1. Cute clothes – Every parent wants to let their child look great.  However, we tend to go overboard with newborn – 6 month clothes since they are so darn adorable.  Get what you need and STOP!  Otherwise you will end up with more clothes than they will wear.
2. Nursery – You don’t have to spend a fortune with decorations for the nursery.  I found an adorable picture and clock oat my local used baby store for a fraction of the cost of even Wal-Mart.  Be sensible with what you spend.
3. Diapers – They are expensive and you do need them but make sure you know what brand will work for your child before you buy a bunch on sale.  5 packs of Huggies won’t do you any good if they leak due to your baby’s shape.
4. Car Seats – They are always coming up with new ideas.  I am so tempted to get a new one that adjusts easier than mine but I am refraining.  It is my hardest temptation.
5. Bedding – this is different from the nursery décor since you can buy and sell easier than decorations.  I want new bedding that is more babyfied than what I had originally and looks like a boy instead of gender neutral.  But gender neural is what you need to save money so you can reuse it for the next one.  That’s why we picked it in the first place.
6. Toys – They can only play with so many so let friends and family buy you those.  I promise you will get plenty.  If you buy for the kids, you will be run out of the house with junk!  Why do you think you find so many good deals on toys and baby clothes at yard sales. 
7. Borrow from friends when offered – You don’t have to have new.  The infant stuff is only used for such a short time that even borrowed items are practically new.
8. Swaddlers – I think I am going to fall for this one as I am still not good at swaddling my son.  I love the idea but you need to get a preemie swaddler if you can find it because until they are almost too big to need it.
9. Nursing bras – this is an opposite one that you do need to spend money on.  They are not a waste of money.  DON’T skimp on this one as your breast tissue will thank you for it.  I didn’t know I skimped last time until I got a good one this time.  SIGH OF RELEAF FROM ME!!!!!!!!
10. Time – Don’t waste your time stressing over whether to call your pediatrician for any little question.  That is what they are there for and any pediatrician worth their weight in medical advice will want you to call.  It keeps you out of the doctor’s office and away from copays.

So Take my advice and don’t waste your time or money on these top 10 temptations for new parents.  You’ll be glad you did – or didn’t.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

2)  Register for your shower.  People will be more likely to get you what you need.  Also, if you are registered at Target, they have a more flexible return policy.

3)  Nurse if you possibly can.  Formulas can cost a lot of money.  If you’re lucky, formula will cost about $1200-$1400 a year.  If you child has colic or some other tummy problems, the more expensive formulas could cost double that amount.

4)  Check the consignment store for breastpumps.  The consignment store where I shop usually has a nice Medela single or double breastpump for sale.  You’re going to sterilize a new one or used one anyway, so get the used one and save $100 or more.

5)  Find out where you can get free breastfeeding advice.  Some hospitals have a free lactation center and others have lactation nurses that will call and check up on you.  You could also check with your local La Leche group for help.  Finding support is important if you want to continue breastfeeding.

6)  Don’t rush out and spend lots of money on a breastfeeding wardrobe.  More than likely you’ll spend the first two weeks inside resting and breastfeeding anyway.  After that time you can see what your needs really are.  Many times we overestimate what we’ll need and we buy too much.

7)  Don’t worry about brand names.  Wal-Mart and Target have come out with some cute lines of clothing.  You don’t have to have the most expensive name brands.

8)  Accept hand-me-downs.  Don’t give people the idea that you’re too good to take second hand stuff. 

9)  Be sure and tell people how much you appreciate the things they’ve passed down to you.  If you don’t seem thankful, then they may find someone else to give their stuff to.

10)  Shop thrift stores, consignment stores, and yard sales for baby clothes, baby equipment, bottles, toys, and more.  I can’t say that one enough.  Two weeks ago I was at a yard sale and picked up some Avent bottles for 25 cents each!  I don’t have any babies, but we have some friends that use these bottles with their baby.  I spent just a few dollars and they will be happy to get the extra bottles. 

I think this picture speaks volumes about why you should shop at consignment stores. 

11)  Buy some neutral things so that they can be used by your next baby, no matter the gender.  I have been saving a lot of my daughter’s jeans and denim overalls for my son. 

12)  Make your own baby food.  Parents.com has some recipes to get you started.

13)  Only buy what you need.  There are so many gadgets and products on the market.  Many of these items are unnecessary.  Talk to some of your friends and find out what their favorites are and why.

14)  Say “Yes!” if your doctor asks if you want to be added to a mailing list.  You will get lots of freebies in the mail.

15)  Keep those samples of formula the doctor gives you or that you get in the mail.  Even if you plan on breastfeeding, you might still need them.

16)  Visit websites and get put on their mailing list.  I did this with some formula and diaper companies.  They will sometimes send free samples and coupons.

17)  Before leaving the hospital, make sure they give you your free stuff.  Usually Similac or Enfamil provides hospitals with a diaper bag full of goodies for all new moms.  Inside, you will usually find diaper cream, lotion, coupons, and all sorts of great things.

18)  Forget about buying expensive shoes until baby can walk.  Unless your baby can walk, there really is no need to buy the $35 shoes.  All your baby needs is some socks or booties. If you want your baby to have on shoes, then go for the less expensive pair or a pair from the consignment store.  More than likely, your baby will kick them off anyway and you certainly don’t need the more expensive ones since your baby won’t be walking.

19)  Set up a photo website, email pictures, or make photo cds for everyone.  Making copies of photos can be really expensive.  I learned that lesson early.  Now I email pictures of the kids.  It’s less expensive and everyone gets regular updates.   Family members and friends can print off their favorites or save them to a cd.  About once a year, I make a photo cd for the grandparents.  Speaking of which, it’s time to do that again!

20)  Test drive a stroller before you buy it.  This one saved us at least $200.  My husband and I thought we would need a double stroller.  Thankfully, we test drove them around the baby store and realized how difficult and awkward they were.  Plus, I don’t think it would have fit very well in our van.

21)  Use cloth diapers.  Cloth diapers aren’t what they used to be.  Cloth diapers now come with elastic legs and snaps or velcro closures.  You can even buy them used or new on ebay.

22)  Make your own baby wipes.  Here’s my post on how to make them.

23)  Use bibs!  I am a firm believer in the use of bibs.  Bibs will save you money since you won’t be ruining good clothes and they will save you money because you won’t be washing clothes so much.  When my kids eat spaghetti, I usually take off their shirt.  It seems spaghetti always gets everywhere.  Another alternative to bibs is to buy larger shirts at a yard sale.  Put the oversized shirts on your baby when he eats.  You will get more coverage that way.

24)  Try out generic diapers and see which ones work for you.  Some people say generic diapers didn’t work for their children, but I’ve never had any problems with my two kids.  I’ve tried Target, Wal-Mart, CVS, Food Lion, Sam’s, and more.  Never any problems.  I think it depends on the child.  Give them a try and if they don’t work then take them back to the store.  Most store brands have a guarantee statement printed on the package.

25)  Shop the clearance rack frequently.  I once got a $100 stroller at Target for $22.

Well, there are the 25 ways I could think of.  That’s certainly not every way to save money with a baby.  Perhaps one day in the future I could post another 25 ways to save.  Do you have any ways that you save on money on your baby?  Let us know!

Images from morrisons.co.uk, tgtbt.com.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Anyway, we have another ultrasound next Tuesday so I am hoping for a clean report.  I feel guilty for not being able to take prenatal vitamins as they are the only thing that upset my stomach and make me puke!  UUGGHH!!  I used to be able to take the Flintstones but not any more.  I think it is more important to keep nutrients down than to just give them back to the environment.   I guess that is the difference between a boy and a girl. That is the only thing that ways heavy on me.  I can take the little red pill for brain development but not prenatals. 

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

I know that when the new baby gets here,  my daughter will regress alittle.  But I was very excited to see that she dirtied her diaper and then took it off for me to clean.  The taking off part was a little funny but she is finally becoming aware of her bowels. This means that potty training is around the corner.  YEAH!!  One less set of diapers to buy J

Then we have decided to not stress about getting her out of her crib for the new baby.  We are going to let her stay in hers and just turn it into a full when she is ready.  Then we are going to get him another crib that converts to a toddler and then full size bed.  I have a friend that is going to give us a mattress so we won’t have to buy that either.

I have little boy clothes on the way from my sister and my best friend so I don’t have to worry about buying a bunch of new baby clothes.

We have narrowed the name search down to 3 names so now we just have to struggle over 3 names.  That is a huge improvement!

There is hope at the end of our rainbow here at our house.  Now if I could just quit work, life would be perfectJ  The second one will push that envelope when we have to pay for daycare for 2 children 2 days a week.  I make good money, but not sure if I make that much.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy