No matter if you are planning for the arrival of your first child or you are already a parent, there is one thing you are most likely aware of: Raising a baby can be very expensive. As you begin to make a list of the baby supplies that you will need, it is important to consider your budget and how much money you are willing and able to spend. Like all parents, your primary goal is to get what you need without spending too much. Having a baby in the house is going to cost a bundle, but there are still many ways you can save on the necessities.
1. Get the Most Out of Your Baby Shower
A baby shower is a lot of fun. You get to spend time with family and friends while enjoying the fact that your baby will soon be brought into the world. Of course, this is also an event in which you will receive a number of gifts.
To avoid receiving gifts that you do not want or need, make sure you fill out a gift register. Additionally, it is essential to inform the people on your guest list where you are registered far in advance of the date of the shower. If possible, encourage family members to pool their money and purchase high-ticket items, such as cribs or high chairs.
2. Get the Best Bang for Your Buck at the Stores
When shopping for baby supplies, you will discover that you have multiple options for many items. For example, there is a plethora of strollers and high chairs on the market, ranging in price from less than $100, to more than $300.
Some parents make the mistake of buying the items with the highest price, thinking that a higher price means better quality. While I wouldn’t suggest that you should always buy the cheapest products, there is always a happy medium. Most people realize soon enough that the highest priced items are not much better (if better at all) than those that are considered to be middle of the road.
3. Buy Used Items
Thanks to the Internet, buying used baby supplies is easier now than ever before. Not only can you find local stores and flea markets that sell used items, but going online will open up a world of opportunity. Have you ever scanned Craigslist listings in your area? Scan the site’s “for sale” section, and you will quickly find that you can purchase used items at a fraction of the cost of new items.
Of course, some baby supplies are fine to purchase used, while others are best to buy new. Instead of focusing solely on the price, you must consider whether the item is going to be 100% safe for your baby. For example, a used car seat is not a prudent choice.
4. Get Hand-Me-Downs
Do you have family members or friends who are willing to give you baby supplies that they no longer need? You may not want to rely solely on hand-me-downs, but this is a great way to pick up supplies that you need without having to spend much money, if any.
Don’t be shy about asking others for hand-me-downs. Most people would rather give away their old items than throw them in the trash.
5. Shop Around, Shop Online
Just like anything, if you want to get the best deal on baby supplies, you need to do comparison shopping. Years ago, this was extremely difficult, as there were a limited amount of brick-and-mortar stores that sold baby supplies. However, things have changed now that the Internet has brought thousands of retailers into your home. No matter what you are shopping for, you can go online to compare prices and find the best deal.
Final Thoughts
There is no denying the fact that having a baby is very expensive. But rather than getting swamped in bills due to overpriced baby supplies, follow the five tips above, and look for other ways you can save money, such as by making homemade baby food. If you can save a lot of money now as you plan for the future, you can consider using the savings to start a college fund for your new child.
What tips can you suggest to save money on baby supplies?
Being a new mom and working online, finding the best deals mean a lot to me. Comparison shopping is a must and of course knowing what your baby needs is important so making a list is a big help for me to determine which ones I should prioritize.
Its all about writing a list for those that are coming to your baby shower. This helps everyone with a bit of guidance for what is needed and what you don’t. Good article.
I agree mainly with the 3rd point, you can get some really good bargains with buying second hand.
I can’t recommend and stress enough how important it is to shop around, you’ve hit the nail on the head with that point.
I thinking buying used items is a great idea except for diapers that wouldn’t be smart! We saved thousands when we had out gorgeous girl by buying things in excessive bulk.
Good tips! You can add a baby registry at Amazon that is easy for people to use. You can buy diapers from Amazon that are about the best price for disposable. Join their Amazon Mom to get diapers or whatever with free 2-day delivery. It’s free for 3 months & then turns into their regular Amazon Prime account for about $79 a year which includes free Kindle Borrow and streaming videos. By the way, I have no affiliation with Amazon, I just found these things out & like them.
My wife and I decided we would do cloth diapers for our 2nd. It leads to savings and is insurance for the environment. They make them much more convenient these days and you can buy used if you want to save even more money.
Great tips! As the mom of a 1 year old, I’ve done most of these things in the last year or so. I’ve found amazing things on Kijiji (similar to Craig’s List), such as a Beco carrier (a very high quality carrier that runs around $180 plus shipping) for $80, and it was used exactly twice. It looked brand new and the seller had the box, instructions, and all the bits and pieces.
People love to give away their baby stuff if they’re done having kids. I didn’t buy my son a stitch of clothing for months with the gifts and hand-me-downs from friends/famiy. We also got a swing, bouncy seat, jolly jumper, playmats etc from friends eager to clean out their basements/garages. This is ideal, because babies use each of these things for incredibly short periods of time and they have strong preferences that you can’t predict, so it would be futile to buy all these things only to find out your babe doesn’t like it! If you can’t get things gifted or loaned to you, don’t buy them all up front. Wait to see what you’ll actually use (and have room for).
Overall, the three things that saved us the most money (and continue to save us money) when it comes to baby were:
1) breastfeeding-I know this isn’t feasible for all, but even with the purchase of a high end pump for when I returned to work, I have saved a ton over the cost of formula
2) cloth diapers-For about $250, I bought a brand new set of Flip diapers that will last my guy through potty training, and potentially diaper additional kids. Can’t beat that with a stick. The extra costs of laundry don’t compare to the savings on disposables (and I won’t even begin to preach about the environmental and health benefits). The laundry really isn’t a big deal either.
3) baby led weaning-this method of introducing solids encourages you to feed your kid real food (not purees) starting anytime after 6 months of age. Read the book for more details to see if this is right for your family. This choice saved us from buying a bunch of pricey baby food, and the time it took to make it ourselves (my original plan). We just cooked what we usually cooked (with less salt for baby’s portion and maybe cooked a bit longer at first to soften veggies a bit more) and fed the little man some. (BTW-this had the nice side effect of making us eat healthier to ensure that we could feed the baby some of our meal :))
I also saved by borrowing parenting books from the library. Most books you can skim and decide whether you’re going to need it long term, but with the internet, you can find most things and don’t need big reference tomes on your shelf.
You don’t need to go to pricey baby classes either. I found free resources from my public library, health unit, and community centres that offered me and the baby socialization, new experiences and intellectual stimulation.
Finally, I would say, decide your priorities of what you’ll spend on (e.g., I won’t buy a cheap carseat-I work with victims of car accidents and won’t sacrifice safety. I also won’t buy a cheap carrier that will compromise baby’s health (e.g., hips, spine, etc.)) but I couldn’t care less about high end clothing (in the first year, they grow out of things so fast and stain so many items, it’s not worth spending more.) Don’t get caught up in others’ priorities and feel that you have to keep up with other parents. Your baby is not going to feel deprived if he/she doesn’t have some fancy new trend (e.g., Bumbo chair-I was loaned one, but my guy hated it and barely fit into it by the time he was “supposed” to use it).
I’m proud that my kiddo has a healthy start to his education fund due to all these savings we’ve had in the first year 🙂