Baby on a budget! Tips?

[poptart]

Cribs are very expensive and you may not even need one. I bought one, but ended up never using it as I co-slept with all my kids. I got a lot more sleep that way and it is great if you are nursing. I never ended up using my baby monitor for the same reason.

[amenspanglish]

I'm not so sure about co-sleeping for myself, but thanks anyway for the advice!

[emiliaj]

Breastfeed
puree/mash fresh fruit/veggie mixes and freeze them in portions (my DD would only eat these)
borrow as much as you can
cloth nappies at home, disposable for outings and depending on your baby overnight is sometimes useful as they can wet through a cloth meaning you have a whole cot worth of linen to wash/dry (which is OK in summer)
even toys can be rotated among friends when washed properly
A baby won't care if they sleep is a borrowed cot with thrift store linen- what matters is love.

[caracakes]

I hope I'm not just repeating what others have already said :l But I've been researching this and all... and the best things I saw were:

1. Accept all hand-me-down's. A surprising lot of people will have baby items just sitting in their storage just waiting to rid of things. Especially since babies grow so fast, spending too much on clothing is not a justifiable thing to do. Plus, most people when giving baby shower gifts or whatever want to give cutesy things like clothing and all.

2. Thrift stores / consignment shops. You can get most things there for SO cheap! Even in buying clothing for myself, if you keep up regularly you can grab amazing finds!! I get brand name clothing from there sometimes! <3

3. Make as much as you can at home. You can make lots of baby items easily. Like a diaper bag, there are easy sew patterns for those. Clothing, whether by knitting or sewing or crocheting [if you happen to have a girl, I found the most adorable easy make tutu pattern that is cheap and fun!]. Blankets, you can buy two pieces of fabric and just knot the edges together to make a really cute blanket. Wipes, you can buy paper towels and baby body wash and make wipes like that [my mother did this for me. She originally bought one plastic container of wipes then she just used the container to make refills of her own!]. Lots of things like that!

4. There are a lot of advertised items that you don't technically need. Of course, I don't know by experience. But on the articles I read, a lot of things seemed to be unanimously unnecessary. All depends on the baby... in which borrowing someone elses baby item for a short period of time may be useful. [like instead of buying a bouncer, use a friends for a bit, and if the baby seems to like it then buy one! Don't want to buy one then have the baby not like it]. But everyone seems to agree changing tables are unnecessary. Because changing diapers will probably be done everywhere around the house, and not so often on the changing table. The top of a dresser would work just as well, or beds or floors etc. I've hear Moses Baskets / Bassinets are not needed either. They are very convenient, but not necessary. Especially seeing as the baby will grow out of it so soon! Strollers are a bit more iffy, but some ladies get those slings. [I think thats what they're called!]. Where you wrap it around yourself and the baby stays tucked to you? I suppose this greatly depends on your baby, because some babies like one more than the other.. but the sling you can make at home for much cheaper and you can also keep the baby really close and it makes it easy to run around without toting a stroller. But strollers are easier in that they can also hold your diaper bag and shopping bags or whatever you may want to carry. And stuff like that!

5. Buy quality items. I think the momberries here told me this one, to buy good quality items so that if you decide to have a second baby then you can reuse items! <3

6. I think low budget baby should also be low budget mommy. As in you can change how you live yourself to cut back on money, and therefor have more to spend on the baby! Such as buying in bulk, cooking larger meals then putting servings into the freezer for future meals. And just things of that sort! You can even make a lot of different cleaning supplies at home, like disinfectants and window cleaners and all I can look up the ingredients if you'd like, but I'm sure google has it somewhere easy to find if you want to search yourself! <3

7. Cloth diapers can be less expensive, depending on where you live! My mother looked into that when she had my older brother, but it turned out it would be equally as expensive for her to use cloth diapers seeing as we have town water and would have to pay a fair amount to wash all of those diapers and all. Lots of laundry = lots of bills. So for this house, it wouldn't have made much of a difference. But if you have well water and all, then cloth diapers could really save you money!! [as long as you don't use a cleaning service]. I also know lots of people who use both cloth diapers and disposable. Seeing as the disposable are a bit more convenient when your out and about.

8. I'm assuming breast feeding has already been mentioned, but making food at home is always a big money saver! Not hard to do either <3

I think there was more, but I don't remember it all. I just have a plethora of websites and articles I've been enjoying reading! <3 I hope this helps!

[amenspanglish]

Thanks momberries and future momberries!

Breastfeeding is a must! No questions asked!

I have always thought about making my own food, especially since it will encourage me to eat more vegetables myself! But what I didnt realize is that so many people froze their baby food! That's a good idea! How long does it last in the freezer? I think that whenever I cook for myself, I'll take whatever the baby can eat out of the ingredients and prepare it, but then save some frozen for the days I can't cook for whatever reason. I'll read up on led weaning, since I've never heard of that.

I like the idea of mixing cloth and regular diapers. Disposables are great for nighttime and on the go. But there are ways to get coupons! And using cloth diapers is a great idea for at home. I just need to know how to make them/which ones to buy.

I never buy my own clothes at full price, so why do that for my baby? I am definitely planning on asking friends if their babies have out-grown anything that they no longer plan on using. "Trying out" big toys is a great idea.

I think cribs, slings AND strollers (moreso for later months) are good investments, but I dont have to buy them new from baby gap. Whatever I can find used is great.

However, I agree that changing tables, fancy trash cans, and baby bathtubs, etc. are unnecessary.

Thanks again! Keep the ideas coming!

[mcdonak1]

Honestly, babies don't need that much. I'm a single mom on a tight budget, and it's been going pretty well so far. If I didn't have excellent health insurance, though, far and away my biggest expenses would have been medical. My health providers charged my insurance company over $125,000 for all of my care leading up to having the baby. I developed a pregnancy-related heart condition, even though I had previously been healthy, so there were a lot of unpredicted hospital visits that added up quickly. Fortunately, my insurance covered almost all of the costs, I'm healthy now, and my daughter is healthy.

As far as baby stuff, I have way more than I need, but there are always some things that make having a baby easier. Most of the baby stuff that I have has been gifts, and much of it is pretty unnecessary. I use cloth diapers, which saves money, and I breastfeed. The biggest splurge that I allowed myself was a good baby carrier, because I walk around with the baby all the time, and I needed a way to transport her safely and comfortably through the city, on public transportation, etc. But most of the things that people insist are essential for having a baby are really just a convenience. The baby needs you, some form of diapers, some form of food, and a safe place to sleep. If you can provide those things, you're doing well. Oh, and I have almost never bought baby clothes. Not only are mom friends eager to lend out their children's clothes, but friends and relatives just love buying the baby cute outfits.

Good luck!

[amenspanglish]

Thanks! Wow, I'd better check my insurance! I'm glad you were able to get the help you needed. I will probably walk and use public transportation a lot if we end up staying in Mexico, so which kind of carrier would you recommend? And why was it the best one?

[sarajoy]

I don't think babies are expensive at all. As they get older, though, it certainly does get expensive. If you need to pay for it though, infant day care can be very expensive. It is much cheaper at in home day care centers than typical day care centers, at least where I live. Breastfeeding is a huge money saver, it promotes a great bond with you and your baby, and it's super convenient. Pumping can be expensive, so if you need one (and if you're home you may not) I'd try to get a quality one second hand and buy new tubing/accessories.

It's very easy to buy into the consumerism that comes with babies. I know because I totally did it. I have a room with a swing, a bouncy chair, a baby Bumbo, a baby tub, a crib, changing table, etc., etc., etc. The things I use? Just the changing table and bouncy chair. The rest just sit there. And my baby hasn't spent a single night in her room yet. An infant really doesn't need much but diapers and a loving mom. I wouldn't buy much at first and buy things as you feel you need them.

[zaelia]

A lot of what I was going to suggest has already been covered but one thing I didn't hear reiterated very much is cheap toys. We were given a few quality toys, but mostly got hand me downs (which are just as fun!). But even better are the things they see us using- kitchenware etc. We have taken the doors off of one set of cabinets in the kitchen and have stocked it with silicone bakeware, spatulas, old egg cartons, tupperware, etc and they love to sit there and bang around with it. Another favorite activity is to play with water in mixing bowls. I have also made lots of toys for them- small crinkle toys with a piece of a flexible wipes container sewn in between some fabric, a box with a hole cut in the top and lots of different textured fabrics inside to pull out, a soda bottle half filled with water and the lid glued shut with interesting looking things inside to roll around. (Whats sort of funny is that we don't use disposable wipes or drink soda so I had to get this stuff from friends.)
We use mainly cloth diapers so if you have any questions about that I would be happy to share our experience with you. They are much easier than I thought they would be and have saved us lots of money! By the time our boys were 5 months old we calculated that we had saved enough to cover the cost of the diapers.

[jennipea382]

Most of this has probably been mentioned, but I'll mention it anyways. I've thought a lot about if I were to get pregnant now and how we'd deal with it (neither of us make THAT much, but enough that we could get by as needed).

First off, to save money to buy the baby things you need, cutting things out of your own life would be a good step. Things like:
-Cable. You can watch TV shows online and use Netflix for movies.
-Going out to eat. Make as many meals as possible, as cheaply as possible (but stay healthy!). If you can, grow your own veggies and herbs!
-You get the idea ;-)

Things I've thought of to save money with a baby:
-Have good insurance. A good plan will cover a lot of the birth and checkups (though I'm definitely not an expert, I don't know what people normally pay out of pocket with a decent plan).
-Make baby food. You don't even need a Baby Bullet or whatever. I've seen recipes using a food processor or blender.
-Breastfeed. It's free! (minus the cost of a pump and bottles for when you're away of course)
-Cloth diapering. Maybe. I've read quite a few places that the upfront cost is more, but in the long run it's cheaper (and less wasteful!).
-Don't buy a ton of toys. The kid will most likely get a ton of them from your shower if you have one, and as gifts from friends and family. Plus have you been around a baby? They play with everything BUT their toys for quite a while ;-)
-Use hand-me-down clothing or buy things on clearance. The kid is probably going to ruin that cute little outfit, plus they only wear it for a few months. No point in spending tons of money. Plus if you wash enough, you don't need a ton of outfits either (but remember they will probably go through like 3 a day).
-See if friends or family will babysit. Don't take advantage of them of course, but it would be much cheaper than using a daycare. Or if you have friends with kids, see if you can switch off watching the kids when you want to do something. I have to reiterate though, don't take advantage of anyone! Make sure you compensate them for their time in some way!
-Get used items such as cribs, car seats and strollers. Make sure they are safe though before using them.
-I think someone mentioned freezing baby food. You can also freeze breast milk I believe up to either 6 months or a year. So you'll have a nice supply for a while!

That's all I can think of right now, I'll let you know if I think of more!