tips on how to save money on baby expenses

In a month or so I have an infant coming into our life plus I already have 1 toddler and 1 school age children. Expense, expense is all I have to say! Having children now days it is not cheap. You have to budget and plan out having children because they definitely are expensive, but well worth it! It’s also easy to forget all the equipment that you need for your baby. Preparing and thinking about all the essentials you need to buy is difficult, but Harcourt Health has more info here for advice on how to plan for your childs birth. Once you’ve got this figured out, it’s time to think about expenses. So I have come up with a list and few tips that can help plan out expenses on basic needs of having a baby.

Raising a baby financially can break some families, but there are many ways to save money. This article will mainly discuss what to buy for your baby to help you save money, but you must first realise that there are other ways for you to save money. For example, you might want to check first that your car insurance is as cheap as it can be. Most people will naturally have a car, so to save you a bit of extra money it might be worthwhile to check out someone like Money Expert. Obviously, this is something extra that you can do and you are probably more concerned about what to do to help with all those baby products you have to buy so here are a few top baby expense and tips on saving.

1. Diapers

On an average for infants/newborns you use about 8-10 diapers a day so if you add that up it’s about 300 diapers a month give or take. That is a lot of diapers and diapers are sure not cheap.

Tip: A way to save on diapers is buy in bulk from wholesale stores or sign up at diaper manufacturer’s websites to receive coupons or stock up on diapers when they are on sale or look out for coupons. Another way to save is use cloth diapers where you save by washing it yourself and re-using.

2. Formula

Buying formula powder form or ready-made gets real expensive especially in the beginning if you are feeding every 2-3 hours. Also, if you are using a prescribed formula it’s even more costly. All of this adds up!

Tip: If you can, breastfeed for as long as you can, stock up on milk by pumping and freezing/storing. If you are not breastfeeding, buy the formula in powder forms then ready-made because it is less expensive plus still has the same nutrients. If you use Similac, Enfamil or Nestle, sign up on their site to receive coupons they sent frequently in the mail. Or look out for coupons and sales on formulas, or you can also buy from wholesale stores in bulk.

3. Baby Gear

A stroller to car seat now a days cost more than $100 unless you get hand me downs or buy a used one. It is not cheap to have all the baby gear essentials. You name it, stroller, car seat, play gym, bouncer, playpen, bassinet, and swing. Check out Best For Mums Recommended Baby Monitors as a baby monitor is something you’ll definitely need to buy.

Tip: The best thing to do at first is see is you baby enjoys certain gears; try it out at your friend’s house before you invest in one. Then you can go out and purchase it, Of course a stroller and car seat is needed for sure, but you can always buy a used one or get a hand me down. I am a big coupon queen and also love to look on the Internet to see if certain stores are willing to price match! First, budget out how much you are willing to spend and then see if you can get is cheaper online or at big brand baby stores, I know some big brand baby stores will price match any price!

4. Clothes

Children’s clothes get costly after a while because they grow out of it so fast. I remember when my daughter was born she fit into her 0-3 months clothes for only about 1-2 months. She then out grew them very quickly because she was growing very fast.

Tip: The best thing to do is get hand me downs from friend or relatives. I remember when my son was born my sister-in-law gave me all her sons clothes that were in good condition, it was very handy plus it saved me money. Another thing that I do is I buy clothes on sale, for example during the winter all summer clothes are on sale or on clearance so I stock up for the following winter and get the size accordingly to my children’s age for the following year. You can get some awesome steals on clearance! I have gotten pj’s for $3-$4.

5. Food

Buying baby food in the jar and pouches add up. You go through bout 1-3 baby foods a day (depending at what stage they are at) that adds up on a monthly basis.

TIP: Make your own baby food. It’s healthy, easy and plus you can freeze in bulk. I would always stock up on freshly homemade baby food on seasonal fruits and vegetables. It also made my life easier because whatever vegetables or fruits I was using for lunch/dinner, I would take some out and puree it for my little one. I also have used jarred baby food and pouches as well when I do not have time to make anything or when I am on the go. The best thing to do to save cost of jarred food is look out for coupons or sales on jarred and pouched baby food and stock up!

6. Childcare

Putting your child in a daycare or pre-school or in-home childcare gets very expensive! Especially if you have 2 kids and plus one on the way. It’s the cost of a mortgage. My husband and I have no choice but to put our kids in pre-school because we have no family members near us.

Tip: If you have family members or grandparents near that always helps, but if you do not then family day care centers and nanny sharing can help save. Another option maybe to stagger yours and your partners schedule of work where you both can figure out timings to stay at home with the baby. Lastly, you can see if your work has a daycare center to put your child in for a reasonable price.

What are some tips you have to save money on baby expense?