WA couple forced to reshape how they prepare for their first child amid hike of cost-of-living prices

Hardworking families across Western Australia are feeling the pinch of rising costs and everyday compromises. But for Emily Kandiah and her husband Edward, the financial crunch carries extra weight as they prepare to welcome their first child. Now 16 weeks pregnant, Ms Kandiah says money matters are already reshaping how they plan for their new arrival in September. “It feels like we’re barely affording life as it is, and then to think about the fact that in potentially for a year, we’re on reduced pay… it’s stressful,” she said. “We’ve cut a lot of things that aren’t necessary, like streaming services, and we’re trying to eat at home more. “It’s just about adjusting our cost of living now so that the windfall isn’t a huge shock when we get to that point.” Even essentials like nappies and formula are being closely forecasted. “We are looking at how much that will be per month and how much we are going to roughly need, those are the primary big things,” she said. Like many WA families, the Kandiahs have a mortgage to pay and are worries about rising interest rates. They have delayed planned home renovations as they don’t want to be stuck with higher payments when they have less income after the baby. Mr Kandiah, a site engineer at Geomarine, gets no paid paternity leave, meaning any time off for the first-time dad would be unpaid. “It would be nice for him to have at least some (leave), but he just doesn’t have any,” Ms Kandiah, who works as a professional learning consultant, said. “So that’s also a factor — we’re trying not to use all his leave before then — so he has a little bit of time off.” And when it comes to the costs of preparing for their first baby, Ms Kandiah says they can only consider purchasing only what is essential. “You have to figure out what big things we actually do need and which things you don’t, and which things you can get on Marketplace or Buy Nothing,” Ms Kandiah said.