We have so many friends and family members expecting babies in the coming months, it seems we’re in a baby boom around here lately! Many of them have due dates in September, and I cannot wait to meet all of the precious little ones on the way. Needless to say, I’ve had baby fever. Funny how that works when I actually have a baby of my own who wakes up quite frequently during the night still. Alas, I’ve learned a lot about how to easily save money on baby items in the past year or so, and wanted to share the top 8 ways that we save money on baby expenses in our house.
I’m not about going to extreme, ridiculous lengths to save a dollar here and there. Since I work from home right now, it’s just not practical for me to spend a ton of time and lose my sanity for the sake of saving money. So all of these tips I’m sharing are truly easy ways to save a lot of money and don’t require a crazy amount of work to implement.
Here are my top 8 easy ways to save money on baby expenses:
1. Purchase store brand diapers
You could even take it a whole step further and do the whole cloth diapering thing. I was actually really close to deciding to go the cloth diapering route, but then ended up changing my mind and going with disposables. It just wouldn’t have been a good fit for us.
We started out using Pampers Swaddlers for Little Miss and then realized that she was having a ton of blow outs and leaks so we tried out Huggies too and then eventually the Target Up & Up diaper brand. Guess which ones we ended up loving? The cheap ones from Target turned out to be the best for us! I personally think they hold up better than both Pampers and Huggies, so the fact that they are much more inexpensive too is just an added benefit.
2. Use coconut oil instead of diaper cream
Just trust me on this one, it’s been the only way we can keep diaper rashes at bay. It worked better for us than the most expensive diaper rash cream money could buy. Plus it’s natural, so you don’t have to worry about putting chemicals on that sweet little baby bum! Read my 17 favorite uses for coconut oil if you haven’t yet, it’s a game-changer.
3. Breastfeed if possible
I completely understand that breastfeeding isn’t always possible for everyone. However, if you are fortunate enough to be able to successfully breastfeed for even a short period of time, this can definitely save a lot of money! Of course, the total amount saved all depends on how much money you spend on lactation consultants, breast pads, pump parts, nursing bras, and breast milk freezer bags. Insurance should (hopefully) cover the cost of a breast pump.
The costs of breastfeeding can actually quickly add up, but is still significantly less expensive than formula. We have successfully breastfed for over 10 months now, and I find that the related expenses keep decreasing as the months go on. Since I don’t need to use as many breast pads and other accessories these days, it’s been pretty cost efficient these past few months. Even with the cost of all the related accessories, I still came out very much ahead financially by breastfeeding.
4. Don’t rush to buy a breastfeeding wardrobe for yourself
I haven’t really purchased many nursing clothes. I bought a few nursing bras, but found that nursing tank tops and other nursing specific clothing definitely weren’t necessary for me. I wear these tank tops from Old Navy both during the day and at night for easy access, and they work great since they are super stretchy and comfortable. A much cheaper option than some of the pricey nursing tank tops out there!
5. Don’t buy clothes far in advance
You might think it’s a great idea to buy a lot of clothes in advance for upcoming seasons on clearance. I was definitely of this mentality when I was pregnant, since I had a lot of fun shopping for cute little clothes while dreaming about our little girl arriving.
However, it’s very hard to predict the actual size your babe will be in any given season when it’s still several months out. A winter coat you buy on sale in advance to be worn months from now may very well be outgrown already by the time the cold weather arrives. In this case, buying clothing in advance ends up being a waste of money instead of a savings.
6. Make homemade baby food
I promise, it’s really not as difficult or time consuming as it sounds. These days Little Miss pretty much just eats what we do, but in the beginning of our adventure with solid foods, I made all of her food myself. You really do not need any of those fancy baby food steamer combos.
I just used a steam pot that we already had, and then blended it up in our blender and would add either a little bit of breast milk (or formula) or water and then freeze in these handy little baby food trays. I only wanted to purchase two of the trays, so after a few hours in the freezer I would then transfer the solid cubes of food to a freezer safe ziploc bag and then label with the date and what food was in it. Easy peasy!
7. Refrain from buying too many toys
Let’s face it, toys are pure fun to buy for kids! There are so many neat gadgets and fun things out these days that even I love playing with. I have purchased a few little toys for my daughter that I just couldn’t resist, but when it comes down to it, she is much more enamored with tupperware and other non-toy items around our house. Our family and friends love to spoil her with toys too, so we haven’t felt like we really needed to buy a lot of these for her. Save your money for the essentials like diapers, wipes, and food!
8. Accept hand-me-downs
Once you get over the mentality that everything your precious baby wears must be brand new, you can really save a ton of money on clothing. Don’t get me wrong, I still love to buy new clothes for her, but my wallet adores getting hand-me-downs. Our next door neighbors have a daughter who is 2 years older than Little Miss so they consistently give us things she’s grown out of and it’s been amazing! We’ve gotten so many cute outfits by just being willing to accept used clothes. It’s such a blessing!
What are some other easy ways to save money on baby expenses that you can think of?
These are great tips. I don’t have kids and we are holding off for as long as we can due to finances (among other things). I think it’s smart for anyone who is having kids in the near-future to look into ways to save so they can avoid making those rushed purchasing decisions that are inevitable for many parents who are unprepared.
I completely agree, DC! Making rushed purchase decisions is a recipe for disaster. I was the opposite of rushed. I’m a bit of a weirdo and had most of the big baby gear I wanted researched and had decided which stroller, car seat, etc. I wanted before I was even pregnant. Kind of crazy, but it then was a lot less stressful when it came to registering for or purchasing the items.
I love your ideas! We’re actually expecting our first little one (I couldn’t be more excited!), and I’m definitely looking for all the ways I can save. I’m planning on cloth diapering and breastfeeding, so hopefully we’re on our way to staying budget-friendly while we’re raising our precious little bundle! 🙂
Thanks Leesha! Aw, congratulations! That is so wonderful. You will love being a Mama!
Aww love this post!! We also use Up and Up diapers- they are the best!! Since we have two in diapers, I try to wait until they offer the $5, $10 or $15 gift card when you buy two. I then save the gift card and buy two boxes again when they’re offering another gift card!
We also don’t buy many toys and gladly accept hand-me-downs! So far, having kids really hasn’t been all that expensive (outside of their births, anyways).
I love getting that deal! It doesn’t always happen, because sometimes we’re about to run out when I go to buy, but I celebrate every time I get that gift card deal 🙂
I agree with so many of these!! Making baby food is not only less expensive, but I really enjoy doing it – and super easy! Nursing, with just your normal clothes, is a great savings too. Not free, but definitely a savings. And I couldn’t tell you the last time I actually bought a toy for either of my children. Probably Christmas, and that was four months ago. They just don’t need so many gadgets!!!
So true! I haven’t bought any toys for Little Miss since Christmas either. I don’t plan on it until next Christmas either, haha.
That thing you see in the store that you think will magically get your baby to sleep / eat / not have boogers? It won’t work. Save yourself the money!
Haha! In parenting, NOTHING is magic. Great point!
Our kids are 12 and 15 and just finishing up the boxes of hand me downs from cousins. It has been such a blessing! We had quite the system going where my sister would give us clothes, toys, games, and books her kids had outgrown and when our kids outgrew them, we had a garage sale and she got the profit! It was a win win;0)
That sounds like a wonderful system to me, then everyone wins! 🙂
Great tips! We usually used store brand diapers and in addition to accepting hand-me-down clothes, I accepted a few hand-me-down baby gear and toys as well. It saved me a ton of money on items I’d have to buy that my son would quickly grow out of like a walker, bouncer, etc.
Hand-me-downs are so amazing if you are fortunate enough to be able to get them! We really lucked out with our generous neighbors in that regard 🙂
YAY, I love all these tips and I’m going to follow all of them.
About 4 months until we get to meet sweet Allie! 🙂
Will have to save these tips for the future, as we someday hope to have a baby or two (we’ve just not been in a rush)! Great tips — I especially like the idea of making your own baby food!
Thanks Jennifer! Enjoy your time pre-baby with hubby, your marriage will definitely change a bit once kids come on the scene 🙂
I’ll be needing this list in several years! I’m definitely going to be careful about shopping for maternity wear– it seems so silly to buy clothes for just a season, but I know it’s somewhat inevitable. Awesome post, Christina!
Haha yup! I tried to keep maternity clothes at a minimum and only purchased 1 pair of maternity jeans, 1 pair of maternity leggings, and 2 maternity dresses. I think I did pretty good in that sense 🙂 It wasn’t easy though, and I ruined a lot of my regular clothes by stretching them out. I might be buying more maternity stuff for when baby #2 comes along!
I agree that people buy kids too many toys, especially babies. We’ll be thrilled with hand-me-downs.
Frankly, especially for the first few months, I plan to clad the baby in thrift store items. They’re going to grow out of/puke all over/generally stain the stuff anyway. Why pay a bunch for it? I mean, get stuff in good condition but… come on!
My mom always recommends giving baby clothes for later months at baby showers. Everyone gets the tiniest, cutest things. But newborns grow rapidly, so pretty soon those items don’t fit. Also, what if it’s a big baby? Instead, buy clothing for 3-month-olds.
Haha yes, Little Miss was the spit up queen so i definitely found that to be true. Your Mom is a smart lady! If #2 is a boy, I’m not even going to stock up on newborn clothes. My daughter came out at 9 lbs 1 oz and was born essentially too big for newborn stuff from the beginning. Her coming home outfit was a newborn size, and then within 3 days she was wearing only 3 month stuff.
Excellent suggestions! We made cloth diapers and made our own baby food. And kids do seem happier with fewer toys. When there are so many, they just scatter them all over the place, leading to toy room cleaning battles. I think they really do crave simplicity.
That’s so cool that you made your own cloth diapers! That is the #1 way to save on diapers, since it can be somewhat of an investment if you purchase them. Kids do crave simplicity in a lot of ways I think.
I’m in such agreement! I’m even going to cloth diaper to save more money and be more comfy for my future babies 🙂 I have a HUGE family and see all the extra stuff my cousins kids have and get and to me all I see is waste! I didn’t need that much junk growing up, matter of fact because we had less toys we took immaculate care of them and I still own some of my toys today! Instead of having so much waste, I’d rather put that money towards a college fund or to pay for part of their first car one day, or if it’s a daughter start also saving for her wedding! And the more natural things I can use on my babies the better, I already use coconut oil for so many things and shoot my baby can smell amazing all day too 😉 Thanks again Christina for a very enjoyable read! 🙂
Cloth diapers are so cute and a great way to save! I was going to go that route and then realized that it just wasn’t practical for my husband and I, but I commend anyone who choose to go that route! That’s great that you’ve discovered coconut oil now, I seriously slather it all over Little Miss so I think you’ll find it to be even more amazing one you have a babe too!!
Love this article so much! My brother – in – laws fiancé (who I’ve been friends with since high school) had their sweet baby girl two months and 1 day ago, and I have them so many baby clothes (from nb to 4t-6t)and reminded her that Abby wasn’t going to stay itty bitty and to not get annoyed if she grows out of the nb clothing a couple days or weeks after she’s born. Which is exactly what she did and she’s already in 3-6mo clothing! And she turned two months old yesterday!
My hubby and I hopefully expecting (still in that waiting to see period) and love hand me downs and we would rather get a ton of books than toys. We have a three year old Goddaughter, so we’re going to be keeping her old toys and clothes for our own kids. I come from a very big family and I’m used to have me downs or having our toys being saved for our next cousin. There are so many amazing memories from when I was young that I would to have happen to my own kids!
I’m going to want to try breastfeeding and cloth diapers, but if the cloth diapers don’t work, just use the store brand ones.
Again, love the article and can’t to try out these helpful suggestions! Also, we use bag balm and it seems to work just as good, if not better than diaper creams!
That is so exciting IIleyla! I will send baby dust your way. I remember those days of waiting for a positive pregnancy test all too well, what a thrilling time for you and your hubby! That’s great that you’re very open to hand me downs and used baby gear, you will save SO much money. Especially since you have a large family. Thanks for the sweet comment! 🙂