What are YOUR Price Points for Baby Items?
Check out this email I recently received from reader, Jennifer…
Hi Collin! First, thanks for all you do to help us all save a bundle! Speaking of bundles, my husband and I just found out that we are expecting our first baby in September. 🙂 We are so happy and excited. Shortly after we found out, my husband said “you better start stocking up on baby freebies you know!” He has really come to love my couponing! LOL! I’m wondering if you might ask my fellow Hip2Savers to help me and other first time moms out there. I am totally lost on all things baby. What is a good price point for wipes, diapers, shampoo, lotion, formula etc.? Also, how far in advance can I stock up on certain items without worrying about spoiling? Can I stock up on wipes without worry that they will dry out? I have a million questions and know I can count on my Hip2Save community to help me out with the savings part!
Since all of my kiddos are finally out of diapers (Yippee!!), I am having a hard time coming up with good price points for the mentioned items above. So if you have a baby or toddler, please help Jennifer and other new mommies out by sharing your stock-up prices and any other money-saving tips/advice that you can offer a first-time mom. I would also love for you to suggest must-have baby items (i.e. for me, it was my sling and a Bumbo Baby seat) and baby items that you may feel are totally unnecessary.
And congratulations to Jennifer and all the other expectant Hip2Savers! 😀
As for wipes do not worry about buying ahead. I still have some from when my son was a baby and he is almost 5!!! They still work great. He is obviously out of diapers now but they come in handy when he wants to help mommy clean.
As for formula I would be hesitant on buying ahead. I tried to breast feed at first. This lasted only two weeks because my son was allergic to my milk. Then I went through numerous different brands of formula before I found one that worked. Suprisingly, Sam’s club brand members mark was the only one that worked for him Can’t beat $20 for 2 weeks of formula! Personally Sam’s saved me tons of money!
If you aren’t due for awhile I highly suggest going to rummage sales this summer because it doesnt make sense to spend tons of money on clothes that they will only wear for a couple weeks.
I know not helpful for your price points but just tid bits I think help.
Mom of 5 here……and I formula fed all my babies—-I was working initially, but now I just don’t have time to sit for 30-45 minutes nursing a baby (sorry nursing naziis! 😉
—-look now at Craigslist or Freecycle.org—-folks that are done with diapers WANT to give stuff away, and unopened/unexpired formula too (watch out for that Similac set though, that was toxic and between certain dates). Tell your friends and parents to sign up for the freebie formula —any kind is fine, and you can TRADE your cans of formula AND/OR the COUPONS on Craigslist or other local selling/trading website for what you WANT. I did this and NEVER paid for a can of formula for my last baby. 🙂 Good luck!
Oh! ANd ask your baby’s pediatrician every time you go in for samples—I always got at least 4-6 free cans when I visited—–they are SUPPOSED to give it to you! (And I am upper middle class)
ps! I’ve also traded formula i didn’t use (my last baby used Enfamil) for diapers in the size I needed as well——–it may take a few days, but someone will call you—-of course I live in Utah, so maybe there is a greater ratio of young Moms in my area???
Mmmmm, 15+ years of nursing and I was never called a nursing Nazi…. I thought comments were supposed to be civil. Calling someone a Nazi never is … not funny :(.
you really should be considerate of other mama’s that choose to raise/provide for their kiddos different than you do…have some class.
She wasn’t being malicious, and I think she was sincerely kidding. Try to lighten up a bit, it was a misuse of word. Not everyone is extremely P.C. all the time.
I appreciate the tips, i’m not expecting, but our family is getting a few baby additions this year so i’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for deals to fill my baby-goody-baskets.
I am sure she wasn’t intending to offend anyone. I know it’s a word I hear used quite frequently, meant as more of a person who is OCD about something than in a truly negative fashion. She probably didn’t think she’d need to edit her choice of wording for a blog comment is all.
Definitely nurse! I use cloth diapers for my ds when we are around the house, and in less than 6 months they have paid for themselves a bunch of times over. When I use disposable diapers, I use target’s Up & Up brand, as well as the wipes. Love them!
Definitely go for store brand on the formula. I use either Parent’s Choice (Walmart) or Up&Up (Target) depending on which one I have a better coupon for. They are made by the same manufacturer.
You can call them at 1-800-272-5095 once per month to request a coupon – you have to request either Parent’s Choice or Up&Up, you can’t ask for both. It takes about 4-6 weeks for it to arrive, so make sure to mark the day you called on your calendar because you might be able to call again before the first coupon arrives.
Also check Ebay for coupons and samples. Love Craigslist and garage sales – but swapping with a friend is the best deal of all.
I’ve stocked up on larger sizes of diapers once I knew what brand worked for me – I do this most often when I have a store coupon and a manufacturer’s coupon. Good luck!
Don’t bother with a high chair; a booster takes up less space, is easier to clean, and can be taken with when visiting family and friends easily. I got the Nature’s Touch one and it’s just a solid piece of molded plastic, no cracks for food to move into.
I love my Boppy and think the Bumbo is a waste of money, both my kids hated it. And spend the money on a Baby Bjorn silicone bib. The pocket really catches everything, you can just rinse it in the sink when you are done, and they last forever. My older son has been using his for over two years and it still looks brand new. We are talking 3 meals a day (at least) for two years and it is still going strong.
I have a small house and opted for a booster seat as well. I also found a fold up booster seat at walmart that is great to take to family events; I just keep it in the trunk! My mom bought a pack and play at a garage sale and when our daughter was small, she used it as a playpen some, but it has mainly been great to use as a bed when we travel. She is 2 1/2 and can climb out of it now, but still sleeps with an adult in the room at my mom’s or when we stay in a hotel. I nursed and had never heard of a Boppy until I was given one, but it was so great! There is a company called Kidopottamus ( I think) that makes a little roll up placemat. I got one on a clearance deal at Rite Aid and we have taken it to restaurants ever since my daughter started eating “real” food. We could just put cut up veggies, etc. directly on the mat rather than risking her tossing a plate off the table!
I 2nd the booster seat instead of the full size high chair. Nice that you can take it with you also. gramas house, park, camping
We bought at $20 high chair from Ikea. Its not portable BUT it was cheap and it is all plastic, so it is really easy to clean!
I have 5 kids and have been through about all the devices and things out there. For the most part, I think they are more for the parents than the baby. They might look cool and sound cool, but the baby could care less (and you aren’t going to ruin them by not having everything out there). There really aren’t many things I really, really, loved. Things that are a must for me are:
Night gowns for boys and girls – they make it easier to change diapers in the middle of the night with out having to deal with zippers and snaps.
Sleep sacks – No need to mess with blankets
Sleep and play – It is always fun to dress up a new baby, but the have to be SO much more comfy for the new little ones and can be very cute – I keep my babies in them for at least the first month.
Swing – So handy!! They could always put my hardest babies to sleep.
Car seat with a 5 point harness – make sure it is a 5 point and not a 3 point (not sure if they still make a 3 point harness). Just means that there are 5 spots that the straps hook into the car seat – above each shoulder (1, 2), between the legs (3) and on each side of the hips (4, 5).
My price points:
Diapers – I usually get them for $4 or less, but anything under $6 is fantastic for name brand, $5 for generic.
Wipes – I get them for less than $1, but anything under $1.50 is fantastic.
Tips:
Watch for end of season clearance sales and stock up on clothes for the next year.
If you are nursing, the poop can stain!!! I use the Tide detergent booster and pour it on the stain, let it sit for about 10 minutes (at least) and then start the washer. I put the soiled clothes in when the water is all full. It gets out stains better than anything I have tried! Even works better than bleach.
Nap when baby naps during the day. Don’t worry about trying to get anything done while they are napping except for napping too – it will save you!
Love them and enjoy them. The time goes by WAY too fast. The sleep less nights will only last a short time, you will blink and they will be in school!
Good luck!!
I love your tips, I had my son in a nightgown to sleep for quite some time. My husband thought it was a little feminine but when changing at night only took 2 minutes, he didn’t mind that so much.
I also only buy clothes for my son on clearance or at the thrift stores. I search for “extra 40% on clearance” and stock up for following years
Quick note on the stain removal – we got a front loader washer about 3 months after my daughter was born and it took out all of the nasty spit up stains on our old shirts – 3 months later! I’ve never had to use stain remover once we got a front loader.
I couldnt agree with you more. My kids are still using the sleep gowns and now that its winter I will switch between the zippered gowns or put them in a gown with a button sleep sack. I hate messing around with zippers or snaps in the middle of the night. I love your advice too because its true….time flies! Dont sweat the small stuff because it wont matter!
Thank you ladies! I am adding gowns to my list right now! 🙂
After 200+ responses, I wonder if you’ll even get to reading mine. But I looked at a few and saw people suggesting prices for packs of diapers. Be very careful, packs vary in the numbers and even change as packaging changes! I find that a stock-up deal is less than .10 a piece for disposables, size N-2 and less than .15 a piece for 3-5. We didn’t mind Walmart’s brand — Parent’s Choice, but they don’t usually come with coupons. If you find good coupons or good deals (drugstores, Amazon), you can get the name brands for cheaper. We also did Babies R Us, but they recently changed their packaging and now have less diapers.
Don’t base your cost on per package… base it on per diaper! And don’t stock up on the smaller sizes. Some babies never even fit into Newborn. If you want to stock, stock on 3/4s.
I did read your’s Kathy and intend to read every single entry. Plus I am taking notes on all the great tips! Thank you so much!
So nice of you! Mom of 6 here~ some great tips. Glad all these Hipsavers had the time to post them for you! 🙂
Well Jennifer – I may be repeating myself but I have 3 little girls and 2 in diapers right now – so here are my tips – BTW I am a research queen. I agree that go by unit price on diapers and wipes – Diapers if you can score for .10 cents is an awesome price – if you join amazon mom and get the amazon coupon code from parents magazine you can definitely get them for that and those are pampers or huggies or luvs. If you run out of the brand name and don’t have a great coupon I really like Target diapers and I have tried them all -they don’t leak and have never given any of my girls a rash. As for wipes also look at unit price – I am a little pickier about wipes – want thick ones that really clean up – if you use the better ones you don’t have to use as many. Pampers wipes and Target brand come in individual packages in their refill bags so you can stock up without worrying about them drying out – Huggies wipes refills are in just a big bag – they always dry out. Also I put my wipes for the diaper bag in a ziploc and cut a little hole in it before putting in the travel wipes container because it never fails that the container either pops open or gets opened by little fingers. As far as formula is concerned I saw a lot of people saying use whatever you have a coupon for and I understand that but for me (and it may be different for you) I found that changing formulas always cost me more in the pain of the baby adjusting – so with my first as a paranoid new Mom I nursed and pumped as long as possible then used brand name and tried to get as many coupons as possible – that being said the next 2 babies have both been on Target (Up and Up brand)) formula and had zero problems – just so you know Formula is regulated by the FDA so all baby formula in the U.S. has to have certain things in it so as far as the baby getting what it needs any of them will work and personally I really didn’t have any that worked better for colicky babies – babies have immature digestive systems and until they are about 3 months old lots of things irritate their tummies and while it can be true that a nursed baby may not have any of those problems some can. So if you can nurse that is great but if you can’t don’t feel like you are feeding your baby poison with formula (nursing does save you tons of money if you can do it). If you do nurse and want to pump the only pump I would ever get is a Medela pump in style double pump. IF you have a friend you trust you can get new tubing and buy it from them – it does say only one user because it is possible for milk to get into the insides but I let 2 of my best friends use mine when I wasn’t using it.
Their is a website called babycheapskate.com that also lists great diaper and formula deals as well as other baby goodies.
The best advice I can give you is trust YOUR instincts – even if you aren’t sure trust what you feel -because it is your baby and every baby is different. Good luck (oh by the way do you know what you are having?)
Thank you for the great advice. Writing down about your ziplock bag trick! 🙂 We don’t know yet what we are having! We are so excited and my husband and I are both overwhelmed by all of the wonderful responses from our Hip2Save family!
I used to use Walmart Brand diapers, but now I use pampers, I don’t have to change the diapers so often, because “baby dry” can keep your child dry for 12 hours. If you sign up for Amazon mom and Subscribe and save you can get pampers cheaper than Walmart brand and it comes with free shipping. You can also find 20% off coupons for Amazon diapers in Parenting magazine.
Diapers can be so expensive, and most moms are picky and loyal to the brand that they like. Personally, I am not a fan of pampers, as they seem ‘squishy’ to me. I noticed I do like Huggies a lot better…and then I found target brand diapers… THEYRE GREAT. They are not squishy, do not leak, and theyre like 14 bucks a case! Oftentimes I can find coupons for like 1.50 off on target.com also!
Hi! I’m new to this whole coupon thing. I am curious as to HOW in the WORLD are people getting diapers for so cheap?!?!?! I see the 1.00 off pampers here and there and the amazon mom. But even with the subscribe and save I’m not sure how people are getting diapers for that cheap. Please help a sister out! THanks!
when you combined a sale with coupons and with store coupons plus extra bucks ,for example rite aid has huggies diapers for 8.99$ and you have a coupon for 2.50$ off plus a 2.00$ rite aid coupon plus a 2.00$up witch prints on your receipt making the price for it 2.50$ ,and you could get rite aid coupon in there website under video value .
Hey Bridget,
I use Amazon and I use their subscribe and save which gives me 15% off, also their Amazon mom service gives you another 15% off. Also if you get a subscription or pick up a Parents magazine they usually have a 20% off code you can stack with those other two giving you 50% off your diapers. I also use swagbucks, after you earn 450 swagbucks you can get a 5 dollar Amazon gift so I use that to cut down on the cost too. I’ve got a box of 140 size 4 diapers for as low as 7 bucks using all those things. I think most of the other deals people are talking about is by combining manufacturers Q’s with store Q’s or extra care bucks at CVS. HTH!
Wow! We love giving baby advice huh?! My son will be a year old next week and I haven’t bought wipes in about 6 months thanks to that heavenly week of Huggies coupons that happened last year (remember that?! wish it would happen again!) Diapers I go for around $5 a jumbo pack- usually huggies because they have the best coupons out there and I’ve had no problems. When he was younger I used the swaddlers and I have to say they are the BEST! Worst baby investment- that bumbo seat and a bouncey seat. He hated both so much but I bought his Jumparoo (fisher price) at 3 mo because he loved to stand so much and he used it until about 10mo. Best 80 bucks Ive ever spent. Target brand formula was the best for him- I went through just about every variety and brand and it was the only one that helped with his reflux. I have noticed a lot of women on here pushing BF etc and my advice to you on that is to do what feels right and to NEVER EVER feel guilty if you cant or chose not to BF. I wanted to so badly and did for 6 days and then one night he just wouldnt feed. Turned out I had an infection that became life threatening within the next 2 days and it was likely the reason why he stopped but I felt like a failiure because I couldnt BF. Never feel this way!!!! There are many reasons why women do one or the other, but in the end your child is fed, diapered and loved and that is what truely matters. All the gear in the world will not be able to replace these things- do and buy what is right for you and your new baby.
Great question! I like as close to FREE as I can possibly get! 😀 Who doesn’t, right?!
For diapers, I stock up like crazy when I can get packs for $3 to $4 . . . I don’t do generic/store brand diapers . . . this is for Huggies and Pampers. My fave are the Huggies Pure & Natural, so I’m willing to pay between $3 & $4 for less diapers . . . . I prefer Aveeno baby products, so I normally try to stock up like crazy when I can do a “deal” at Rite Aid or CVS (like get $10 +UP Rewards for $25 worth of products plus coupons (of course!)). I will buy Johnson & Johnson’s for normally no more than $1.50 (BTW the vapor wash is AWESOME and I use it for myself sometimes!). I like to get diaper cream for free (I stocked up last time Butt Paste was FREE at RA!). I agree that $1 for a tub of wipes is a great price to stock up on! BTW we love Huggies wipes . . . if you use Pampers wipes, make sure they are the Thick Care ones!!!
I guess I saved a ton of moolah since I breastfed, but I don’t think of that as saving money . . . .
I like to stock up on Earth’s Best baby food when I can get it for .30 a jar or less . . . you can *sometimes* find this at places like Big Lots (and once in a while you can find good prices at Babies R Us). Normally these don’t expire for a long time . . . .
I also agree with another post that said that basically any of the Free & Clear laundry detergents are the same as Dreft . . . everyone always thinks they need Dreft because it is “specifically” for babies . . . that’s what Dreft wants you to think! Go with the other brands, such as Purex, and you’ll save a lot!!!
The must-have baby items I could not live without is probably lots of burp clothes . . . not the fancy ones, but just the plain old Gerber diaper ones. I went through several every day! Not glamorous, but a necessity! I would also recommend splurging on a crib that converts to a toddler bed . . . it’s nice because if you’re spending hundreds of dollars on a crib, at least you can use it for years so you can get your money’s worth!
Good luck & congrats to all the soon-to-be mommies!
I definitely agree that you don’t need to use Dreft. I’ve been washing my baby’s/kids clothes with the rest of the family’s for 6+ years and it is totally fine.
Another thing to think about is that while a convertible crib is great because it has multiple uses, if you are going to have more than one child, and you have them close enough together, your second may come along and be ready to use the crib before your toddler has really had a chance to use it as a toddler bed. I’ve found after 3 kids, that a toddler bed really isn’t necessary. They can easily go straight from a crib to a twin and you could even take the twin off of the frame and right on the floor making it lower for a good transition.
You will find that with all things baby, different things work for different people, so just find what works for you, your baby, and your family, and trust your instincts a lot. There’s a reason you have them. 🙂
We never used any special “for baby” detergent either. Our babies never had sensitive skin or anything so the regular stuff worked for the whole family
Thank you so much to all of you for your responses! Rest assured that I have read them all up to this point and will continue to check back for more! I have taken a ton of notes with your suggestions! I knew I could count on my Hip2Save family to help me out! Hugs and love to you all!
WHEN IT COMES TO BABY GEAR, I WOULD RECOMEND CRAIGSLIST 100% !!!!! I KNOW UR SUPER EXCITED AND WANT EVERYTHING FOR UR BABY !!!(NOT SAYING TO GET ONE OF EVERYTHING) LOL !!! BUT YOU WILL FIND LOTS OF GOOD THINGS FOR VERRY LITTLE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU WANT TO BUY EXTRAS FOR A BABYSITTER OR THE GRANDPARENTS. ALSO I WOULD RECOMEND BRAESTFEEDING 100% BUT IF FOR SOME REASON YOU DONT/CANT ITS NO BIGGIE SO DONT FEEL GUILTY. OH YES, U CAN GET A 300-400 DOLLAR BREAST PUMP ON CRAIGSLIST FOR UNDER $100. AND JUST BUY NEW ACCESSORIES FOR IT (HYGEINE PURPOSES) IF U R STOCKING UP ON THINGS I ALSO SUGEST TO DO IT UNTILL UR ABOUT 5-6 MONTHS PREGO. CONGRATS ON UR SOON TO BE BUNDLE OF JOY !!! WISH U THE BEST !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10 cents or less per diaper is my STOCK UP price. Costco has the cheapest formula (if you have a membership already) but don’t buy your diapers there, they are too expensive! Grab some baskets in the dollar spot at Target and keep them in your car/trunk. Fill them with extra diapers, wipes, food, clothes (for YOU and baby because baby will make a mess of you too)… that way you wont have to fill a diaper bag each trip. 🙂
Unless you live somewhere cold, the wipes might freeze! That just happened to me!
Oh that is too funny! Frozen wipes? Who would have thought! Car organizers…..check! Thanks!
Haven’t read all the comments here, so this may have been mentioned, but make sure to always enter the “Gifts to Grow” (Pampers) and “Gifts to Grow” (Huggies) points when you buy those brands. They will add up and you can get a little extra something after awhile. Last year I was able to redeem my Pampers points, combined with 7 manufacturer coupons, for 7 jumbo packs of diapers at Diapers.com.
Also, if I could go back in time, I would never have paid retail for the clothes that I bought for my first (I have 3 girls, 6, 4,and 21 mo). I was not as thrifty then, but now that I have many years of garage sale-ing behind me, I know that the small sizes don’t get worn out and you can find them for pennies to $1 each in like new condition. Once they get older they wear stuff out more and it’s harder to find. At that point, consignment shops/thrift stores are the way to go. Don’t feel bad about buying some special clothing items at retail prices from time to time though. There are just some things that are too cute and have your babies name written all over them. If you save a ton by garage sale-ing, you can justify it (every now and then).
Congrats!
Oh my, you must be overflowing with information! I have four precious ones and breasfed but no cloth diapers here! I agree with looking at price per diaper. I personally use Luvs from Kroger (when I don’t have coupons!) b/c they are in a bigger pack and end up being less per diaper than at Walmart. Also, I think the Amazon subscribe and save would have been awesome when I had an infant!
I never owned a baby bath tub (just used a hand towel in the bottom of the tub and filled it with a little water), never had a high chair until #4 (a booster or hook on type booster is much easier- and portable), didn’t have many infant toys, bought a Bumbo at a yard sale and could take it or leave it.
Must haves for us: A mobile of some type, Pack-n-play (especially when the baby is a few months older- just take it in the bathroom, put baby in with a few toys and enjoy your shower :), bouncy seat- all mine loved it, swing, EXERSAUCER or something like it- anything to immobilize the little darling, of course the car seat that comes out and hooks right into the stroller. Oh, and a good lullabye CD and cd player- we love Praise Baby and Twila Paris Sleep Sound in Jesus- such sweet memories of nursing/rocking baby #1 while listening to those. Have so much fun and enjoy him or her above all else…even if you have to pay full price for diapers!
i got a cute nursing necklace from smartmoms.com it doubles as a teething ring and something for the baby to grab onto instead of your hair. the itzbeen, a baby timer for parents! walgreens sells awesome tethers for your babies bottles so if they get thrown you won’t lose them. for both of my boys we didn’t use all of the gadgets and things, we had a walker and swing. we purchased the swing (thank you 90 day return policy!) from target and found which one the baby liked, if he didn’t like it we took it back. everything else we got from the baby shower! price points is $5 and under, wipes $1, we love target, best deals on baby everything! my goal is the $1 and under rule, wait until it’s $1 and under and it will be a great deal! good luck and congrats!
I have a 5 month old and am gathering jars of baby food! Just the other day I bought 40 jars of Earth’s Best Organic baby food for $8.00!!! Such a good deal since these are all normally $.99 each! I’ve learned that Babies R Us puts their Earth’s Best baby food on sale VERY often (20 for $10), plus coupons you can find on the Earth Best’s site and Register Rewards from Babies R Us makes for very cheap baby food; and organic! My niece is 13 months and my sister said she did this deal at Babies R Us 3 different times while my niece was eating baby food and it got her through that stage… at an extremely great price! (Oh, and the ones I just purchased don’t expire until 2012, so they can stick around for awhile). Hope this helps! 🙂
WHAT IS REGISTER REWARDS ??
It’s like kind of like a Safeway card for Toys R Us/Babies R Us. You have them swipe it when you make a purchase there and then they will email you special coupons as your reward.
Thank you ladies. I didn’t know that they had a card of any type. I will look into that!
I breastfed my babies and if they got a poo stain, I would just wash it like normal. Then if you hang it up wet outside in the sun to dry, the stain disappears. It’s like magic! 🙂 Good luck with your baby!
I have 2 in diapers (used to have 3 at once!) and am expecting another, so I am the queen of cheap kids supplies…I refuse to pay more than 2 cents per wipe…try to stock up when its closer to 1 cent. I save money by ripping them in half and only using a half wipe for a wet diaper. Also, make sure you use the inside of the diaper to do the initial poop wipe, i.e. undo the tabs, then drag the top half of the diaper’s inside all the way down. Seriously, you’ll save a wipe each change this way, which in newborns (especially breastfed ones) can save you a package of wipes a week!
Any baby hygiene items (diaper care, bath care) have a pretty long shelf life. Wipes shouldn’t dry out if they’re left in the wrap, but if they do just add some water to the tub, we rehydrate wipes all the time (the ones my 2 yo empties all over the living room). Don’t worry about stocking up on baby food (just formula if you’re planning on doing it that way), baby food regularly goes on sale and is easy and cheap to make yourself, for that matter. Just google baby food recipes.
Congrats!
I stock up on diapers at .10 , sometimes I got up to .13 (my kids are in size 5). My kids are teeny, so for this one i’ve stocked up with about 40 newborns (that’s like a week), 100 size 1, 140 size 2, and 200 size 3. I plan to trade if I need a different size. I’ve thought multiple times about cloth diapers, but for me it’s just way intimidating, and I can get the disposables so cheaply. With 3 soon to be 4 kids and the oldest in kindergarten, life is about ease sometimes!
I have to say that you are right on with your suggestions! I would like to also add, that I have recently been turned onto Walgreens brand diapers, which have been on sale for B1G1 free. In fact they are my new favorite brand to use. They were on sale for $8.00 with a B1G1 deal. They had run out, so I requested a rain check. To my behold, they ended up going down to $6.00 a pack, and a RR for buying $25.00 worth. That was my time to buy! I went in last week, and got ten packs of diapers for $30.00, plus received a $5.00 RR.
Also, I decided that for my baby shower, we would host a co-ed party. On the invitations, we requested that the women bring the gifts that I had registered for, and the men bring a pack of diapers. This was a huge hit, and the men loved the all of the party games. In fact they were the ones that mostly won. The men rarely get invited to baby showers, and were delighted to asked. My husband hosted the men outdoors, and I had set up a food table out with them, as I did inside. They all joined the ladies for games, and opening the presents. In fact, my husband was a great help during the entire event, and he loved being so involved. I also added a copy of my 3-D ultrasound photo, with a blank white matting at the closest table to the door. As guests arrived, they would leave the baby and I a comment on the matting, in which I later combined the photo with, and they are now hanging on the wall in my sons room. It is a constant reminder of the shower, and the blessings that the guests had written.
Another unexpected source is a consignment shop. When I go into my local consignment shop, I often snag other people’s leftovers for almost nothing. I got a half box of nursing pads for $2 (normally $8) and 3/4 package of toddler’s swimming diapers for a buck. These are rarely under $5 for the package even with good coupons. I also see formula and baby food. Of course, in this situation, you can’t use coupons, but it’s usually really affordable.
And it’s really a win-win-win situation. Some mom cleaned out her nursery. The consignment store makes a little profit. You get disposable items you need. They don’t go into a landfill.
Of course, it depends on your squeamish factor. If you get weirded out that you bought half a package of diapers from an unknown baby, you would probably be better off buying retail.
I’m bursting with advise and great question!
With over 300 comments I’ll make this easy to read, hopefully.
Don’t spend your money on…
Wipe warmer – My philosophy is it’s great to pamper your baby but don’t get them used to something you can’t always have with you. It avoids melt downs while you’re out and about.
Diaper Genie – Save your money and get a garbage can with a lid. Why spend even more money!
Baby Bath Tub with things like a spa attachment – All you need is a big tub with a thermometer inside. You’re baby isn’t going to spend a lot of time in the tub so you really don’t need the spa attachment or any other bells and whistles.
Things my kids couldn’t live without…
A soft baby blanket – Nothing beats a great blanket! The softer the better.
Amy Coe Bundle Me (or something like it) – Makes it easy to keep your baby comfortable. Keeps them warm when zipped up and if they are too hot you just unzip it. Worth it’s money!
___________
Diapers
Don’t stock up just yet. Well don’t stock up on all the same kind. You never what’s going to work for your baby. Everyone can tell you what they use/prefer but try out a bunch of different kinds and see what works for you. The biggest difference with diapers… Pampers uses a substance inside the diaper that turns into a gel when wet. Other diapers that use this are Luvs and I think Up and Up. Huggies has extra cotton(?) to absorb the urine.
Another HUGE thing to remember is if you have ANY issues with your diapers, no matter what kind always save it and call the company. They are always interested in hearing from their customers and always want to make you happy. I had an issue with Pampers and they sent me $40 worth of certificates! This also goes for all baby companies. I had issues with my kids vitamins, clothing and baby gear and when i called the companies they sent me replacements.
Also there are programs you can sign up for or participate in. Toys R Us/Babies R Us Rewards program is for every 9 boxes you buy they send you a coupon for a free box. Pampers and Huggies both have rewards programs too.
Baby Food
Stock up! I prefer stocking up on food in glass jars, plus sometimes they are cheaper!
You could also make your own! All you need is a few ice cube trays and a food processor.
Hope this helps! Congrats!
gina
Another comment on the tub, we used the infant to toddler tub but Target has a rubber ducky tub for $14.00! I love it. You blow it up and put it in the tub and its cushioned all around them.
I *highly* recommend a wipe warmer … we moved to Chicagoland right before we had our baby. All my friends back home (Texas) told me not to waste my money on the diaper warmer. The wipes would be soooo cold in the winter here. Even with the heater on in the house. That cold wipe would touch his bum and he’d scream!
Once he got older and could tolerate it better, I got rid of it, but I think it was necessary for the first winter.
Also … LOVED making baby food. Super cheap and much better for baby!
Lots of great advise from everyone! I am due feb 20th with my 2nd baby. So I thought I’d give a list of things I’ve been signing up for/doing online. The internet is my best friend lol.
–For formula samples/and or checks/coupons–
enfamil
similac
parents choice
nestle good start
–For diaper samples/and or coupons–
Huggies (my fav bc of all good coupons they have)
Pampers
Luvs
–For Baby food (check in once in awhile they have new printables now and then)–
beechnut (can save labels to send in for coupons)
gerber
earths best
Also remember to get the Sunday papers; baby coupons sometimes.Be sure to check coupons.com and smartsource.com for printable coupons. Usually there will be good diaper coupons and the occasional formula ones too!
And don’t worry too much about stocking up before baby is born..this stuff takes getting used to.I have like zillion huggies diapers stocked up just hoping my baby won’t have probs with them, so we will see lol. I have learned that there will always be more deals!
Ohh and before I forget….My fav times to shop for clothes is end of season lol. Stock up for the next year. I usally get clothes for 2.00 under, coats for 5.00, shoes for 5.00 under luckly. I shop Target (fav time end jan + end july=75% off time) Old navy, children’s place(sign up for coupons),and jcpenny. I loveee getting things when on sale, and I can’t bring myself to buy anything that’s not lol.
Good luck all :o)
Thank you so much for your very helpful list. Congratulations on your soon to be new born!
I pay 7 cents or less for name brand diapers.
I will not pay over 1 cent per wipe.
Make sure to use referral programs, especially for diapers. You can get 30% cash back on your diaper purchases for three months, plus 15% off everything else in your cart in your first order. The promo code HUGGIES10 will give you this particular discount. Once you have signed up at their website, you will have the chance to make your own code and give it to others. You will receive a $10 credit for every new customer you refer after their first order has shipped (They change the amount sometimes, and I have seen it as high as $20.) Diapers.com also allows you to send in manufacturer coupons, which will make your credits go even farther. Your credits can also be used for soap.com if you have enough diapers stocked up.
Newborn clothing should definitely be purchased at garage sales. If you don’t feel like going to sales, go to once upon a child. Onesies are $1, and like others have said, they are like new or never used because newborns either grow out of clothes quickly or are too big to fit into clothing that was given as a gift in the first place.
It’s funny you asked this question, because my website will go live on January 31st, and its sole purpose is to help others save money on everything for baby…. It has been my goal to not only save money on baby purchases, but to pay as close to $0 as possible.
what is your website and what site do you enter the promo code?
what will your website be?!
http://www.bigbabysavings.com. I am working hard to get the site launched. You can save it in your favorites and check back on the 31st.
Thank you! Will do!
everyone has such great ideas to save that i will give you the one thing to splurge on: ju-ju-be diaper bags. really, save your sanity- i tried all the big name bags out there and ju-ju-be bags are worth every penny. you will never need another bag until you decide you want to downgrade sizes as your little one has less and less stuff to tote around. i started with a “BeAll” for the first 2.5 years and then downgraded in size a year ago to a “BeTween”. i use a “BeMine” for my wallet. let me tell you, i lost my wallet twice before i tried ju-ju-be because i would take it out of my previous diaper bag and lay it down somewhere when i was tending to my son. it made me crazy. the “BeMine” has a strap on it so i always have it on my wrist at all times and it would go right back into the “BeAll”. i also flew alot with my son when he was an infant and it made organizing for the trip so easy. they have really well thought-out features and they wash very well (though the inside is teflon so most stuff just wipes out). it’s the one bag that will get toted with you everywhere for a long time to come so it’s worth spending the $ (or have someone get it for you for a shower present). you can either buy through their website ju-ju-be.com or for an every better deal, go to littledudesanddivas.com. they have free shipping, usually throw in a freebie, and always have coupon codes for 10% or 15% off listed on retailmenot.com. hope this helps. it really has made my life so much easier. when you’re a first time mom you have no idea what to expect….it’s really great that you asked the right questions and are getting such good answers from everyone. i wish i had thought of that years ago! good luck to you!! (and p.s. amazon is awesome for diapers between amazon mom membership and coupons in parents magazines- wish i had known about it sooner too, but better late than never!!)
Thank you! I wrote down all the info on how to order and score the coupon codes!
I reuse the plastic baby food containers when I make my own baby food. I also couldn’t live without my tiny food processor. They are like $10 in think and it is wonderful for quickly processing what we are having for dinner for the baby. You can control the texture by how much you mash it which is great because your baby will have a texture preference as he/she grows. Food mills (available at BBrUs) are great for that too.
yes! you did need some fancy “baby” food maker. Just a blender will do but a little food processor is handier! Use glass baby food jars for storing and serving! Plastic is NOT meant to be cooked in like everyone things and who knows what it’s leaking into our food and then into our bodies?! Start your baby out safe with glass!
I personally used to buy store brand diapers, but have since switched to Seventh Generation brand wipes and diapers. It is a little more money, but I feel it’s the best deal.
You can log onto Amazon and become part of their Amazon Mom program to receive free shipping plus 15% or so off your purchases.
As far as diaper bags, my husband and I went to a local army supply store and bought an army medic bag. It is perfect, in my opinion. Very gender neutral and hip. Plus, it has pockets on the sides. Perfect for bottles and water containers.
I never pay more then .02 a wipe. As long as it is 0.019 or less it’s a good deal. And if you can find huggies and pampers wipes for $0.019 or less, I stock up. Diapers, I try to not go over .10 each for any size. It really has to do with watching the sales. And make sure to calculate cost per diaper or wipe instead of package. Those are the only 2 things that I really stock up on. If you have a baby shower you will get most of everything you need. (shampoos, lotions, baby powder, diaper rash creams, even diapers and wipes)
Also, if your baby gets a diaper rash, I rinse the wipe off before changing the diaper so the formula on the wipe doesn’t burn the babies rash. My first got some pretty bad diaper rashes when I started trying new foods, so I would just rinse of the wipes really good. My next baby doesn’t get rashes hardly at all and I have yet to rinse out the wipes.
As for breastfeeding, I go as long as I can which is about 5-6 months. My milk starts leaving and then I start supplementing formula and cereals. Don’t feel pressured to bf either.
The nice thing about stocking up on diapers, is that you can always exchange for the size that you need. Each baby is so different.
Good luck!\
ps One last thing, and I stick to this no matter who I am talking to….The mommy always knows what is best for her baby. It’s in our nature. This goes for grandparents, Dr.’s, etc. Don’t ever do anything you aren’t comfortable with and ask lots of questions.
I would try to breastfeed. WIC is a life saver!!! Ask around to see if friends have any of their friends that have hand me downs for clothes. Personally, I would ask for 6mos and older for clothes (baby shower), simply because they grow so quick. Gerber usually runs 1 size smaller than it states.
Convertible cribs are awesome!! They run $300+ at Toys R Us, but should be able to find second hand.
Ds loved his bumbo (second hand), but figured out how to get out of it a month later. He still sits in it (he’s 20mos).
Jumper Roo, the ones that attach to the door frames are awesome!! Saved us a lot of headaches.
Diapers: My price for diapers is still a bit steep $20/box (drugstore sales). For the Jumbo packs no more than $10. Save all your reciepts for these. Your baby may be allergic or leak through a particular brand.
Travel strollers are HUGE, even when folded. If you have a little sedan (honda civic size), it will take up the whole trunk.Maybe buy individually? Umbrella strollers are awesome!!!
Bouncers are a good investment. I still have Ds’.
As your baby grows out of clothes go through them and decide what you would like to keep for a second baby and what you want to sell/give away. Saves a lot of headaches later.
Can’t really help with lotions and shampoos, I’m still working on what we got at my baby shower.
Infant mittens!! The cotton ones you can find at Target. They are meant so the baby doesn’t scratch himself. I needed lots of pairs because they get sweaty so you’ll want to change them at least 2 times a day, more if they are spit up on.
or just use baby socks
I never used the mittens. i have tried them but didnt work. My babies were swaddled alot so they couldnt scratch. Plus the sleepgowns had them built right in.
Breastfeed – it is healthier and free. Cloth diapering is great – it is really not much work and so much better for the babe as well as cheaper. I love BumGenius (one diaper that adjusts w/snaps so it fits from infant to toddler. Really, my 2.5yr old daughter is wearing the same diaper she wore at 3mo). Make your own baby food. I love the Babycook. It steams and then purees the food – super easy and then freeze in ice cube trays and knock into bags for single servings whenever you need them. Clothing is great to pick up at resale events – check out Just Between Friends consignment sales. For large items kids outgrow quickly (jumperoos, etc) look on Craigslist (just be sure to check recalls before purchasing used).
I’m a mom of 6 boys. My oldest is 13 and my youngest is 8 months. The two thing that I would spring for is a NEW car seat. They can be inexpensive car seats as they all have to adhere to safety standards, but I would go new. If you get a used one you can’t be sure what it has gone through. I would also spring for a Baby Bjorn baby carrier (the type that you can walk around with and carry the baby and have your hands free). I tried so many of them and then finally sucked it up and paid the money for the baby bjorn and have never regretted it. You can probably find some great deals on ebay or use a percent off coupon after you register at Target or Babies R Us. It is definately worth the money. I used it when my second was a baby (he is now 11) and am still using it. Enjoy and congratulations! Fun days ahead.
I have a 2 1/2 year old little boy. I nursed him and loved the boppy pillow. I will always nurse all my babies!! It’s the best!! It’s a must have!!! For the first month, I used alot of the sleep n play outfits and the little nightgowns for newborns. They were awesome! Don’t bother buying a ton of clothes for the first few months (even though I did!! cuz it was soo much fun! ) because I ended up having some clothes not even being worn once. He was in the sleepers a lot more than all the cute little outfits! My son really didnt like the swing, so that was kind of wasted but the next baby might, who knows! 🙂 I only used Huggies diapers as they were the best and absorbed the wetness. I stocked up well before my due date. You will need 4-5 packs of newborns and then start on the next size. After a month, he was in size 1. I only used Huggies wipes as well. I am definitely a Huggies fan! I had a bassinet that he slept in for the first 3 months. I am just brand loyal, so I only use the real brands. I only use Johnson and Johnson products. Use coupons and you will hardly pay anything for these products (baby wash, shampoo, lotion). I loved the bedtime baby wash and lotion as it really got him ready for bed at night and is very calming (even for the mommy 🙂 Hope some of this helped! 🙂 I will think of 100 more things after i submit this im sure!
My must haves: fisher price little lamb swing
Video monitor
Summer swaddlemes
More burp cloths than you think you need
Boppy plus at least one extra cover
Mobile
Pack n play (the ones with the newborn nappers are awesome)
Fisher price space saver high chair
A booster seat that straps to a chair and is portable (we have a fisher price one)
More sleepers than you think you need
Also I registered at babies r us and was not at all impressed- actually i had so many problems with their crappy return policy that I refuse to shop there again! Buy buy baby is awesome for registries if you have one by you, and they take unexpired bed bath and beyond coupons. Congrats and good luck!
Love the “more burp cloths than you think you’ll need”! Thank you! We already got the space saver high chair. My best friend has one and she loves it! I got mine for free by playing games on http://www.clubbing.com Thank you for your list and tips!
Oh also only use the Lansinoh Nursing pads. They are the BEST and dont stick and cause pain. Be sure to take some to the hospital with you as they are a lifesaver!! My son only used the pacifer for the first couple months and once he outgrew the one from the hospital, he never wanted one again. So don’t get a ton of those just in case your baby doesn’t care for them.
Wow wow all I can say is…thank you for posting this question! I have a son who’s five and another who just turned one and am learning all kinds of things. I’m new to the coupon world and I’m finding it very exciting! All the things I didn’t know about it’s unreal. I only wish I would have started sooner. I’m making my first shopping trip tommorow coupons on hand so wish me luck! Thank you everyone for all the great saving tips! My baby may be one but I still have alot of buying to do! Not to mention I’m trying to help my sister out as much as possible who’s due with her third baby on august, which started my whole interest in couponing.
As far as any tips I may have… Breastfeeding is great it saved me alot with both my boys, but I used formula as well. If you can great, if not it’s not a bad thing. Breastfeeding is not necessarily for everyone it has its trumps and triumphs. Not to mention it’s not as easy for everyone, some babies take right to it and some struggle with it. With that said I would be prepared for both and have bottles and formula as well as a hand pump and nipple cream! I wouldn’t buy an expensive pump until you know for sure what you are going to do, or at least check it’s specific return policy.
I loved my boppy pillow, still do! Nursing or not it’s a nice place to snuggle or prop baby.
Newborn clothes don’t get worn very long at all! So don’t worry about stocking up on them. My son prob only wore most of them twice if at all. He wasn’t a big baby either he was 7 lbs 10 oz.
I do believe in deft! My son had sensitive skin and didn’t know it until obviously he was born. Luckily I had prewashed his stuff before hand. I couldn’t even use the hospitals blankets or shirts they provide they turned his skin red and rashy where they had rubbed.
So glad you can use this coupon advise too! Good luck with your shopping trip! Collin is really the best when it comes to saving money. It’s work yes but so worth it! Thank you for your advice! I have super sensitive skin so I won’t be shocked if baby does too though I hope not! I will take your advice about sticking to Dreft for now as I was thinking of using All Free and Clear. That is all that we use in our house due to my skin.
Most people don’t know it, but a lot of insurances cover breast pumps. Make sure to check with yours! I would have never thought of it on my own but found out from another lady on whattoexpect.com (super website for pregnant mommas), called my insurance, and sure enough– any breast pump at any price was covered!!! They just usually have you buy from a special store that bills the insurance for you so you don’t wait to get reimbursed.
Good Luck!
I don’t know what her income is but if you are on WIC you can get a great breastpump for free
My insurance company wouldnt pay for it unless my doctor wrote a letter. She indicated i was having twins but they said that wasnt good enough to pay for an electric pump. She then told them that i had tendanitis, which is true, and they did pay for my Medela Pump In Style Double Electric BReast Pump. I got this two days before I had the kids and I am glad. My husband came home to get it so that the lactation consultant could make sure I was doing it right, plus my son refused to nurse at first.
Wow! Thanks for the advice! I will check into that!
I found this chart in a Costco magazine and it has been really helpful while stocking up on diapers, so that I don’t buy too many of one size:
Size # Diapers typically used by one child
1-2 921
3 1271
4 1401
5 716
Also, I find that costco typically has the best price on diapers, even factoring in a good sale and coupons. So that is where I usually get mine unless they have a dirt cheap/free diaper sale somewhere else.
I have a 4 yr old and a 2 mo. old and there are a lot of things I’m doing differently with baby #2. She’s currently sleeping in our room and we borrowed a co-sleeper bassinet from a friend. Baby # slept in a pack-n-play in our room for the first month. I love having this baby closer and it makes night feedings a breeze. I’m nursing and I can sit up, nurse real fast and then go back to sleep without even leaving the bed.
For this baby I also bought a Moby wrap. It’s been nice, especially at church, to wear here so my hands are free to help my older daughter, as well as hold the hymnal. I’ve used it a few times in the house too, to help calm and soothe her.
Other things that are great: Bumbo (got the tray too and use it as a high chair) Boppy (husband uses it to feed her pumped milk while I’m at work), Milk Mu-Mu or Udder Covers, many different names, but a nursing cover. You can get them really cheap (like $10), lots of onesies and sleep-n-plays. This baby we also use a sleep-sack which is great! She’s cozy at night with no fear of suffocating.
I started couponing while preg with this one and my price point for diapers was .07-.10/diaper for name brand. Sign up for American Baby (free) and this last month there was a coupon for 20% at Amazon. At drugstores, I looked for $5.99 or less on name brands. All the wipes I’ve bought so far were free (buy diapers, get free wipes coupons and wipes given as gifts)
And don’t forget to stock up on baby meds too! Tylenol, saline spray for noses and diaper rash cream! Good luck!!
Lots of the stores don’t carry the sleep sacks on hand anymore. Which is a total pain, but you can find them on walmart.com or target.com
Some waste of time items…wipes warmer by the time you get the wipe to the kids rear the wipe is cold again. Also those baby monitors. When I transfered my son from his cradle to a crib (he was only in the next room and when he cried I heard him just fine) I thought I wanted the monitor so I could listen if he needed me. It magnified every little movement that he made. Eventually I turned it down to the smallest setting so that I I could get some sleep. The next baby I didn’t even pull it out of the storage box.
Things that I absolutely love…Have you ever heard of Calmoseptine? They use it on patients who have bed sores (like someone who is bedridden after a stroke etc). It will clear up a diaper rash like nobodies business! At the slightest hint of pink I would put it on my kids and the next day it would be GONE! You get it at any pharmacy. Some carry them on hand but some you might have to ask them to order it. It is a little expensive but totally worth it! I also loved my boppie. My husband left on a 3 month internship 4 days after our 2nd child was born and my boppie was my lifesaver. My baby didn’t want to sleep the first couple days unless he was being held. Out of desperation I would sit in the recliner prop my arms up on the boppie and catch a couple of zzzzzz’s. I know I will probably be told by several women that you shouldn’t do that but I was by myself and it was the only way I got through it.
For baby furnature find the cheapest wood dresser that you can find and paint it. My husband had one from when he was a kid. I sanded it a little bit, and filled in where he had carved his name, and painted it to match my kids bedding. Everyone who has come in his room has loved it! Now that our second boy has moved on from the baby stuff I repainted it to match his new stuff. Very cheap way to add a pop of color to a room.
I always shop the 50-80 percent off sales for clothes and you just get the next couple sizes.
Last but not least if at all possible try to breastfeed. It’s free and great for your baby. Also great for you cause you use up that many more calories per day feeding your kid and studies say that you can cut your chance of breast cancer in half. Just make sure that your baby has a good latch! I got that advice and was very mindful of it and got to miss out on those horror stories about having bleeding cracked nipples! I foster mommed a newborn and it made me miss breastfeeding so much. He would wake up during the night and want to eat and he would scream the whole time I was getting the bottle ready. Then when you shake the bottle to mix the formula and water it would make tiny little bubbles….which lead to gas in his belly and more crying. I felt like I was constantly washing bottles. That is just my experience with it.
Congrats and good luck!
Very good advice! We did the same thing with a dresser we found at a yard sale. My husband painted it an olie green and “stressed” the paint finish so it looked muted. We put new knobs on it and it is still in our five year old son’s room! I forgot all about it, but your post reminded me.
Well, It’s awesome that you are getting to work on stock piling items now!
I didn’t buy diapers for a year with my oldest son because I stock piled them.
Ask for diapers at your baby shower.
Buy them yourself a little at a time throughout your pregnancy, in different sizes.
Also, when buying clothes in advance think about how old your baby will be during that time of year.
I wasn’t doing coupons when my kids were babies….but for example..
Publix had a major sale this week on J&J baby lotion, wash….all the products…..I think they have a coupon in the Green flyer, (ask for it at customer service desk) and when you couple that with a manufacturer coupon, I paid less than a dollar for J&J body wash.>>>You can still get this deal through tomorrow! Good luck with your baby!
I never stock my diapers as I have no room to put them. When my son and daughter were under one year of age I would use Huggies. After they hit one I had them used store brand. My son had used Walmart brand as I used to shop there often. However I don’t shop there anymore so my daughter use’s Target brand : UPup. I had a crib that was a hand me down it was good to used when they were under 6 months as they were so small. When they got six months I had them co-sleep with me on the bed. I am not too picky with diaper bags as long as it had lots of pockets and wasn’t too big to carry around. I breastfed my son for 5 months because I had to go back to school and pumping was just not for me. I also supplemented with formula so it was easy to wean him off of the breast. My daughter on the other hand breastfed exclusively until 12 months. Now that she is two years she take 2 percent milk during the day and breastfeed during morning and bedtime. I say just do what is right for you about breastfeeding as it is not for everyone. It can get tiring too as breastfed babies tend to need to be fed more often than formula. Congratulations to all the expecting mom-to-be on Hip2Save.com
If you’re concerned at all about baby sleep issues, do yourself a favor and check out Dana Obleman’s Sleep Sense first (sleepsense.net). It’s just pure common sense, flexible to parental preferences, and it WORKS. If I’d found it a year earlier we probably never would have had sleep problems with my son. I know you’ve asked mainly for money-saving ideas, but let me tell you: It’s amazing what you’ll be willing to spend when you’re desperate to get more than one or two hours of sleep a night. Solve the issue early and you’ll save a ton over the next few years on sleep books, sleep programs, and miracle sleep aids.
And if colic becomes an issue, check out the Happiest Baby on the Block book. These were easily the two best “baby products” I ever had!
Don’t know where u live but I have a purple bumbo seat stroller, carseat colthes etc t osell. I am in utah all girl stuff except Ihave boys 0-3 and 306 m to sell. Diapers be careful and look at the count. Huggies pure and natural have a better coupon but u got 9 less diapers per pack so u were actually spending more. U will ahve to experiment and find the right diaper for your baby. I love the walgreens brand and would compare them to pampers cruisers. U get the highest count per bag and I never pay more then 5 bucks a bag. Well really never pay for them since I have register rewards. The amazon mom deal is nice to help jumpstart your stockpile and keep an eye out for great deals on wipes ONCE u find the one u like. Loved my bumbo used for both kinds a great swing is needed and if your baby likes to stand and jump like mine since he was a month old a jumperoo is a must.
oh I forgot don’t buy baby food. I bought a handheld blender with a removable blade from babies r us it is really easy to make the babyfood. U can go organic if u want too. Just buy organic food to make it with. I don’t do organic but I made 70 jars of 1st food size for 2 bucks. Sweet potaots 20 cents a pound a huge jar of applesauce donated from mom and 4 pounds of bananas.
1. Breastfeed (kellymom.com)
2. Cloth diaper. I love it! I started with prefolds and covers, now I have a handful of ones that actually go on the same as disposables. (Ecobuns.com cottonbabies.com)
3. Make your own Baby food. (Wholesomebabyfood.com)
4. Make your own moby wrap. No sewing required. Google directions. A moby is a must have.
last comment is the best on here! If you are really looking to go the cheapest this is IT! I am a working mom and do all this so 5. buy a used pump 🙂
I agree with all of these comments as well 🙂
To save on nursing pads, I actually found that the best deal per pad was the BabiesRUs brand (“Just for Moms”, maybe?), and you can use the 20% off one item coupons that come frequently in the mail. A few bucks cheaper than Lansinoh, and very similar in quality. I also loved the BRU brand wipes. BRU sends out $2/1 box of wipes pretty regular, making a large box of these around $7. Great price (BTW, BRU has 2 kinds of “generic” wipes, I always bought the more expensive of the two, I can’t remember what the name was).
I like to have disposables on hand as often as possible. Here’s how I usually work it out to get close to free dipes:
Use the $4/20 or $5/25 Qs from CVS. For a $4/20 Q, browse H2S’s list to find ~$11 of free after coupon goods, add a pack of diapers (go on sale for $9 regularly), find a coupon for the diapers you’re buying (often $3/1). My total would then be around $2 before tax. Even better when CVS releases a diaper Q to stack w/ the MQ. This is the only time I buy diapers. (Hope this scenario isn’t too complicated).
My crib is a 3-in-1 that I bought online at Walmart for around $100. I co-slept for about 6 months, though.
I bought my carseat (a Britax) for about half price at diapers.com using coupon codes (it was also on sale because the print was being discontinued). Check out retailmenot.com and other coupon code sites to find good deals online.
Most other things, I bought at a consignment shop.
Lastly, check if there are is any private “aid” for moms in your area. For instance, here in NE Ohio, there’s Akron Pregnancy Services that helps new families with diapers, formula, clothes, etc.
Congrats on your upcoming addition! Having a little one is a wonderful experience, but it can also be overwhelming preparing for! I found the most useful item to be an in the bed co-sleeper. I was able to keep my son close and breastfeed him without having to worry about rolling over on him!
Do be careful of buying diapers though! My son is allergic to Huggies so I stick with Luvs. Publix has a great soy formula that’s compariable to SImilac if you ever need it! Best of luck to you!
Since my son was allergic to dairy and soy, I saved the most money by breastfeeding. He was having lots of struggles with nursing, and I almost quit before I figured out that he was reacting to foods in my diet. If I had quit, I would’ve had to pay a fortune for special formula with all the proteins broken down. Even with the added cost of me being on a special diet, it was totally worth it.
I used cloth diapers (although not for the first couple of weeks). They were expensive, but have lasted me through two kids and look like they’re going to be usable for a third. If you decide to go that route, finding factory seconds is a great way to cut your price down.
Hi Jennifer, Congrats on your pregnancy! I am a mother to a 19 month old boy….and here are a handful of items that I could NOT live without: 1) A Video monitor (I had the normal audio monitor first and as it turns out – I would hop out of bed every time I heard a peep out of my son – which conditioned him to wake up all night long! now, with the video monitor, I can see when he is talking in his sleep or actually awake and screaming). 2) A Pacifier Medicine dispenser (I hated using the syringes from the doctors office and I often squirted and missed or squirted too much at once. Although, JJ likes to take medicine from the tylenol dropper). 3) Wipe warmer (JJ HATED diaper changes but if you keep a wipe warmer right next to the changing area, they do work and make life a lot easier for mom and baby). 4) a musical toy for the crib (JJ did not like the mobile but loved his glow worm and still plays with it).
And the only real money saving tips I have is to only pay full price for those “special” items – coming home outfit…. and enjoy your baby! Take lots of pics! Congrats again!
Thank you for your advice! Hubby is going to be excited about the video monitor! LOL!
Well,for diapers i used St.Cloud diapers(walmart,kroger,ect)this are the diapers supplied to most hospitals for newborns with sensitive,sometimes i would use huggies or pampers(make sure the changing of diapers doesn’t irritate the baby,once the baby gets older it will be easier to adjust to most brands of diapers ,i recommend Huggies or Pampers (with coupons)i would not pay more than 7.50 for a jumbo pack,if not try luvs or TARGET’S UP brand diapers they are GREAt 4 the money!If u formula feed the baby i would suggest powder formula is way easier to carry along trips,just the powder and some baby water(same as spring water)and ur set!best WIshes ,and try to not over indulge in baby clothing and certain things u only use once or don’t use at all babies grow very rapidly,i over spent on baby clothes my child didn’t even get to try on(Donated:)
When we did my Daughters Baby shower I put an extra piece of paper in the invitation say if you bring a pack of diapers you can get into a special drawing. She got enough diapers for about 5 months (she is just now starting to buy diapers) and one lucky guest got a gift card… Sure it cost for the gift card but well worth what she got in diapers.. You could do a basket full of fun things that you can get from hip2save…
I don’t know if this has already been mentioned, but my husband and I couldn’t live without our fisher price papasan swing. My first child hated other swings, but loved that one right off the bat. It has quickly become a lifesaver for my newborn. Glad you asked such a great question as it is fun to see other moms’ opinions!