Everyone tells you babies are expensive. When you go to the store to register for the first time and you're standing there with the scanning gun, you think you need EVERYTHING. You really don't. We have gotten by without lots of "must haves" that people list. We don't have a changing table, we don't have a wipe warmer, or even a video monitor (we do have a audio monitor). But whether its a necessity (like diapers) or a want (like a fancy drying rack) there are lots of ways to save money when buying for baby.
Diapers
I have found that unless your baby can fare well in generic store brand diapers, the cheaper route for name brands is
Amazon Mom. You have to pay a yearly fee, but when I did the math the 20% off that I save covers the fee and then some. You also get other perks for joining like free movies and Kindle books. You get free 2 day shipping on Prime eligible products on Amazon, and 20% lots of household items. We get our diapers and wipes auto delivered. It's worked well for us and saved us money.
Clothes
Aside from hand-me-downs and swaps with friends, I have found buying used is the way to go. Especially if you like nice name brand items. You can find lots of reseller groups on Facebook, and most cities have consignment stores that are just baby and kids clothes. Kids grow SO fast, the items I have purchased second hand have been like new. Some I wonder if they were ever even worn. I went to our local consignment shop before the holidays and bought my baby TONS of Christmas pjs and outfits and spent around $12. Can't beat that!
Gear
I tend to like high end baby gear (who doesn't). I cannot tell you how much money we have saved buying baby gear off of
Craigslist. Just this weekend we bought a high end hiking carrier that is worth over $250 for $60! It is just like brand new. We also bought a large playpen on there for over half the cost of a new one. ALWAYS negotiate. We have never paid asking for any items on Craigslist. It's easy to negotiate on there since it is usually over email. Items like playpens, strollers, walkers, baby carriers are great items to find on there. The playpen we got was only used once or twice because their kid didn't like being in it. Carriers are that way, too. Folks buy them and their kids don't take to them so you get to save on a brand new item!
Food
Obviously breast feeding it the ultimate cheap way to go, but we save on formula buy purchasing Target brand Similac. I understand all babies are different and some are more sensitive than others, but if your baby likes it - it is almost half the cost of the name brand. If you have to use a name brand for your baby, be sure to sign up for coupons and use social media to ask your other mommy friends that don't use that brand to save their coupons for you.
If your baby is eating solids, and you have the time - I recommend making your own baby food. The best way is to do it like on a Sunday night and make enough for the week. I have the Baby Bullet, but really a blender or food processor is all you need. Just steam your veggies, pop them in with a little bit of water and voila! Soft food like bananas and avocados you can just blend without steaming. It's amazing how much baby food you can make in under an hour. I use the little Glad tupperwares to store them in and pop them in the freezer.
I hope these tips inspire you to find new ways to save money on your little one!
