DP and I had a big discussion about the amount of time I wanted to take off, the standard of living we wanted during that time (and in the future) and the things we wanted for our future baby/s. We worked out that we would need about $10,000 of savings in the bank, and rent would need to be capped at a certain amount, allowing for it to rise to a certain amount over the next few years. We took into account EVERYTHING and then drew up a budget accordingly.

At the end of the day, we just want a baby and will make the sacrifices necessary for that to happen. You have to weigh up what's important. We are in the pre-TTC stage as well, so you and I are in the same boat!

Good luck and happy planning!