Ways to Save on Baby Costs

Back in 2012, Ivillage created a post on ways to save on baby costs. Of course, this has been pinned thousands and thousands of times on pinterest. I of course, am behind the ball and just reviewed it this week. I read through a few of them when I had a spare minute, and most tips seemed pretty helpful. I am not going to list all of them, but here are some that I found especially useful.

Remember, you have to take everything with a grain of salt. What might work for one, won't always work for another. If you want to see the full pin, go to Ivillage and bone up on baby saving costs yourself.  Let's get to savin' some money!!


1. Be Patient. The longer you wait to buy, the better informed you'll be on what you need and don't need. For example, your baby might be too big for newborn clothes. I will say that we bought a high chair from a rummage sale (thankfully we only paid $10) and have had a number of people tell us it's a waste of money. I have one friend that swears by the booster seat! Go Figure.

2. Be Size-Wise on Diapers. The bigger the diaper, the smaller the amount in the box. So, don't keep pushing up a size until you really need to. Seriously, great to know. I would have never noticed that on the box.

3. Try Generic Disposable Diapers. I have heard this before as well- especially in the early weeks. You will go through so many diapers (roughly 10 a day during the first 6 weeks) that you really don't need to pay all the money on the expensive ones. Also, some say they prefer the store brand. I guess we'll have to see what baby thinks about this one- since it's her butt on the line. Yep, I'm still not good with jokes.

4. Buy in Bulk. Do I really even need to comment on this one. It's a no-brainer.

5. "Shop" with an experienced mom. I don't know about you, but I have tons of friends that give me their opinions on my baby, whether these opinions are wanted or not. But, I will say, most of their advice is helpful. I haven't been there, done that but they all have so it's great to know what they think.

6. Be Practical about your baby registry. I think this should also ring true for your wedding registry. Why put crap on your list that you don't need or want, just because you think you should "have" it. This would be my frugal side showing right now.

7. Save with Social Networking. Just like signing up for emails- it could pay off. Most sites will offer discounts, contests, and giveaways. I like free stuff and I cannot lie...

8. Send an electronic birth announcement. Or, if you are like us and you have your baby close to a holiday, just send them together. We did this for our wedding too. Seriously, nobody needs two pictures of me or my baby on their fridge (unless it's a grandparent- then we will be plastered on that thing!).

9. Breastfeed. I am putting this on there because it is our plan. Not only is it healthy for the baby, it is cheaper than formula. I'm not going to stand on a soap box and tell any mom what she should or shouldn't do. Do some research, and see what works best for your family.

10. Snag a deal. I knew about Groupon, Living Social, and Zulily. Apparently there's a totsy and an Amazon Mom Program. What?!? I am queen of amazon, how did I not know about this. Also, in another section they mentioned FreeCycle which apparently lists used items for free. Might be worth a try.

11. Homemade baby food. Another option for us. We have a magic bullet at home and a friend of ours said she used that to whip up her food. I did register for a baby bullet, just because of the containers. Maybe I should heed my own advice about not registering for stuff we want to "have". Oh screw it, it's the one thing on my list that isn't 100% practical. I'm keeping it on there.

12. Get gently used goods. Your baby is going to grow out of those tiny clothes so quickly it doesn't hurt to have them come from a consignment shop, garage sale, or from clearance.