I have a confession: I track everything. Every diaper box, every co-pay, every bottle of infant ibuprofen. When the twins turned one in April, I finally sat down with a glass of wine and added up the whole first year. Then I needed a second glass.
A lot of people have asked me what twins actually cost, so here is our real number. Your number will be different, because everyone's situation is different, but maybe it helps someone plan a little better than we did.
A few ground rules
This covers April 2024 through April 2025, their first year. It only includes things that were for the babies, not our rent or groceries for us. I did not count the minivan, even though we bought it used right before they were born, because we would have needed a bigger car eventually anyway. I also did not count my lost income while I was home, which is its own painful math I covered in my daycare post.
The table
| Category | Year-one total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Diapers and wipes | $2,180 | Two kids, roughly 16 changes a day early on |
| Formula | $2,940 | We combo fed; formula took over around 4 months |
| Gear (cribs, car seats, stroller, high chairs) | $2,310 | Some used, some new; car seats new |
| Clothes | $640 | Mostly hand-me-downs and resale |
| Medical out-of-pocket | $3,120 | Delivery bill balance, co-pays, one urgent care visit |
| Childcare | $2,350 | Only March and part of April, after I went back |
| Solid food and snacks | $520 | Started around 6 months |
| Toys, books, and birthday | $410 | A lot of this was the first birthday |
| Miscellaneous | $690 | Bottles, pacifiers, laundry, a second monitor |
| Total | $15,160 | About $1,263 a month |
Where the money actually went
The biggest surprise was medical. Our insurance was decent, but a twin delivery with an extra night for me and a couple of days of observation for June added up fast. We paid the hospital balance on a no-interest payment plan over about eight months, which helped with cash flow. I would absolutely call your hospital's billing office and ask about that if you are facing a big bill.
Formula was the second shock. I wanted to breastfeed exclusively, and for two babies my body said "absolutely not" by around four months. I have made peace with that. My wallet took longer.
Diapers were about what I expected. We bought store-brand in bulk and used a subscription discount, and it still came to about $180 a month.
Where we overspent
- The first stroller. We bought one before the twins arrived that did not work for our life at all. I have a whole post coming about our stroller saga.
- Newborn clothes. June outgrew newborn sizes in about three weeks. Theo was even faster. Half of those tiny outfits were worn once.
- Double of everything. We bought two bouncers, two swings, and two play mats. We really only needed one of each. The twins took turns, and one baby was always asleep or eating anyway.
Where we saved
A local parents-of-multiples group on Facebook was the best thing that happened to our budget. We got a second crib for $60, a big bag of 3-to-6-month clothes for $25, and a baby swing for free from a mom whose twins had just outgrown it. Our families also covered a lot at the baby shower, which is not in this table because it was not our money.
My mom's weekly help also saved us real money once I went back to work. One day a week of free childcare from a grandma is worth more than I can put in a spreadsheet, though I have tried.
What I would tell a new twin parent
Plan for more than you think on medical and formula, and less than you think on gear. Buy used wherever safety allows (car seats and mattresses are the two things we bought new). Track it, even loosely, so you know where it goes. And do not compare your number to anyone else's. Ours was about $15,000 in a high-cost area, and I know families who spent half that and families who spent double.
Year two is already looking different: fewer diapers soon, no formula, and a lot more daycare. I will report back.
