through school with many all-nighters and probably averaged less than 4 hours of sleep a night all through college. What I wasn’t prepared for was the lack of ‘free time’. When I started thinking about my days before and after having my first one, it kind of made me chuckle. So I thought I’d take a break from talking about money and do something a little different and show you a little glimpse into my days, today and what it was like before daddy-hood.

A day in the life

Pre-fatherhood morning routine: Sound asleep until the alarm wakes me at 7:30am. Have breakfast, while I catch up on the news. Get dressed and prepare lunch. Kiss my wife at the door and off to work.

Today it’s more like: Being abruptly awoken by the sweet sounds of our little 2-year old singing MaaaaMeeee, DaaaaDeeee in escalating octaves. This is of course 6:30am – a good hour before my alarm is set to ring. We attempt to go back to sleep while she chats up her toy puppy, to no avail.

And then it begins: get her changed, us changed, work clothes ironed, showered, fed, games of hide-and-seek, tea party, play house, prepare lunch, quick game of catch me if you can…Oh did I forget my wallet? Check! Phone? Check! Where’s my lunch bag? Why of course, in the toy shopping cart under a pile of blocks and dollies. Running late again! Give my kisses and I-love-you’s at the door and carefully back out of the driveway and head to work for some peace and quiet. Where my day is peppered with new calendar events, diaper and diet updates from my wife. Thank goodness for smartphones!

My pre-fatherhood after-work routine sort of went like this: Relax with the lovely wife. Chat about our days. Wonder about what to have for dinner and whenever the mood strikes us. Nice relaxing dinner followed by an evening walk before heading back to the home office. Perhaps do some freelance work, spend some time blogging or some time relaxing. Consider an upcoming vacation, movie night….Ah, the night is young. What’s the rush, right?

Today’s it’s more like: Race home to be greeted by my excited little one, eager to walk to the mail box and ‘help’ me sort through the stash of junk mail, while mommy prepares dinner. Get in the house, attempting to not trip over the completely deconstructed hall closet that is the temporary home to her teddy collection. Kiss my wife, set the table. Eat dinner without noticing, since I’m keeping my eye on my daughter so she doesn’t gouge her own eye out, with her new set of fork skills. And attempt to sneak in a chat with my wife between the demanding “DaDeee!”s from the wee one for attention.

Dinner is always a creative exercise in distraction. Junk mail, colouring books, hey, whatever works. You just need to sneak in enough dinner before she’s decided what she couldn’t eat fast enough yesterday, is yucky by today’s standards. Dinner is always followed by some dancing, an energetic game of catch or a high-speed chase around the kitchen. No time to worry about the crazy day at work or obsess about tomorrow’s deadline. Must focus on not tripping and killing myself on the Minnie Mouse kitchen that lines the race route through our kitchen. Time for a bath, book and bedtime. Grab a glass of water, quietly head to the home office (next door to my daughter’s room) and get to work. My wife joins me and we whisper about our days as we work, quietly trying not to disturb our bouncing daughter as she tries to settle herself down for the night. At 11pm we may venture out of the office to catch the evening news in the living room, grab a snack/tea and then head to bed.

Ok, not everything is a rat race

Although often busy, there’s other things that can’t be any slower. I swear when we had our first child, my driving dropped about 20km an hour. Where I would previously find fun in running my car over mall lot speed bumps, I find myself waving through a hundred pedestrians with a smile and sort of getting used to all of the honking. And where shopping trips would probably take the average guy about 5 minutes, to get what you need, in and out, you find yourself spending hours at the mall to ‘kill time’, and learn new head-nodding techniques to acknowledge other dads.

Being a dad, also let’s you be the big kid again. Yep, now I can play with all the coolest new toys (when sharing is cool), without getting strange looks from my friends. Not to mention all the free fitness classes I get.

But by far the coolest part of being a dad, for me, is still walking through that door every day after work and seeing my little one light up. A big reminder that all kids really want is your time.

Happy Father’s Day!

As warmer temperatures set in, all the summer’s sweet sounds and pleasantries are already interrupted by the hum of a thousand air conditioning units. Damn it!

I’ve yet to switch my unit on, but since having my little one, I must admit, I haven’t been paying as much attention to our electricity use and am noticing my bills quickly creeping up. A study by the Canadian Electricity Association of 11 major Canadian cities found the average 2010 residential electricity bill was $72.04 a month.

When it was just my wife and I, we were okay with just eating in candlelight and keeping the windows open for most of the summer. Yes, it was a little uncomfortable at times, but we did it, well, because electricity doesn’t excite us all that much. I’d rather use that money and spend it elsewhere. Wouldn’t you? Is being an extra couple degrees or two more comfortable, really going to make a world of difference in my life? Probably not. Although, I’ve learned with a small child in the house, MY level of comfort matters a lot less.

But I’m back to practicing some tried-and-true ways to lower my costs.

10 tips to reduce your cooling costs this summer

So here’s a list of a few (more affordable and family-friendly) ways, that we and yes, even you can do, to save on your electricity bill this summer:

1. Raise the temperature. Even a little can make a lot of difference. Your air conditioning unit is your #1 summer energy bill buster – and yes, I did say bill. So go on and turn up the temperature, a degree at a time, or until you reach your highest comfortable setting. Each degree the thermostat is set above 22°C (72°F) can effectively lower your total electricity usage by one to three percent.
2. Install a programmable thermostat and set a schedule. If your electricity company uses time-of-use billing, you’ll want to make sure you’re taking full advantage of the low-peak times and not overusing your AC at peak times. Set a schedule, so you don’t have to think about it. And for those days that you’re not home or you know you’ll be out for a long while, turn it off or adjust your temperature so your AC isn’t consuming much energy while you’re away. Although there seems to be a debate on this, I’ve found that switching your AC on and off actually saves you a lot more than keeping your house at a constant fixed temperature.
3. Replace your lights. Lighting accounts for 20% of the electric bill in the average U.S. home. Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) use a lot less electricity and last longer than your average incandescent. LED bulbs use even less energy, although the high costs, really negate a lot of the savings. Just remember to turn them off, when you’re not using them.
4. Become of a fan of fans. Portable room fans do a great job of keeping you cool, so your AC doesn’t have to work as hard. If you have ceilings fans, take full advantage of those as well. According to the Ontario Energy Board, if you’re running them at the same time as your AC, you can easily afford to raise the temperature by a couple degrees, reducing your energy usage by at least 10%. Just make sure your fan is blowing in the right direction (down).
5. Run your major appliances during off-peak hours (stoves, dishwashers, washers and dryers) and only on full loads. During the summer months, try hanging out your clothes to dry (if allowed in your neighbourhood)– no fancy clothesline needed, just some string and some clothespins. Also remember turn off your smaller electronics like your TV or computer when not using them.
6. Wash in cold water. This applies to both your dishes and your clothes. Detergents nowadays have become so good there’s no need to waste hot water. And an added bonus – washing in cold water also helps to prevent your clothes from shrinking and colours from fading.
7. Take your showers and your kids baths in off-peak hours. It’s probably no surprise that showers use a lot less water than baths, but they also use a lot less electricity. Yes, even gas water heaters use electricity. Cut down your costs further by taking shorter/cooler showers.
8. Open the windows when the sun goes down, close the curtains when the sun comes up. Our house faces the west, so the backyard is on fire in the morning. We close the curtains to keep the heat out and get all the light we need from the other sides of the house. At night, along with some fans, we open some windows to let the cool air in and help to cool the house naturally.

9. Cook outside. Fire up that BBQ! You know what they say “if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”. Summer is a perfect time to grill outdoors.

10. Do what any child would do. Run through the sprinkler or cool off in the kiddie pool.

Every little bit makes a difference

When we first bought our house, instead of having fluctuating bills month-to-month, I decided to go on a fixed billing plan, so that it was easier to budget. They set a rate, based on the electricity usage of the previous homeowners. By the end of the year, we were mailed over an $800 cheque from our utility company, because they were way off on estimating OUR energy usage. The next year my fixed billing plan was adjusted to half the cost. Conserving is not only good for your wallet, it’s also a great way to help the environment. Although, it does seems like every time we’re encouraged to conserve energy or water, and overall consumption goes down, utility companies are quick to jack the rates back up. But that doesn’t mean we should throw all conservation efforts out the window. In fact, as utilities rates continue to rise, it’s probably more important than ever.

In the end, the biggest energy savings to be had, have really not that much to do with outdated equipment and technology, the low-e coatings on your windows or how many SEER your AC unit has. It’s more about changing our habits.

How are you changing yours?

Your new bundle of joy is on its way and as the date inches closer, feelings of excitement, concerns about whether you’ll be a good parent and whether you’re fully prepared, start to set in. As well as relatives, friends and just about anyone trying to dump on you, all their worldly (and often sometimes contradictory) parenting advice. And here I am…

But the truth is, you can never be fully prepared. I still remember, it never fully hitting me until my little daughter lay in my arms for the first time and boom – I was a dad! It’s a wonderfully crazy time and for many it can be financially overwhelming too. But creating a plan beforehand can help to ease the financial burden.

Of course, with a new baby, you’ll undoubtedly have some that will shower the baby and you with gifts, but don’t always assume you will get everything you need. While I can’t lay out a complete budget, because the numbers can vary so much depending on what you buy, where you live and what you deem to be important, here’s a list of some of the things to consider and plan for.

Food for tot

If you plan to use formula, estimate spending at least $100 a month in the early stages. At about six months they’ll be graduating to solid foods, so although the amount of formula they get decreases, you’ll need to add in the cost of baby food. We made our own from scratch, but it still ran us about an extra $40 a month. We figured if we’re making it ourselves, may as well pick the best quality food available, so almost everything was organic.

Breastfeeding our baby saved us a bundle early on, on the costs of formula, bottles, bottle warmers, drop-ins, etc. But don’t forget to account for all the other little accessories such as breast pumps, nursing pads, storage bags and bottles so mommy can take a break every now and then and daddy can sneak in some good quality bonding time.

Diapers, wipes, creams and everything in between

Ah yes, the all expensive, but necessary evils. I would estimate, based on experience, that in the first year, it’s not unreasonable that one would expect to spend upwards of $100-$150 per month on the first three items alone. Of course, you could save a lot using cloth diapers. Although, they do seem like they would be a lot more work and although there are diaper services available, the whole idea of sharing diapers appeals to me even less. But hey, that’s just me.

But don’t forget about all the other necessary toiletries like bath towels, bath soaps, vaselines and so on, that comes with the ‘territory’.

Tools of the parenting trade

There’s always that debate of what is really necessary for a child, but a few items that are essential in my mind are a stroller, a diaper bag, and your rear-facing infant car seat (the latter, required by law, for anyone that drives). Strollers can run you anywhere from $150 to $1000+ each, brand new. But we got around just fine with a $200 stroller / car seat combo. If you’re shopping used or across the border, always be conscious that whatever you are buying is meeting your government’s latest child seat safety requirements. Be aware that although they may be marked with an expiry date, you can never be truly certain that that seat has not been involved in a collision. And whether you decide to buy new or used always ensure you check for recalls. For Canadians, Transport Canada has a searchable database of all car seat, vehicle and road safety equipment recalls listed here.

Prepping the nursery

So you’ve emptied out the room. Wondering where to start. Furniture’s a good start. Cribs can vary quite a bit in cost. We spent around $400 for ours, with a good quality mattress, but a new one can retail anywhere from $200-$2000, dependant on quality or whether it’s a convertible one that can adapt while the child grows, converting to a day bed or double bed. But don’t get stuck on features you may never use. We got sold on one, only to find out later that a double bed doesn’t quite fit in her room. Doh! Again, if you’re buying used, ensure there weren’t any recalls.

Then there’s all the other extras you’ll need for the room. Mainly a dresser, change table, floor rug, lighting, window dressings, picture frames, paint and room decorations, shelving for books/toys, bedding and host of other things I’m probably forgetting.

Clothing (but only for a limited time)

Clothes can be a big baby expense, because they grow out of those tiny things so fast. I’m very grateful to my sister-in-law for lending us many of her daughter’s clothes, which has saved us oodles. But for our first year, even with all our clothing donations accounted for, we still ended up spending on average $60 a month on clothes. The #1 way reduce your clothing costs is to ask around! Many will more than happy to shed their baby’s wardrobe. This is where I think many parents blow their budgets, because every parent wants to dress up their kids in really cute clothes, we did too, but we welcomed hand-me-downs, especially for the everyday, lounge / sleep wear. This made it easy for us to justify splurging on the cute outfits for special occasions.

You’ll be amazed at how short a time your baby wears an item of clothing. So remember when borrowing clothes – the original child likely wore that item just a few times. On the other hand, there will be sleepers and onesies your child will live in and wear out, so remember you can’t have enough of them. Especially if you don’t love laundry!

Books and toys

Reading to your little one is one of the greatest gifts you can give them. Take advantage of your local library. Books provide hours of entertainment – they don’t need an iPad! In fact, young children don’t need expensive toys at all. At least my daughter didn’t. Ice cube trays, measuring cups and boxes –  these are  a few of her favourite things.

Childcare

In Canada, depending on the length of employment, new moms can take up to a year off with baby, where the government pays you a benefit equal to 55 per cent of the parent’s average weekly insurable wage, of which there are 35-weeks of parental leave that can be shared with daddy. So you will need to take that into account if one takes maternity/paternity leave. But consider the savings of not driving to work, car insurance costs or having to buy a new work wardrobe.

Education savings

This is one category most forget. If you both agree on setting aside money for your child’s education – start saving now. The earlier, the better. And if you put those savings into a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP), the government will add 20% of whatever you contribute, up to $2500.

All the extras

I know in the US, medical bills can amount to really big bills and is usually eats up the largest portion of your budget. Luckily we only had to pay for a few vaccines and over-the-counter meds out-of-pocket, that weren’t covered by our government or company health insurance plans. But with a new child on the way, it may be a good time to revisit your company/individual health plan and ensure you have the coverage you need.

Having a child is one of the best and most rewarding things and a little planning can go a long way into at least relieving any financial stress that comes along with it. Although this advice pertains to first time dads, I have no advice for your second child just yet, but I will soon . Yep, sometime at the end of August, Thrifty Dad is going 2.0.

Bill Cosby once said, “you aren’t really a parent until you’ve had your second child.” Well this summer, I’m just about to find out if that rings true.

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