Baby spending is a gaseous thing. It expands to fill the size of your budget.
All a baby needs is onesies, diapers, food, some blankets and a place to sleep. A car-seat and a stroller for going out (plus some blankets, etc for keeping warm). Anything else is gravy.
The kid will be fine. Quit worrying.
You will have to ease back into outside social engagements but you will sort things out.
Young children sleep a lot.
Things worked out so much better than I imagined that I'm starting to think couples with the "kids ruin everything" attitude were actually looking for an excuse to disengage socially.
I would also suggest:
- Get the baby used to going out - friends' houses, restaurants. A bottle with a slow nipple buys you a lot of time if the baby starts fussing in a restaurant. - Find a good babysitter - When going out, do more planning than usual to make sure you have an awesome time
That last bit has made a huge difference. By treating your entertainment time as precious, the experiences you have are so much more fun and memorable.
Thanks :). I wish my wife thought the same though haha. She has a list of about 100 items and trust me, she has a way of justifying each one of them. :)