How do I(we) afford all this??

Cindy and Janice posted a question in my comments the other day:

"How can you guys afford all of this stuff."

We are very, very lucky. I fully admit it.

Jenn works for a large bank that offers domestic partner insurance. A few years ago my boss (I work in a single family owned hotel, not my family) figured out that it would be cheaper to pay the amount that it would cost for me to be on Jenn's insurance, than it would be for him to provide me with insurance. Then in October of 2006 we got a letter saying that the bank was going to start providing infertility coverage. I cannot even begin to tell you how overjoyed that made us. It was like a sign. (Well, to me the bigger sign was in November when Lane Bryant started to sell maternity clothes, that means that Heidi should get pregnant. She needs more excuses to buy clothes.)

So:
I pay $25.00 copay when I see Michelle or the Doctor. (Ovary Checks, Ultrasounds, IUI's)

I pay for the swim team (they were on mega sale this month, normally I pay $360.00 this month they were only $265.)

I buy some ovulation predictor sticks from ebay, and saveontests.com Some I have as freebie gifts from girls on various boards I belong to. We share. We're all nice like that! I totally do not recommend the Ovuquick brand. They are the ones that keep giving me false positives. (they are also $50.00 for only 9 tests, on ebay you can get 50 tests for $20.00!!)

I don't trust the cheapie pregnancy tests though. There is almost always an evaporation line that gets you all excited for nothing. I bought my pregnancy tests at Costco, and if I think I see a line I pee on a digital test.

I pay $35.00 for each prescription related to fertility so Clomid and Ovudril, for a total of $70.00 per month.

I know how lucky we are. We still pay a lot, but not nearly as much as some people have to pay. There have been discussions of Jenn switching banks and going to another large bank that offers domestic partner benefits...plus infertility coverage AND IVF. But I'm not sure I would ever actually do IVF, so I don't know. Plus she really likes her job most of the time.

Any other questions? I honestly am an open book!!