One of the biggest concerns for new parents is that they won’t be able to afford the things their new baby will need.
Let’s be honest, for something that mankind has been doing for thousands of years, it sure takes a lot of things to keep baby alive these days.
But most of us are not made of money, so when is it ok to skimp a little and when should we really buckle down and buy the name brands?
We’re going to take a look at the areas to focus on when it comes to buying for baby and some helpful tips on how to save as much money as you can where it counts!
Focus On Where You can Save Money
Regardless of how savvy you are at saving, you’re going to have to buy some things for your new baby, and you may not have the budget for that, so the first thing you need to focus on is how you can provide one.
What Else Can You Cut Back On?
Focus on other areas in your life where you can cut back to start setting aside money for baby. I would do this as soon as you find out that you’re pregnant. Here are some things you can try to start saving a little extra money:
- Meal Planning/Couponing
- Cooking at home instead of going out to eat
- Carpooling to work
- Cutting back on extras like going to the movies, outings, etc.
What Can I Take Advantage Of?
Breastfeed
One of the easiest ways to save money with a new baby is to decide to breastfeed. It is my personal opinion that breastfeeding is the best option, but I also believe that the best baby is a fed baby and you have to do what works for you. So if that means that breastfeeding is not the best option for you, then that’s perfectly ok, too!
The fact of the matter is that breastfeeding is WAY cheaper than buying formula! If you can give up the extra time it takes, I would definitely recommend it as a way to save money.
If you want to know more about breastfeeding, check out these articles:
How To Be Successful With Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding VS. Formula Feeding
Breast Pumps
Going along with breastfeeding, you’ll need a breast pump. DON’T PAY FULL PRICE FOR A BREAST PUMP!!! It isn’t worth it. While I would 100% recommend that you get a breast pump that works well for you, you don’t have to spend much to get a good pump. First things first, check with your insurance. Almost all insurances now will partially or completely cover the cost of your breast pump, and most of them cover double electric pumps, which are what you really are going to want when you are trying to make the most of your free time.
Government Programs
Does your family qualify for government-funded programs like WIC or medical assistance? This one might be difficult for some people, but trust me, put your pride aside and look into it. There’s nothing wrong with taking advantage of government-funded programs. Although they sometimes get a bad rap, if you pay for them with your taxpayer dollars, you should be taking advantage of what you can. That’s why they’re there.
How Much Will You Use It?
The next thing to consider is how much you are going to use it and how well it will need to hold up. Things like bibs, binkies, and plain onesies are going to be used daily, spit up on daily and pooped in daily. You will be going through tons of them! Despite how difficult it may be to not buy a ton of cute clothes for your child, a baby doesn’t know the difference between an expensive outfit and a cheap outfit. As long as they hold up decently, buy the cheaper outfits for daily wear and save the nicer outfits for outings and events. Plus, kids grow out of clothes so quickly that it’s not worth spending more anyway.
That leads me to my next point: focus on function over appearance. If you can use your sister’s hand-me-down crib, high chair or whatever, use it! Do what you can with what you have. Paint it, transform it, or whatever you have to do to make it work for you, but every thing you can inherit is going to save you tons of money. As long as it’s working and in safe condition for your baby, you’re good to go.
Are There Simpler Things You Can Use Instead?
When you’re looking at baby supplies, it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement and think that you need a different play mat, bouncer, swing, or carrier for every occasion and possible situation that will involve your new baby. But all of that stuff really isn’t necessary and you’ll end up spending money on things that you don’t really use.
For example, if you can lay your baby on the floor to play on a blanket you already have instead of a play mat with 50 different interactive things, you can save $20-$50 right there. You wouldn’t believe how much some of this stuff costs and it’s really just not necessary.
Can you use a portable high chair at home as well? There’s no need to have two. Just use the portable one at home, too.
The most difficult about this part is that you don’t really know what your baby is going to like until you try it. So you don’t know if your lifesaving trick is going to be a swing or a bouncer or a binkie. But keep it simple until you find out what you need. For example, if you find that you really can’t put baby down and they like to bounce, then you need a bouncer, and so on.
This point comes in handy when you’re traveling. Trust me, even if you only pack the essentials, you’ll still be packing a ton.
What Should You Spend A Little Extra Money On
Ok, now let’s discuss what you should spend a little extra on.
- Carseat – I would definitely recommend not skimping on the carseat. First and foremost, you want to get something that is safe, light and going to last. Obviously, safety should be your first priority, but remember, you are also going to be carrying this thing A LOT, so you want to try to keep it as light as you can. Another great feature of many carseats today is that are convertible to toddler seats. Getting one of these might cost a little more than a basic carseat, but if it will save you from having to buy another carseat in a year, it will still save you in the long run.
- Stroller – This one largely has to do with where you live and your activity level. For example, I really wanted a jogging stroller, because I am very active and wanted something durable that was going to provide a way for me to take baby with me. If you don’t run or walk as much, you just want to cover the basics and get something that is going to last and be safe for baby.
- Diapers – While you don’t have to, I definitely go with name brands when it comes to diapers and I buy disposable diapers. If you’re really pinching pennies, you can use cloth diapers and I’ve heard of a lot of women that love them. It’s just not my cup of tea, so we buy Luvs diapers. They cover and contain anything we’ve dealt with better than Pampers, Huggies and any bargain brands, but they don’t cost as much as the other brands. The reason I would recommend investing a little more in diapers is because you will save yourself a lot of time, hassle and clothes by not having your baby’s diapers blow out with every poop explosion.
- Diaper Wipes – This is another area that I buy name brand. I like Pampers Naturals, but I’ve heard of a lot of people that make their own and I’ll admit, I’m very tempted to try it out. While it’s not absolutely necessary to buy more expensive wipes, I don’t like to use just anything on baby’s skin, especially as many times a day as you’ll be changing diapers.
- Formula – If you choose not to breastfeed, I would recommend absolutely not skimping on your baby’s formula. My personal opinion is that if I can’t give my baby the best nutrition (breastmilk), I’m going to give them the second best. When we switched my first son to formula after my supply dried up, we used Earth’s Best Organic Low Lactose Sensitivity Formula. You’ll likely have to try a few different things to learn what works for you and your baby.
- Organic Baby Food – Baby food is another area that I don’t compromise in. I give my babies organic as long as I can and avoid giving them any junk as long as I can. The best option, in my opinion, is to make your own baby food. Not only do you know exactly where their food is coming from, but you also can save tons of money by buying organic food in bulk and making your own baby food blends based on what your baby likes.
- Baby Monitor – My last recommendation for splurges is a baby monitor. This one has half to do with keeping baby safe and half to do with keeping your peace of mind. We received an Angel Care Baby Monitor System shortly after my first son was born and it definitely helped us sleep at night. Compared to the Owlet Monitoring System, though, the basic Angel Care system is a bargain!
Let’s Recap
Ok, so that was a lot of info. Let’s review how you can save money on your new baby:
- Start saving money early.
- Breastfeed to save money.
- Get your breast pump through your insurance.
- Take advantage of government programs.
- Consider how much you’re actually going to use it.
- Think about whether there are simpler things you can use instead (in other words, can you live without it?)
Hopefully this post has given you tons of ideas on how to save money with your new baby and you’ll be enjoying your new little bundle of joy without the stress of hefty price tags.
If you have any ideas on how to save money with a new baby, let me know in the comments!