From the moment you find out that your baby is not one but “many,” everything changes. Of course, the first few moments are filled with awe, wonder and excitement. As a mother of twins myself, let me assure you that these feelings are quickly overshadowed by another emotion – panic!

First, there is the emotional strain. This isn’t what you signed up for when you decided to become a parent! But after the initial shock wears off (for me this took about five years), an even bigger problem arises. How can you afford them? Won’t it be twice as expensive to raise two children together? Not necessarily. Just because you are having twins doesn’t mean you need twice as much.

Do I Need Two of Everything?
Christina Baglivi Tinglof, author of Double Duty: The Parents’ Guide to Raising Twins, From Pregnancy Through the School Years (McGraw-Hill, 1998), agrees. “There’s such a misconception that you need two of everything," she says. "It’s best to take a wait-and-see attitude. Buy one bouncy seat or Snuggly sack and see how your children react to it. If, for instance, you find by the second week that you can’t survive without two bouncy seats, run out and buy another.”

Something else that’s important to know right from the start is that everything does not need to match, because matching almost always means buying new.

A good way to get what you want without paying for it is at a shower. Don’t be shy about getting specific. If you want something expensive, like a twin stroller or baby swing, a few friends will probably be willing to go together to buy it.

Anne Muilman, a mother of three from Georgetown, Texas, suggests a diaper shower for mothers expecting multiples. Although Anne doesn’t have twins, someone did this for her when her daughter was born, and she didn’t have to buy diapers for four months! As the biggest ongoing expense in the first year will probably be diapers (and formula if you decide not to breastfeed), this will give you a head start.

Feeding Your Multiples
Tinglof also suggests breastfeeding your multiples. “Many moms get scared and think that formula will be easier, but that’s not really true," she says. "If you give yourself time to learn how to breastfeed, once you get the hang of it, it’s infinitely easier than messing with formula and bottles. And you can save at least $100 a month.”

Another big expense during the first year is baby food. The convenience of baby food in jars is nice, but costly. A cheaper alternative is to buy regular canned vegetables, blend them in a food processor, freeze them in ice cube trays and put the cubes in freezer bags to thaw when needed. Applesauce, peaches and pears can also be divided up into baby-size portions.

If you don’t want to mess with homemade baby food, wait until it goes on sale and buy enough for a month. And don’t forget to look at twin Web sites to find coupons on everything imaginable for you and your babies.

Take Advantage of Sales and Discounts
Pamela Ryan, a mother of 20-year-old twins from Inver Grove Heights, Minn., suggests saving money by asking for a “multiples discount.” When her girls were younger, she used to get shoes at 10 to 20 percent off simply by asking. Pediatricians and orthodontists often give price breaks. “Even many colleges offer a discount for more than one family member in a particular college,” she says.

One great thing about having multiples is that there are a number of free or inexpensive resources to turn to for help and advice. Many parents of multiples are familiar with Twins Clubs and, if not, they are easy to find using a search engine or your local telephone directory.

These clubs provide many services for parents, but the best money saver is their semi-annual sale. These sales are a wonderful way to get slightly used toys, clothing, furniture and bedding. An added benefit is that you will be able to get matching things, as the parents doing the selling are themselves parents of multiples. In my hometown, the twins’ resale event is such a big deal that mothers wait in line for up to an hour to get in.

Todd Sedmak of Falls Church, Va., the father of 3-year-old twin boys, is a big believer in Twins Clubs. He volunteers during the sale because volunteers get to be first in line when purchasing items. “The Twins Club has been a great help to us,” says Sedmak. “Not only do they hold the big sale twice a year, we receive monthly newsletters with helpful tips and additional items for sale.”

Plan Ahead
This brings up another money-saving idea. Plan ahead and buy when things are on sale. This works not only for clothes and birthday presents, but major expenses as well.

Sedmak and his wife are expecting their third baby in March and want to trade in their Jeep for something larger. He is already scouting out minivan prices and has been talking with friends who have contacts with dealerships. As the best time to buy a car is late in the year, he’ll be ready when the price and terms are right.

Too Much of a Good Thing
Sometimes parents of multiples have the dilemma of too much of a good thing. What do you do when you accumulate too much stuff?

“If you do get toys they don’t need or duplicate toys, take them back,” says Gary Baker, the father of 4-year-old identical twins boys. “So many friends and family give you two of the same dump truck or scooter, etc. … We took one of each back to the toy store and exchanged it for different toys. No duplicates equal twice as many different toys, and the sharing issue is something you have to deal with anyway.”

Planning for Education
Baker, also public relations director for Answerthink, a technology consulting company in New York, suggests investigating special educational services for your twins. “Many twins test as delayed in speech, physical development, etc. … making them eligible for high-quality, low- or no-cost preschool," he says. "My boys were in this category, although you’d never know they were delayed by meeting them. We’ve had them in the most wonderful private preschool for children with development issues for almost two years now, with New York State paying the full tab. We could not have found a better school for any amount of money.”

Both Baker and Sedmak agreed that it was important to plan early for your children’s education, whether that meant finding the right elementary school or saving for college.

“There are new financial opportunities to save for education,” says Sedmak. “We worked with a financial planner to set up an account for our children’s college education. The money grows tax free until we need to take it out. It’s a great starting point to pay for their education.”

Brian Hamil, managing partner for the certified public accounting firm Hamil, Lehman and England in Fort Wayne, Ind., and himself the father of twins, agrees. “The 529 [educational] plans are popular because they are tax free, but another option is to use a product that integrates both educational planning with insurance planning in the event that a parent passes away before the college years," he says. "In using this, you are combining the education component with some kind of ‘what if’ funding.”

Obviously, raising children in the 21st century is a costly pursuit. But with a little creativity and some advance planning, you can do it without breaking the bank (although it may crack a bit around the edges!).

Want to see more?

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• Two at Once: Pregnancy With Twins
• Harried Holidays: Making It Through the Season With Multiples
• Talk about it!