Cha ching

Many people don't realize how expensive fertility treatments are.

I am lucky in that I have double coverage for fertility medications which totals approximately $5,000. Unfortunately, that is a little more than one IUI cycle for me, because I am a poor responder given my decreased ovarian reserve.

I don't know yet how much my fertility drugs will be for my IVF cycle, but I have decided that I am not going to skimp this year on anything.

It goes against the grain, a bit. My previous fertility clinic quoted me $13,000 for one cycle of IVF. If that is accurate, and if my first IVF doesn't work, I'm looking at $26,000 of drugs and procedures in one year. Ouch.

The good news is that I am pretty financially conservative and so we have some savings. We also have a huge mortgage that we have not been prepaying because of the whole IVF bill looming above our heads.

I do tend to scrimp. We go to No Frills for groceries. I tend to only buy clothes as I need them (meaning my wardrobe is lacking, to say the least). I avoid the malls so that I'm not tempted.

I do splurge on a few items. I love traveling, and so we tend to do one trip a year. Last year, we went to Halifax and loved it. It was a perfect time for us to reconnect.

I also love to eat out, although I have been doing it less since I've been trying to eat healthier and stick to the endo diet.

So why spend in a year where money is completely flowing out of my bank account?

I need to relax. I can be a little high strung sometimes, sweating the small stuff which is NOT good for me. And I am SO lucky to be in the position that I can spend a bit.

That doesn't mean I'm going to buy a Harley. But it does mean I'm thinking about Paris. I've been before, but J hasn't and I know he would love it.

I am thinking we will go after the first IVF, successful or not. If it is successful, then we'll go as long as I feel up to it and the doctors OK it. If not, then it will serve as a stepping stone for IVF #2. Regardless of the outcome, I think I deserve this trip and so it's going to happen!

I think I will blog more about finances. I'm going to hunt down my receipts and credit card bills to see just exactly how much this fertility journey has cost us so far (scary thought).