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The list of things you need to buy when having a baby can seem intimidating but don’t worry, you can save on almost all of these items. Here are some cost-cutting tricks every parent-to-be on a budget needs to know.
Host a Baby Shower
A baby shower is a chance to get all your friends and family together and celebrate the baby’s imminent birth. It’s a tradition at a baby shower for friends and family to bring gifts. This can be a great time to stock up on clothing and blankets and bibs.
Let people know of things you actually need before the baby shower so that you don’t end up with hundreds of soft toys and newborn clothes that could be outgrown in a week. Christmas and birthdays are also good times to ask for such gifts.
Make Use of Hand-Me-Downs
Another way to get freebies is to ask family and friends about hand-me-downs. It could be worth posting a status on Facebook asking anyone if they have any items they could give you. Even if these are simple things like diapers and blankets, that’s a few dollars saved!
Know the Necessities
There are a lot of baby products that you don’t actually need. You don’t need a baby bath – most parents wash their baby in the sink. A changing table isn’t a must – a towel or muslin blanket in most cases will do. You may even be able to lay your baby in a bouncer from day 1 and skip the need for a Moses basket. There are even ways to sterilize bottles using hot water without an electric sterilizer.
There are certain necessities you do need such as a car seat, bottles, diapers and clothes to name a few. Focus on buying these first and if your budget stretches beyond these you can then consider extras like a sterilizer and Moses basket.
Buy Used
Used baby products can be found on sites like BabySwapOrShop and can save you a lot of money. On top of cribs and strollers, you may find items that have never been used at discounts prices such as baby clothes and outgrown size diapers.
Take Advantage of Sales
Keep an eye out for sales on baby products throughout the year. You may be able to get good quality top branded stuff by visiting a retailer at the right time.
You may even be able to plan ahead with seasonal items. Baby winterwear is much cheaper in summer, whilst summerwear is much cheaper in winter. However, buying these items does require having to predict your baby’s size in six months.
Read Reviews
Don’t always focus on cheap prices, consider reliability too. You want products that are going to give you value for money. For this reason, it can be worth reading sites such as InnerParents. These kinds of sites offer reviews on the best baby products to give you a good idea of what to buy.
Krystle Cook – the creator of Home Jobs by MOM – put her psychology degree on a shelf and dived into a pile of diapers and dishes instead. She is a wife and mother to two rambunctious boys, sweating it out in her Texas hometown. She loves cooking, DIY home projects, and family fun activities.
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