Saving With a Baby

While babies are so much fun, they can also be incredibly expensive. From birth, to diapers, clothing and baby food, the list of necessities goes on and on! As the expenses add up, finances can get out of control if you are not careful what you spend your money on. I've begun to question how many of the "necessities" are truly necessary. Is there a cheaper way to achieve the same result and how can I make my money work harder for me. The following are a few ways I have been able to save with my baby. All of these ideas may not work for you since every situation varies but take what is helpful for you.

1.) If at all possible, avoid buying formula. I say if at all possible because in some cases it just can't be helped and thank goodness for formula in such cases!  However, if breastfeeding does work for you, stick to it! One year of formula can cost around $1500 and even more when you purchase the bottles, liners, nipples and etc. that are also needed. I was blessed to have a supportive family and the help of a great lactation consultant when I had Maddie. She was born 7 weeks early and breastfeeding was exceedingly difficult. She had to mature just a bit more before she was able to get the hang of it. In those few weeks I was very tempted to quit but I'm so glad I didn't! Besides the monetary savings, breast milk is specifically designed just for your child in a personalized way that formula never can be. It is the optimal way to feed a baby.

2) Never pay full price for disposable diapers. I try to pay no more than .10 per diaper. This requires buying only when the diapers are on sale and using coupons at the same time to bring the price down. Huggies and Pampers put out lots of coupons in the Sunday paper and in online coupon sites such as www.coupons.com. I've had great success with going to the Huggies website and either emailing them or calling them with a compliment. They will send coupons if you contact them. Some of the coupons they are just a $1 but others are $5 and will be a huge help in getting a great deal. Of course, if you plan on having more children, cloth diapers are your best option. They have come a long way since I was a child! No more pins and crackly plastic pants! My favorite ones are Fuzzi Bunz One Size diapers. Maddie had some of these and they have fit her for months! Definitely the cheapest option and much better for the environment!

3) Make your own baby wipes! Why pay $3 for a tub of wipes that is gone before you know it?! For about .50 you can make wipes using a half roll of paper towels, 1T Aveeno baby wash (or whatever baby wash you use), 2T baby oil (or olive oil) and 2 cups of water that has been boiled. Store the wipes in an empty wipe container or just buy a nice container that works for you. I think the homemade wipes smell and work so much better for me! If you want to go green, you can put the wash solution in a spray bottle and use cloths for the wipes. I think I'll stick to paper towels!

4) Take advantage of garage sales and thrift stores! Thanks to my generous sister, Rachel, passing on her children's baby clothes to me I have not needed to buy many clothes at all. I have begun going to more garage sales on the weekend and checking out what kind of baby clothes or toys people are trying to get rid of. I have found awesome bargains but wasn't always prepared with enough cash with me to fully take advantage of my find. One particular garage sale the lady was selling boxes of very nice kids clothes for a $1 an item. I got some name brand name clothes that looked new for just a few dollars! At another garage sell, I bought a tub of Lincoln Logs and another huge tub of Mega Blocks for just $8. If you have a good thrift store nearby, they can also have great deals on clothing and toys.  Also if you have items you no longer need you can sell them there and use your store credit to buy more that you can use.  The biggest thing to remember in buying for a child is to buy ahead, in the off season to receive the biggest bang for your buck.

5.) Try to buy as little baby food as possible.  When Maddie was a baby, I started out buying a good deal of baby food.  I eventually realized that the small jar of sweet potatoes that I was buying was costing me so much more than just buying a sweet potato and making my own!  A baby can eat a long time on just 1 fruit or veggie.  Puree and freeze the extra and you will have baby food to go for a good while.  As the baby gets older, some soup filled with lots of healthy veggies is great to freeze and have on hand for any meals you may have that aren't conducive for babies.  For more great baby food ideas, go to www.nurturebaby.com.

There are so many more great ways to save.  What are some of your favorite?