Raising a baby does not have to be expensive. In this blog post, I have shared some of my tips that have helped me save money while raising my little girl.

When I was pregnant, I would hear a lot of people around me tell me ‘You don’t need a lot of stuff for a baby’. I had not really understood that at that time as I was living in my own fantasy of having the perfect nursery filled with beautiful baby clothes and all the latest gadgets and toys that I would find in the stores. I started to spend on all these things and without knowing I had bought a lot of stuff even before my daughter was here. But the reality was so different, my daughter was least interested in most of the things that I had purchased for her.

Through my experience, while raising my little girl, I stumbled upon many new places online and in-store that helped me save a lot of money. In this post, I have compiled some of my tried and tested ways that I have used over and over while raising my little girl.

Tip 1 – ‘My favorite – Shopping'. All the big mega stores for kids or brands like Macy's, JCPenney, h&m, Carters, Gymboree, etc at the very end of the season have a huge markdown sale on their current styles as they are getting ready to clear off and organize for the upcoming season. Stock up at these sales for the next year for your kids (one to two sizes up). It a great way to save on all the extra money that you will be shelling out to buy new clothes for your kids every season. Some other good stores that have a great end of the season sale for kids are thred up, cookies kids (great second-hand stuff available), zulily, Walmart, fab kids, and gap.

Tip 2 – Sign up on email alerts for your favorite baby brands like buy buy baby, Carter, etc. I have always been lucky to find some good deals in the mail as these stores send you coupons or tell you about a big sale happening in store which you can make use of.

Tip 3 – Not everything for your little one has to be new. When I was pregnant I had spent a lot of money on a bassinet, crib, stroller, etc. Yes, you absolutely need all this stuff. But getting a good second-hand version from online or your friend can also be as good as new. From my own experience, we rarely used our stroller as my baby girl hated it and she never slept in the bassinet. They are as new as available in the store. I have been actually thinking of putting them for sale online. You can find great/ cheap deals on sites like Craiglist and Freecycle. Once you get the product make sure to check for damages or maybe try it out for some time. It is very easy to clean up old stuff using disinfectant spray and wipes and you are good to go.

Tip 4 – To set up the nursery for your little one, before buying everything new, reorganize and reuse what you have. We reused an old dresser that worked very well for us to organize baby clothes. Also for the nursery decoration, I had created an art and craft wall where I would frame all the fun hand and foot paintings and drawings that I would do with my little girl. This is a great way to do fun DIY projects with your little one and also can serve a treasured memory in the times to come. Another tip is to paint old furniture to make them look brand new or make minor changes to the old furniture like adding new knobs or handles etc. You can find them at etsy, amazon, etc.

       

Tip 5 – There are lots of sites that can offer you free coupons for stores. Some of my favorites sites to collect coupons are coupons, shopathome, slickdeals, and Swagbucks.

Tip 6 – Shop at cashback sites like ebate, Swagbucks or inbox dollars to earn on everything you buy online.

Tip 7 – Save on babysitting expenses by co-op with other moms to watch their kids when they want to step out to get something done and in return you can ask them to babysit when you have to step out. Also, I have found reasonable baby sitters at care.com, but make sure to have a background check of your sitters before hiring them.

Tip 8 – Sign up for the baby registry and receive welcome kits with brands like amazon and buy buy baby. The welcome kit comes with great goodies that you can use a lot when your baby arrives. Also, brands like Huggies and Pampers can send you a lot of freebies if you sign up with them.

Tip 9 – Save on baby food by breastfeeding your kid. Breastfeeding is a great way to provide all the nutrients to your baby. But breastfeeding at times is not for everyone. In that case shop for brands that come on offer regularly. I always used to get coupons for Enfamil when I shopped at tops and Walmart and would make use of that.

Tip 10 – Save on baby food by making your own baby food at home which is also a very healthy option for your kid. Instead of shopping at mega stores, you can save a lot if you shop for your groceries at the local farmers market. Also, some of the sites which offer a free sample of their baby food jar if you sign up for them are gerber.com and beechnut.com.

Tip 11 – Save on diapers by ordering in bulk or taking a subscription of your favorite diapers from sites like amazon. Diapers are one of the most expensive items that you will need all the time and regularly for your little one. You can also sign up for a rewards program at Huggies and Pampers and they will send you many coupons in the mail that can help you save money. Also, I have the SAM’s club membership and always order all the baby goods in bulk at one time. I have saved $$ through this.

Tip 12 – Borrow a breast pump, sanitize it, and use it. I also found hand pumps to be as efficient as the electric breast pumps and are so easy to carry.

Tip 13 – Make your own wipes. They are a lot of ways that can be found on the internet like this, this or this one.

Tip 14 – Use cloth diapers. They can be rewashed and used multiple times.

Tip 15 – Give cloth diapers day shift and disposable diapers night shift.

Tip 16 – Use simple and natural products. Baby skin is really soft and sensitive. You do not need expensive creams and shampoos for them. Stay as natural as possible.

Tip 17 – For photo-shoots of your little one or your family ask your friends or relatives who can click for you. For the professional shoot, you can also look online for stores like JCPenney and sears. They have a lot of coupons available for their photo studio on sites like Groupon.

Tip 18 – Make your own babywearing wrap like this or this.

Tip 19 – Shop at discount stores like Burlington coat factory and TJ Maxx.

Tip 20 – And lastly you can use old big shirts for messy toddlers as bibs. They work just as fine.

These are few of my leanings and tips from my own experience that have helped me save $$. If you find my tips helpful, please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you all. You can also read similar topics from my blog below.

What I carried in my breast pump bag to work

12 baby products that I used a lot in my first six months as a new mom

Tips on successful transition for returning back to work after maternity leave

Travelling tips with an infant on an international flight