# Financial strain of fertility treatment



## Little orchid (Feb 23, 2014)

Hi,
I am a regular reader of this forum. As well as the physical, emotional strain as well as the strain on relstionships- I rarely read about the financial strain. We all know that nothing comes cheap in the fertility world. I know some of us are lucky to get treatment on the nhs, but for many reasons this may not be possible for others/ further treatment. 

Without wanting to sound nosey- how do most people fund their treatment. Savings, loans, family donations? 
For me not having holidays, home improvements etc is a a sacrifice I am more than willing to make to add to my family. But I am getting myself into serious debt. Part of me thinks ‘it’s only money’ but it is hard to ignore that I am putting myself into a very risky financial place.

I am fortunate that I have a job, and can struggle to pay for an ivf cycle. I only dread to think about the amount of people in our society who are in real poverty and experiencing infertility. It is so unfair.


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## jdm4tth3ws (May 20, 2012)

For me personally, I saved hard and bought the cheapest food going. I already had a child so the NHS wouodnt help me. Low income family due to disability (mine). So I made drastic cut backs. Sat around in blankets in winter so I didn't have to put the heating on. Cut my own hair when it needed cutting. Walked around for 6 months in shoes with holes in them. Stopped cinema date nights. Didn't buy hubby birthday or anniversary presents. He did the same with me. Stopped buying needed clothes at charity shops. Stopped days out unless they were free and took packed lunches. It took me 11 months to save the money needed, the first time. I was successful on that round and he's 11 now. 2nd round it took me 10.5 months to save up. I just lived very frugally. Didn't get myself into debt, as I wouldn't ever be able to pay it back. In ll I I've saved for 10 rounds of different fertility treatments and as I said, have had 1 outright success and I'm currently 13 weeka pregnant. 

At one point I managed to get out food bill down to £25 a week for 3 people. I was quite proud of myself. I got rid of sky tv. Any subscriptions we had, I got rid of. Literally cut our weekly budget down to next to nothing, so I could save like mad. Even now, I cut our kids hair, my hair and husband's hair. I still only buy myself 1 pair of shoes a year and only buy charity shop clothes when absolutely necessary. I guess old habits die hard! 😂

Its tough, but so worth it, if you manage to be successful. 

Good luck!


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## Little orchid (Feb 23, 2014)

What an inspiring story jdm4tth3ws. 
In some ways a lot of sacrifices, but in other ways- not really- when you look at how worth it is.
Think I am off to trawl some money saving sites to up my ‘frugal game’. 

Congratulations on your son and pregnancy. I would say lots of those ‘thrifty’ habits are useful to instil in your children, as we are such a ‘throw away society’.

Thanks for sharing your story and giving me motivation.


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## AquaMarina (Aug 22, 2015)

Hi,

We’ve spent close to £20k in total. The first round was funded by my savings, the second by my husband taking out a bank loan (which he’s still paying off), two FET’s were again paid by my savings and our most recent fresh round was paid for very kindly by my parents. It has been an extremely difficult few years financially and we have forgone a lot of things that people take for granted trips out, meals out and broadband. Most of the basics for our son, like pram, cot, high chair, jumperoo etc was second hand. We haven’t had any holidays and my poor husband works as much overtime as he can. It does make me feel anxious that I now have no savings to fall back on or for a rainy day but our son is worth it!
Good luck on your journey x


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## Tags77 (Aug 21, 2016)

We’re around the 30k mark..probably more when you factor in all the additional bits of drugs, blood tests, scans, supplements, books, fertility diets, BPA/Thalate free products, accupunture, reflexology, miscarriage counselling....its endless, at times its down-right exploitive! 
You ‘cut your cloth’  I guess. For 3 years I’ve Funnelled  every spare penny into IVF. So i’ve A garden without a single flower in it...it’s like T.S Elliot’s wasteland out there. I’ve a half completed mirrored wardrobe...without any mirrored doors and a spare room which when we started TTC, we earmarked as nursery ( how naive were we!) it’s now houses my ironing bundle or as DH calls it ‘your walk in wardrobe’ 🤣
We have some money to pay off on a credit card but it will be settled in 3 months.


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## Little orchid (Feb 23, 2014)

Thanks for sharing Tags77 and Aquamarina. In some ways reassuring that others are out there with flower-less gardens! It’s such a money pit. And I can see it being hard to not ‘just have one more gamble’ on the fertility wheel of fortune. 

I can only imagine there being greater demand for fertility treatment for future generations. Will be interesting to see how things develop, in terms of nhs funding and creating a society where only the well off can avail of expensive treatments. So wrong. 

Hopefully one day we will have flowers in our garden! X

Thank you .


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## mierran (Apr 24, 2009)

Hi,
I don't even want to think about it but probably about 50k of own money over.the last 10 years - more if you include acupucture I used to get weekly. 

How I did it

1. Asked for money towards treatment for birthday/ Christmas presents for me, and stuff they need for the kids.
2. Drive an old banger
3. No takeaways/ cheap and occasional meals out/ free days with the kids eg park with picnic or have years subscription to the local science centre so go there if wet
4. Second hand everything except car seats, accepting anything from anyone and sorting through giving anything we don't want to charity shop. 
5. Working overtime and earmarking money as IVF money. Going back early from mat leave with twins so got paid for holiday and that was IVF money
6. Help from my mum . My sister was at university and my mum was giving her money ( which she hadn't done while I was at uni) so she gave me some money towards a cycle. 
7. Looking at prices of drugs and generally buying with written prescription from Asda 
8. Treatment abroad so a bit cheaper and was holiday too ( I have had one non IVF holiday in over a.decade. it was very wierd). Some times of year flights are dirt cheap and accommodation cheap and plentiful. 
9. Buying reduced food and shopping discount shops/ vouchers and cooking from scratch - no readymeals. 
10. Comparing insurance/ switching energy
11. Doing DIY rather than getting someone in where possible. 
12. Cutting everyone's hair 
13. Bargaining with people when I do need things done. Every little helps. 
14. Not being ashamed to claim benefits and help I am entitled to ( I still struggle a bit with this one. ). 
15. Kids have an activity card I pay for monthly that lets.them do lots of stuff rather than individual classes. 
16 buying clothes in the sale for the next year.
17. Keeping everything so I don't need to buy much for another child ( obviously only helpful for number 2+). 

I also discuss money with my kids so they learn the value of things. They are generally very good about not asking for stuff we can't afford, and are on board about having a little brother or sister, and the sacrifices needed for it ( which I do my best to minimise for them)



When we started ttc I saved my Xmas bonus to buy things for the baby, and did so each year It was my promise to me that there would be a baby and, no matter how tough it got I wouldn't touch that money - it was for the baby.
As it took us 7 years by the time baby ( or in my case babies) had arrived it was enough to buy a lot of what we weren't given.   


I sometimes think of the things if I hadn't had to spend that money on fertility treatment and had been able to conceive naturally we could have/ do. But I also don't regret spending a penny of it for the wonderful kids I have. I know I am lucky.


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## mierran (Apr 24, 2009)

Btw tags - ask family and friends for cuttings from their plants. And often DIY places.have reduced plants. Bd used to laugh at my dead sticks but it amazing how well a lot.of those plants have done. 

I am going to take some cuttings from my plants when I move house and keep fingers crossed.


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## kittykat76 (Jan 17, 2016)

Think I have probably spent around £50k, possibly even more, I have never added it up I just used to hand the money over when asked!! I had savings I used for most but my last fresh cycle and fet I put  on credit cards and took out a loan as I was out of savings. I have cut back on most things to pay it off, I was lucky as before I started trying I had a flat with my job which enabled me to save lots but I look back and wish I had been even tighter with money but I never imagined it would take so much money to have my baby!!


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## miamiamo (Aug 9, 2015)

we saved a lot undergoing IVF abroad.


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## pollita (Feb 23, 2011)

I think I've spent a little over £30k over the last 5 years or so (said with a huge gulp!) mostly down to:

- Using inheritance
- Taking out a loan/putting it on credit cards
- Living on next to nothing (no nights out, no holidays in 5 years, no new clothes, even trading my car to get some money back)

It's not been easy but it's been worth it. Even if I will be paying off the loan I took out for the last round until my child is in school!

I'm manically trying to save what I can now to fund another round of IVF for baby #2 in the new year. If anything, being on maternity leave it making it a little easier to save! I'm just living on a strict budget and saving all excess money for another go. Also working my bum off to get some extra income.


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