A friend of mine recently told me she’s having her first baby!
It’s an exciting, and potentially expensive time in her life. But with a little work ahead of time, babies don’t have to be nearly as expensive as we’re led to believe.
Here are some ways to save money as you prepare for your baby’s arrival:
Take care of yourself. Your primary goal is to take good care of yourself and your unborn baby. That means safe, gentle exercise, great nutrition, visiting your doctor regularly, and taking those prenatal vitamins. It won’t guarantee nothing will happen, but it does go a long way toward shortening hospital stays and keeping those medical bills under control.
Spread the word about your pregnancy. Your friends and family will be excited to share in your new bundle of joy. Put the word out, and graciously accept hand-me-downs and all offers of baby showers. Just remember to pay it forward after you’re baby is older. Your friends and family can also be a great source of information on the best (and worst) baby products.
Don’t tell folks the gender of your baby. I’ve been to a LOT of baby showers in my day, and I find that the moms who get the most useful gifts don’t tell folks the gender of their baby. The moms who told the world they were having girls got lots of frilly pink dresses… cute, but impractical. Those who don’t share the gender got useful baby gear, books, and gender neutral clothing. And that gender neutral clothing will come in handy when you’re expecting baby #2. The other reason for not sharing the baby’s gender? Sometimes babies are tricky. I’ve known two families who were surprised when the boy they were expecting was a baby girl!
Go secondhand, but be cautious. You may be able to score some great stuff at sites like Freecycle, Freepeats, and Craigslist or at consignment and thrift shops. But be very careful that the item is in near perfect condition and has not been recalled. Many recalls don’t reach the mainstream media. You can look to see if a product has been recalled at the Consumer Product Safety Commission website. Sign up for their e-mail alerts so that you will know if something you own gets recalled.
You should always buy your baby’s car seat and crib mattress new. The exception to that rule would be if you know the previous owner well and are comfortable with the idea of getting these things used. You must absolutely know for certain that the car seat has never been in an accident and has not been recalled. You can check out car seat recalls at the US Department of Transportation.
Sign up for mailing lists and gift registries. Sign up for mailing lists for companies like Pampers, Huggies, and Luvs. Sign up with all of the formula companies as well. While breastfeeding has been deemed by numerous experts to be best for your baby, it’s not always possible for all moms. Sign up with companies like Enfamil and Similac and you’ll get great high value coupons and free samples. Register for gifts at stores like Target and Babies R Us. You’ll get notified of special deals and high value coupons that can help you save on all kinds of baby gear.
Cook in advance. If you’re feeling up to it during the early stretch of your pregnancy, start making meals and putting them in the freezer. You’ll appreciate those frozen, healthy, homemade meals during the last week of your pregnancy and during those first few weeks of having a newborn in the house. And you’ll save a ton of money on take-out!
Start stocking up on diapers. Watch for the best sales (I recommend checking out Baby Cheapskate’s Top Diaper and Formula Deals of the Week) and be sure to combine those store coupons with manufacturer coupons for the greatest savings. Don’t buy a lot of packs of newborn diapers… you probably won’t use them for very long. In my case, only one of my 3 boys ever wore newborn diapers, and he only wore them for about 2 weeks! Cloth diapers can also offer incredible savings, but you’ll need to do your homework to find the best values.
Start shopping for day care or prepare how you will become a stay at home mom. Many day cares have waiting lists, and you want to be sure you have time to shop around for the best value. If you’re planning to stay home, make sure you’re doing all you can to prepare for the transition to single income living.
I’ll be sharing more ideas for saving money once your baby has arrived in a future post. But until then, please help out my friend as she starts her parenthood journey. What are some ways you’ve saved money preparing for a new baby? Please share your ideas!
Amy says
February 3, 2011 at 2:22 pmIt’s hard not get caught up in the excitement of babies and buying tons of cute stuff…but let’s start with Mom’s wardrobe. Sooner or later your clothing won’t fit/look right on your pregnant body. Set a budget for maternity wear before you shop and stick to it. Shopping doesn’t need to happen all at once, after all your body will change throughout your pregnancy. Check clearance sections at Target, Kohl’s, Old Navy and your area department stores and you will find resonably priced items . Consider checking out garage sales, consignment shops and Goodwill too. If you receive second hand items from friends or family, be sure to ask if they would like them returned when you are finished with them. This may prevent misunderstanding later.
Resist the urge to buy tons of baby stuff (especially clothing) until after baby showers. Register for a variety of items that you and your child will actually use/need. A variety of items will also help friends and family select gifts in their budget too. Talk with family and friends about baby gear, but remember that what works for them may not be best for you. The baby carrier they loved might not fit on Dad’s large frame or the stroller they couldn’t live without won’t fit in your vehicle or perhaps you won’t need a baby monitor in your cozy home.
Babies spend most of their time eating, sleeping and making dirty diapers and so some of the most important things your family will need will assist in those areas. I personally recommend a comfortable chair in baby’s room to nurse/feed baby in. Your baby will be eating round the clock. And because you will be getting up during the night (often – for years), a dimmer switch for the light fixture is nice too. Don’t forget burp cloths. No matter how baby is fed sooner or later baby will spit up. One of my dear friends made a handful of burp cloths that she made out of soft flannel for my first born; I had no idea how much I was going to need them.
Sleeping – baby needs a safe place not a ton of bedding. Feel free to skip the fancy quilts, bumpers, etc. Consider a sleepsack especially during colder months so you aren’t tempted to keep the thermostat up during the night.
Diapers. Baby will need lots of those. Disposable diapers come in many sizes and types and packages. Figure out the per diaper price that you are willing to pay. For me that was .11 for size 1, .12 for size 2, .13 for size 3 and .14 for size 4 (but I’m cheap) Buy diapers (and wipes) ahead of time using coupons so you can take advantage of sales and special offers, but keep your receipts in case baby is allergic to a particular brand or in case you need to size up. Also, consider where you are going to change baby’s diaper. On the floor? Remember the diapering business lasts for 2-3 years. Consider a contoured changing pad on baby’s dresser. No need to purchase a special table if you don’t want to. You will also want a garbage can with a lid near the changing area.
Thoughts about carseats…baby will need one, but you may be able to rent one for the fraction of the cost of a new one if there is a Child Passenger Safely Association in your area. The best part is that they will help you correctly install it.
Finally, remember to have thank you cards handy before and after baby arrives. People love babies :) Hope this is helpful to those moms-to-be. Congratulations!
Christina @ Northern Cheapskate says
February 4, 2011 at 8:56 amExcellent tips, Amy! It’s been a few years since I was pregnant and your ideas really reminded me just how many ways there are to save!
angie says
April 13, 2011 at 11:26 pmVery interesting tip about not telling the gender to coax guests into more practical gift ideas. I’ve been to a zillion baby showers as well, but everyone I know finds out the gender! If we go for 3 we plan to not find out, then again, I won’t have much need for a baby shower anyhow.
Taryn Greiner says
March 5, 2015 at 5:13 pmMy husband and I have just found out that we are expecting baby #2 and so this was a timely post :) I found it interesting about what you said about baby showers and not revealing the baby’s gender. We chose to not find out and I had many family members lovingly complaining about what to get us. But in hind sight, I realize that was because they had to actually think a bit instead of just buying the cutest blue or pink outfit that hit their fancy.
Also, we use cloth diapers and find them a HUGE savings. Especially because we were thinking ahead to future children. Our number one request for our baby shower was cloth diapers so my family pooled their money together and outfitted us with both newborn and then bigger sized diapers, so we have bought very few diapering supplies on our own. Now that we are planning for baby #2 we already have diapers ready to go!
Christina Brown says
March 5, 2015 at 10:17 pmCongrats on Baby#2, Taryn! It certainly sounds like you have made some smart money moves with your first baby that will pay off for the next one! I admire you for doing cloth… I love the idea of it, but was just a bit too squeamish to put it into practice. Just worked the coupons and sales instead and it went okay.