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! 😀
I’m about as cheap as they come. I nursed so that was free. I asked for cloth diapers as a baby gift so those were free. I made my own cloth wipes for 2.97/yard, so those CHEAP. Then my baby shower provided all the extras like a swing and bouncy seat. I got all my baby clothes at a huge kid’s consignment sale, so those were super cheap. Don’t worry about it! Basically, if you have boobs, arms, and something around baby’s bottom, you’ll be fine! 😉
It’s been a decade since I had an infant and thank god I am done with those years – it’s a huge learning curve! A lot of people had a lot of helpful tips here, but if you still have to work a 40+ hour week then you’ll need to pick out which ones work for you. For instance, if you put your baby into daycare they might refuse to use cloth diapers, so it’s good to check before buying a ton of them. And even if you intend to nurse, there’s no guarantee you’ll produce enough milk, or your baby won’t have problems latching on (like preemies do) and you might have to consider another route – not one of my friends had an easy nursing experience with their babies; some of us pumped and bottle fed, others switched to formula, others supplemented breastmilk with formula.
I still swear by Once Upon a Child, which is a consignment store chain, even though my child is now almost in middle school. Not only do they have a card to get stamped each time you make purchases towards a store credit, my local groupon-type offers will sometimes sell vouchers that I stock up on. And they will buy a lot of your used stuff also. So if you are one of those people who finds you need three types of strollers, it will be the place to buy them.
My son was the only grandchild on both sides so he got a lot of stuff, but one of my favorite solutions was the bibs my mom made by taking a regular hand towel, cutting a hole in the middle, and sewing on ribknit to pull over his head. Another suggestion is not to stock up on a lot of seasonal clothes too early. If your baby is premature – mine weighed only 4 lbs at birth – he might not fit in that winter coat until it’s the middle of June and outgrow it by September. People love to buy cute baby clothes for showers, and gift cards and consignment stores are great for buying only what you find you need when you find you need it.
Two more tips: take care of yourself and be vocal about what you need from others. If you feel like you might have post-partum depression, if you’re overwhelmed, if your mom or MIL tells you that you’re SUPPOSED to be miserable because that’s what it means to be a mother, or if your husband believes that you are the only one who should be caring for the baby since you birthed it, please don’t accept that as normal and talk to someone to get help. Also, try to continue your husband’s needs from you as a wife and don’t let your relationship with him disappear and be replaced by your relationship with your child (or expect it to be replaced by his relationship with your child). You can buy your child every necessity but if you break down as a person or your marriage crumbles, getting all the necessities at a good price isn’t going to help much. I know there are a lot of support groups out there for stay at home moms (I never found any for working moms), but in my experience, being a first-time mother can be confusing and overwhelming and you can get a lot of conflicting advice, so trust your instincts and use your resources to find help if you need it. I wish I had seen just ONE baby book that had given me that advice so I give it to all new moms!
Good luck!
AMEN!
(aka: well put)
🙂
I love Once Upon A Child. I find their prices are better, stores cleaner, and selections superior to all other consignment stores. It’s a national chain and you can find the locations closest to you by visiting their site http://www.onceuponachild.com. There are a lot of items that have a short “usability” life in your kiddo’s life (bumbo, exersaucer, swing, bouncy chair) which can be purchased from OUAC or Craigslist for a fraction of the retail cost. If you’re going to be a SAHM, consider joining your local MOMS Club International chapter (https://www.momsclub.org/). In addition to being a great social outlet for your and your kiddo, it’s also a great local, in-person resource for Moms – in terms of info and supplies. Lots of Moms have these things that they’d be willing to lend for free (or sell for cheap) to other Moms.
I know this is an older post but I just wanted to say that being a first time mom myself you are right on with everything you said and your advice is excellent! Thanks for posting 🙂
My tips to are:
1. Always visit this site or slickdeals dot com for some amazing baby stuff every now and then.
2. I am a couponer for years but Amazon has the best deal on diapers (huggies/pampers) without leaving my house and not to deal with cashiers who will read each line from coupon DISCLAIMER I have. My sweat pea has sensitive skin so I have to buy either the pure and naturals (Huggies) or Pampers sensitive. They are expensive! So, after the amazon coupon (usually pampers $1.50), 30% subscribe and save & the occasional 20% from baby magazines, the boxed pampers sensitive usually end up .09 – .15 cents per piece (depending on the size). Right now, BabiesRUs store has the American Baby magazine that has Amazon 20% diapers (expires on 2/28). The Magazine is free and you can get one or ask your relatives to get one for you.
3. My must-haves are avent bottle sterilizer, boppy pillow (which is super useful when ur little one is trying to practice seating), & SwaddleMe.
Good luck to you. enjoy the amazing ride of motherhood. 🙂
You can stock up on wipes and diapers when you first know you are pregnant. Diapers don’t go bad and if wipes if they dry out a little just add water. I have a ton of diapers that I got for less than a $1 a pack from Rite Aid. Wipes I got for dirt cheap as well.
I just called Pampers to complain that some wipes were dry & I had to add water! They told me never to put water in them because it can introduce bacteria into the tub.
They sent me 3-$3 off coupons after giving them the lot #’s off the tubs.
It pays to complain about a product literally!
Garage sales are the best for baby clothes…you can often get them for 25-50 cents a piece! My favorite place to find out about garage sales in our area is:
http://www.yardsaletreasuremap.com
Sign up for swagbucks to earn free gift cards to amazon.com, and then use them with the subsribe and save/amazon mom and the 20% off American Baby coupons to score some great diaper deals! You can sign up here:
https://swagbucks.com/refer/savingpennies7
I’m a new mom of a 2 month old…I’ve learned quite a few things!
-You dont HAVE to buy expensive diapers- I started out with Pampers, but just switched to Up&Up from Target..I can tell they are not as “good”, but they work just fine, and are a TON cheaper!
-I stock up on clothes, but be careful of the stores return policy. I got tons of clearance clothes at Carsons and Kohls because you can return them anytime- even years later! If you stock up on clothes from lets say, Target, be careful because they have a 90 day return policy…I got burned because I bought some 18 month clothes, and now I’m stuck with them- hopefully my daughter will wear them according to the season! Oh, and buy a little receipt file for your purse if you plan on buyin tons of clothes!
-BURP CLOTHES!! If you think you need 10, get 30! I leave them all around the house, in the diaper bag, etc….Always need more!
-I also am breastfeeding, but it started off as a struggle! My daughter wouldnt latch on for the first two weeks, so I resumed to pumping..Everyone told me that she will never nurse because she will have “nipple confusion” because of all the bottles…After 2 weeks, I tried again for the heck of it, and she got it like a champ! So dont get frustrated if you try to nurse and cant!
-BOUNCY SEAT! I swear by this…I love the vibrating ones, but I think I use that feature too much that my daughter has a had time sleeping in her crib because there is no noise!
Hope that helps…I am also learning a ton from all these comments 🙂
I agree with everything, but learned the hard way that cheaper diapers aren’t always cheaper. I went through every brand with my 2 month old son, and Pampers were the ones that fit his little bottom best. He was ruining up to three outfits a day by pooping through the other brands. Sometimes I could get it out of the clothes, and sometimes he only got to wear an outfit once. I decided it was cheaper to buy Pampers on sale than to buy new clothes. Who knows what brand will fit your baby’s bottom better.
I agree. My son could only wear huggies without messing up 2-3 outfits a day. When my daughter came along I stocked up on Huggies…only to find that she could only wear pampers!! UGGH 🙂 (Store brands burned her bottom and she leaked through Huggies). Go figure. that’s the joy of motherhood…it’s always a guessing game. 🙂 Good Luck! and HAVE FUN!!!
I put my first daughter in pampers all the way through, and when my second daughter came around, they had switched to the dry max in the pampers and she got blisters on her bottom, so she is a huggies girl. It just goes to show that each child can be different, and you have to do what is best for them! My favorite baby items were my boppy pillow, bumbo seat, bouncer seat, and exercisor jumper thing. Good luck and enjoy that baby!
Depending on where you live and how you shop I would recommend buying a box (or two) of diapers and wipes on every shopping trip until the baby comes. Pay attention to Publix and other places like that because they will have diapers on sale and you can get wipes for free with an in store coupon. I bought 4-5 boxes of each size of diapers until my son was born and I never had to run out to grab some because we ran out–we never did! You can always find them on sale at Target and Publix. I buy the bulk of my diapers there and use coupons as well. My son was born in January 2010 and our favorite thing was that wipe warmer! I know I wouldn’t want cold wipes on my tushie in January!
I should have said that I’m a diaper snob (or at least that’s what my husband calls me). I only use Pampers or Huggies. And I can usually score them for LESS than the generic store brand with coupons and deals!
Right there with you Carrie! In fact I just had baby #3 end of October and stocked up on Pamper’s and Huggies with sales and coupons purchasing at $2.99-$3.99 and had enough to get us through Newborn sized and she JUST 2 days ago (almost 3 mths old!) moved up to size 1 and I am fully stocked on those as well!! Wipes I stock up anytime there is great coupons/sales! We had enough to last us 6 mths with our son and he unfortunitly always poos more than the average joe!
I also just found out I am expecting my first child in September…. when you say you were fully stocked on newborn and now on size 1, how many packages of diapers does a typical baby usually go through, say in a week or month? How big is your stockpile, roughly? I have absolutely no clue! Just don’t want to stock up on too many of one size. 🙂
A newborn can through 8-10 diapers a day! It’ll slow down in a month or two, to maybe 6? What do you ladies think?
Okay, I received this as a gift from my parents, but after using it, I totally would have purchased one for myself…
Get a VIDEO monitor with night vision to point at your child’s bed. I freaked out over every noise and it was usually just him moving or dreaming! I think the video monitor saved me from waking him up unnecessarily many times! We took the monitor with us everytime we spent the night at Grandparent’s also. LIFESAVER!!
Keep your eyes open for a sale! Maybe Target has something this week with all the discounts in the infant department. Or maybe you have a nice relative who wants to buy you something for your shower you normally would not be able to afford!
There was a news video about those…they had someone driving around a neighborhood with a video monitor in their car & they could see all the babies on the monitor & hear all the conversations in the house FROM THEIR CAR just by driving by. Makes you think twice about those video monitors!
I saw that too about the video monitors–that’s why we got a Digital Video Monitor (only the camera and handset can “talk” to each other, cars driving by can’t pick up your signal like with analog monitors). I too take it everywhere when we travel and love it!
Don’t get the video monitors, rely on your legs, eyes and hearing. Using these will save you the money that you spent on monitors. We all are about saving money, this is one way.
My kids sleep on the second floor and I am DEAF. I could easily benefit from these video monitors, but I didn’t because I didn’t want to spend that much on these. I instead relied on my legs and eyes, walked up the stairs (if I was on the first floor in kitchen) and looked in my children’s bedroom. Two out of my three children were senstive to light but I had to work around that.
My children are now 8, 5, and 2 and is doing just fine.
Lots of great comments!! I have found that rather than using stain removers I use hand soap and a little muscle power to get out ANY stain. I just try to rinse as soon as possible and squirt a bit of soap on the stain and scrub.
My son just turned 9 this week. If I could do it all over again, I would make my own baby food. You can save so much this way. You can buy a food processor for about $20.00, puree your bananas, carrots, chicken or what ever you want to feed your baby. Its so much cheaper and you know what your child is eating.
A friend of mine got a more expensive appliance to make baby food that steams the veggies and purees them! So many things are time vs. money but I agree that buying baby food is not the most frugal way to go. Honestly, I nurse my babies for over a year, and we don’t start with cereal or other foods as early as they suggest; breast milk is best, cheapest and easiest 😉
Making babyfood for sure is a HUGE money saver! And way easier than I thought it was going to be.
I ahve twins so the thought of buying babyfood at $1 a pop was just crazy. I steamed up a $1.50 sweet potato and after adding formula/water it made almost months worth of dinners.
I used an old school steamer basket, blended in the magic bullet, froze in ice cube trays, and stored in freezer bags!
I think it also led to less picky eaters later on. They know that a banana is not silky smooth like it is when you buy it in a jar. They know what a real veggies taste like. Both boys eat almost everything and I have never had to buy any of those overpriced “baby” meals/snacks.
My favorite website for homemade baby food is wholesomebabyfood.com It tells you what foods are best to introduce first and gives all the nutritional information and suggestions on getting good textures/consistencies. Love it!
I guess I’m a diaper snob, too 😉 And I only like Huggies wipes or Pampers thick ones – you can rip them in half, so they’re worth it!
1) Sign up for the free baby magazines when they’re advertised. The 20% off Amazon code has been amazing. I used one two weeks ago on a box of diapers, and the following week received a postcard for $10 off any purchase through Amazon Mom; I got FREE wipes! 2) Sign up for Amazon Mom.
Get the info on how much you and your husband weighed at birth and how much your siblings’ kids have weighed. Our babies have been so big that we haven’t needed hardly any newborn clothes or diapers, and we went through size 1 pretty fast. Our 3-month-old is already in size 3 (those snobby Huggies movers) because he was leaking out of size 2s!
3) Register everywhere you can, even if you don’t need/want much from that store, because you will then get coupons and deals from that store!
I can’t live without:
nursing tanks (full-sling from Target) – use them as a camisole and sleep bra; Lansinoh nursing pads; sling or wrap – I now use a piece of stretchy fabric – it’s the cheapest and holds the baby snuggly and safely and doesn’t hurt my back or shoulders; a swing or something that rocks the baby for you; an exersaucer once baby wants to and is able to be upright.
What an exciting time! Blessings!
I have found that Rite Aid has the best sales on diapers. Combined with sales, coupons, and Up rewards my price point is $3 or less per pack for Huggies or Pampers. I also get the 20% wellness discount which even without a sale you can get the Huggies snug and dry (my favorite) big box(size 5 70ct) for $15.99. Pair that price with a coupon and Up rewards and you have a super deal.
I have three must have items. A video monitor, swing and activity mat.
Best of luck Jennifer….you are about to experience the best part of your life!
I think I started reading at about post 200 and the one thing I can say for sure is every baby is different my daughter hated her swing cried every time we put her in it for the whole time. I didn’t use the boppy but loved the boppy lounger. I also didn’t BF as my daughter would not latch the visiting nurse came to the house everyday for the first week and the last day she told me my goal was to feed my baby it didn’t matter how I got there as long as she was feed. We ended up on simulac formula and she had the worst poops so we tried Enfamil and the one for colic nothing made it better. I asked my friends on facebook what they used and so many said Gerber good start we are on that now and it has made all the difference. Again I think this will be a baby by baby thing. I loved the bubmo my baby wanted to see what was happening and she enjoyed sitting in it. I am super lucky and I have a friend who saved everything we borrowed maternity clothes, two car seat bases, exosaucer, kick and coaster, swaddles, and now we are borrowing toys like blocks and a kitchen set. Don’t know if you might be able to do this but it worked great for us my baby loved the kick and coaster but used it for such a short time I am glad we borrowed it. Another thing my dd loves is the wubba nub and its super cute. The thing I love the most is the mirror for the car silly I know but it gives me such comfort to see what she is doing. That and the portable baby monitor I had to use it yesterday shoveling snow. I took part in a local consignment sale for kids they took up to 200 vendors I sold about 100 of my newborn stuff and bought my daughter winter clothes, I loved this event and cant wait for the spring sale.
I have not scored any great deals on formula yet. We got really lucky for our baby shower they asked everyone to bring diapers and we didn’t even have to buy our first pack of diapers until she was 6 months old. I have not tried Amazon for diapers yet but I did get the subscription to parents this year 2.99 for the year. So many different opinions after some trying you will figure out what works for you. But I did learn everything didn’t have to be new and sparkly.
Do you need coupons for the good start formula? I have some and wouldnt mind sending them to you.
Where did you get coupons? My son is on this formula and I signed up with company but still have not received coupons.
I get them from the company in their monthly mailer.
The book “Baby Bargains” is a HUGE help! It not only tells you what items are a must have and top consumer choices, but also the ones that are just not necessary and why. It goes over what products are best for your money and how to save on things like clothes etc. As a first time mom, I got caught up in wanting to get everything- so this helped me think practically.
Oh and definitely make your own baby food! Its way healthier and really cheap! Super Baby Food is an awesome book that gives great recipes and ideas.
I TOTALLY agree. Love this book. I had no idea that practically ever baby product out there descends from one of three or so major makers, just with a different brand name. They tell you what brands have a good track history, the least recalls, which work, which don’t, etc. I also HIGHLY recommend Expecting 411 and Baby 411 (from the same authors/publishers). I found these to be much more engaging and easy to read than the old standbys (ex: What to Expect, etc). You’ll probably see them in the same section at the bookstore. Easy to pick out because they’re rather tall books that taller than they are wide. Enjoy your new baby!
Purchasing diapers can be very hard!!! I have 5 kids, and each one favored a different kind of diaper. My oldest could ONLY wear huggies, as he leaked out of every other kind. My daughter was the same way and the other ones could wear any type. I know quite a few moms that their kids can only wear one certain type as they leak out of others. So, in my opinion, it is really hard to stock up, not knowing what will work best. But at the same time, I don’t think I would refuse ANY type of diaper from showers, friends, relatives, etc.
On a side note, with my three that could wear any diaper, I generally bought generic because they always seemed less expensive. But, since finding this site, and seeing all the great coupons offered for Huggies and Pampers, it seems a lot cheaper to buy those “pricier” brands!! Hope this helps!!!
Hey Jennifer! I am a first time mommy to a 3 month old. I’m all about websites with deals, like this one! One tip I can give you is to have a diaper raffle at your shower, if you are planning on having one. Ask everyone to bring a pack of diapers in any size and be entered to win a gift basket or something at the shower. My friend recommended this and we have a TON of diapers! The amazon mom program is def something to sign up for. 30% off diapers, then you can stack them with the coupons found in Parents mag for another 20% off, plus sometimes amazon lets you use the pampers coupons too. These deals can be CRAZY!
For formula, don’t use amazon…their prices are too high. Wait for a good sale at your grocery or Target, or even babies r us. You can sign up for coupons direct with the companies to save even more. Check out their websites and sign up.
for good start coupons, 1-800-777-7690
for enfamil 1800-baby123
I love the What to Expect swaps board for trading baby coupons, formulas, clothes, etc etc. I think babycenter has something similar too. https://www.whattoexpect.com/forums/freecycle-swaps
Oh I could go ON AND ON….
I went to Once Upon a Child alot when I was pregnant but found they mark up their clothes quite a bit and I’d find better deals on brand new clothes on clearance racks at Target and other places. For diapers a good price point is 10-12cents per diaper, sometimes you can get them even cheaper and I am a diaper snob too and prefer Pampers. Although my daycare changes diapers every 2 hrs or less so I occasionally send them other brands that I get deals on. Wipes I think I good price is $1.25 or less a pack, so if it’s a multi pack like 300 wipes divide by about 72 to figure out the price per pack. I also swore by SwaddleMe’s as my son slept through the night at 2 months using it, a good nights sleep is priceless!
Congratulations on your upcoming family member!! We have 4 children with a huge span inbetween. The one thing I learned is.. if you wrap them like they do in the hospital they sleep better. Sleep is good…..and nap when they nap. Make dinners ahead and freeze them….Life saver!! Luckily we were blessed with lots of help from family and friends. Our kids loved the passifier in the begining and as they got older we bought the passifier clips to clip to their outfits….saved us from having a screaming baby in Church or at the mall because of a passifier that fell and got dirty. If you have a Childrens Place clothing store by you…they have great end of the season clearance prices, so you can stock up for the next season. Make sure that you try the car seat buckles and clips in the store before you picking one, some are very difficult to clip and unclip. I used glass bottles over plastic for formula after bfing, they have plastic bumpers that you can buy to put over them so they don’t break when dropped. I always bought the glass jar food as well. I don’t trust the plastic leaching into the food. I used little waterproof covers for the top of the sheets in their clibs, they’re soft for under the baby’s head and spit up – clean ups will be a whole lot easier than changing the sheets on the middle of the night. You MUST HAVE a baby book to write down EVERYTHING!! you would be amazed at how quickly time flies and how quickly you will forget if it’s not written down. And lastly……don’t leave the hospital without the bassinets name card for your baby and footprint if your hospital does that! I have all but one for my kids. There was a baby boom the year my daughter was born and they couldn’t get the bassinet quick enough. The day we were leaving the hospital the staff needed the bassinet and ran in and took it and I didn’t grab the info….feel really bad that only 3 of the 4 have that. Maybe I’m way too sentimental. And….one more. The hospitals used to automatically take your baby’s picture and send you copies to choose from. Well not all hospitals do that these days. You might have to make an appointment to have them taken, ask the nurses. So if that is something you want make sure you ask.
Good luck!!! Hope all the great info from everyone helps. Baby’s are a blessing and they grow way too quickly!!! Enjoy EVERY minute.!!
My favorite item: Moby wrap. Keeps your hands free during shopping trips
I do not pay more than $5 for a pack of jumbo diapers after sale price, coupons, and rewards (such as ECB or RR). I have found the best deals for diapers at Rite Aid. Do not buy many size 1, they will outgrow this size in no time, but you can exchange unopened packs. Hit the consignment sales in Spring and Fall. They have nice barely used brand name clothing for cheap. Sometimes they let expectant moms into the presale.
Ok, some people might not be willing to do this but I’ve gotten AMAZING deals getting formula on Craigslist. I pay about 4 to 6 dollars for a 12 oz can. Just recently I bought 26 cans for $4 per can and they delivered them to my house free of charge. These WIC ladies get free formula and then sell it on Craigslist. I know it’s WRONG for them to do that and in some ways I’m encouraging them to do wrong by buying it from them. I’m sure this could cause a big debate here—-Oh my—-I’m just waiting for the responses!
I used to work for WIC…it’s not just wrong. It can mean jail time. It’s considered a serious offense.
WIC is paid for by taxes. In essence, everyone else is supplementing your cheap formula. It might not feel wrong to do because you are the buyer. But if there were no buyers, then people would not commit this crime (fraud). Rationalizing that you are just the buyer is like a ‘John’ who thinks that prostitution is a victimless crime. If there were no ‘Johns’ teenagers would not be kidnapped and forced into prostitution. If there were no buyers for people who scam WIC, they may choose not to bother with WIC altogether, which would lower everyone’s taxes, or provide better food packages for peope who legitimately need WIC.
I’ll say it again: This is illegal. What you are suggesting people do is commit a crime.
I sold a lot of formula on Craigslist @ 50% off retail price. I’m not WIC. My baby just would not eat it, so I breastfed. My point is check out Craigslist for baby deals. I bought lots of stuff very cheap there too.
Congrats and as a mom of one, I am learning SO much! Thanks for the post! With my first, we sought for the cheapest on-sale diapers, but still spent a lot. We have stocked up on different sizes for baby #2 though! Definitely check back to this post/ babycheapskate.com/ or mashupmom.com or jillcataldo.com is great if you are in the midwest!!
As for things I registered for and didn’t like with #1 are: Dr. Brown’s baby bottles– such a pain to clean! And did they “work” for colic/ gassiness… didn’t seem like it! lol. With #1, I registered for a nursery bedding set, but only used the sheets and bedskirt– so with #2, not going to mess with it! I LOVED having a diaper genie… but it depends on what kind of place you have. If it’s a small apartment, I would suggest it… if you have a house, probably not necessary! Nursing pillow was great and I liked the convience of a travel stroller system, but my stroller is SO bulky and heavy…. you may want to look at the baby trend baby seat stroller and buy the car seat seperately. And I second all the posts about getting more burp cloths than you think you need!!!! Buy ALOT! : )
And more baby shower related, but for mine, instead of cards from the gift-givers, we asked for a book and I LOVED the idea. My first has quite a collection!
Congratulations!!! I have a 12 year old, 9 year old, and a 14 month old wonderful surprise. We started over last year and were so overwhelmed by the amount of baby items on the market. I am a name brand snob and love boutique clothing however I love to coupon and save money. Never buy a used car seat because even though someone says it has never been in an accident you never know if they are being truthful. I never use my large stroller because it takes up way too much room in my van. I bought a Joovy Kooper stroller and absolutely love it! Yes, I paid over $100 for an “umbrella” stroller but it will last until my daughter is 50 lbs and it is made VERY well. I can’t tell you the amount of cheap fold up strollers I bought for my other children that fell apart or started ripping. I bought two (one for upstairs and one for downstairs) Boppy Swings at TJMaxx for $40 each. They were still for sale at Babies R Us for $150 each. Check out TJMaxx for baby equipment! I bought clothing in advance and now I have a whole closet full of clothes that she never wore because by the time she got to that size it was the wrong season. Just because it was $5 for a wonderful outfit it was $5 wasted. I loved Pampers for my oldest but they leaked for my middle child. He could only wear White Cloud (walmart). My youngest I use whatever is on sale even though Pampers fit better. I will not pay over $5 a pack. I tired to breastfeed my 1st and it was a horrible experience so I did not try for the 2nd. I breastfed my youngest up until last week. Yes I did save lots of money and it was good for her, however it changed my body for the rest of my life. I have shrunk three cup sizes and I am having a very hard time adjusting.
I love my Bumbo which I got for $15 with the tray at a MOPS sale. We still use it when we eat we sit it on the table and she sits with us. We also have a Chicco hook on high chair. This is the only thing I kept from my 2nd child. I never used my Boppy Pillow with my 3rd but did with my second. My 1st and 3rd loved the swing but my 2nd one hated it. I love Baby Magic (cheaper than Dreft) baby detergent and Dreft Stain Remover (love, love, love). Yes, the Dye Free detergents are cheaper but nothing beats that “baby” clothes smell. My nurse in the hospital told my husband to take the bags to the car, empty them, and bring them back up. She gave us 9 packs of diapers, 15 pacifiers, gauze, alchohol swabs, wipes, and tons of formula. She said that they manufacturers give it to them to give out. I made most of my kids baby food which is so easy. I use a “boat motor” mixer. Enjoy your pregnancy because it will be over before you know it. GOOD LUCK!!!
Hi, I just wanted to let you know that stocking up on diapers is wonderful!!! AND don’t worry if you get too much of the wrong size because CVS is an amazing store and will take back anything!! Anything ( I Hope you have a CVS where you live)!
FYI: If you breastfeed a cover that wraps around your neck is wonderful! My baby moves around so much that a blanket did not work and fell off every time. Expensive but worth the investment or ask someone to make you one :).
AND I would like to say that Pampers only worked for me and my baby boy. I wish there was something cheaper that worked but everything else leaked. Is there any cheaper diaper out there that compared to Pampers? I do, however, usually find great deals at drug stores on diapers! God Bless and enjoy! You WILL get sleep eventually and remember that your little one will not be doing “this”(whatever frustrating things it may be) when he/she grows up!
I signed up with these companies: Huggies, Pampers, Enfamil, Nestle Good Start, and Similac. They will send out freebies and coupons. I have one in pull-ups. I have found that the store brands are just as good. I will buy the Huggies pull-ups with a coupon and/or a good sale. I also registered for diapers in different sizes and brands. If I had a pack of diapers that was too small or a brand that my girls couldn’t use, I took them back to the store and exchanged them. I was able to stockpile with my first daughter, but not with the second. I found out that the bottle system I really wanted to use did not impress my first born and had to switch. My top item was a blanket like cover for the car seat. I didn’t have to bundle my baby up inside the car seat. I just put her in, zipped the cover up, and threw a warm blanket over the top.
I have a 7yr old boy and 3 yr old girl. All previous readers are correct that each baby is different about diapers and equipment. My son had to wear name brand diapers for a short time because of leaking but my daughter could wear anything. If you have an Aldi’s nearby they have good prices on their no-name diaper brand but only come in sizes 3, 4 and 5. You will have to wait until baby is bigger, sometimes they offer B1G1 deals and you can stock up, BUT they don’t accept coupons at aldi’s for anything. The coupon deals and sales on diapers sound good. I used cloth diapers and a Diaper service for my first child- supplementing disposables for outings and at night . This was cheaper than any disposable diaper product out there at the time /didn’t do cloth for my daughter because we chose convienence over economy with our then 3 yr old and new baby. You do have to change cloth diapers more frequently but they have great diaper covers with velcro closures to prevent clothes from getting wet. I regret buying the entire nursery set before baby was born. I ended up using a co-sleeper(think large bassinet with opening on one side thatattaches to bed) which was great for breastfeeding at night , then put baby back into their own “space” but close enough to keep watch. And never used the crib for either child, they went right into toddler bed at 18 months-2 yrs but my children were always small for age. Son hated swing, daughter like it for only 6 weeks. Bouncy seat was a lifesaver , as was a sling or front wearing baby carrier . Good luck!
I usually check out babycheapskate.com -they have a diaper and formula deal of the week plus deals for baby items only. Sign up for all the free magazines like American Baby, etc. Start a amazon mommy – its free. And days you can’t really clip coupon, consider buying them on the internet. God bless you and take care!
I am a part-time engineer/part time stay at home mommy and though I am a new couponer, I started my focus on diapers and have analyzed the diaper price every which way. I am CONVINCED that you can’t score a better deal than Amazon mom if you want to use Pampers – which are worth it to me – even Huggies cause issues with my baby girl’s skin. All you need to do is order the diapers with Subscribe and Save (which gives you 30% off) and then find the add’l 20% off Diapers at Amazon coupon (as many others have mentioned in FREE magazines such as American Baby). Even without the additional 20% off, the diapers are the best price! For example – WalMart regular price – 29cents/diaper; Amazon mom – between 9-15 cents/diaper. While you can always use ECBs from drug stores to get those prices down to a similar price, that takes more planning and you can use those on another necessity instead (e.g., toilet paper, milk, etc.).
We also hit the local consignment sales for clothes… they are the best! Can’t make them cheaper and babies only wear things once or twice. I’ll only respond on those two things since I’m still learning the other tricks and you have LOTS of advice to filter through here. 🙂
Good luck and congrats!
If your having a baby shower have a diaper raffle…all the diapers help so much. You will have your favorite diaper and wipe so although you could stock up I would wait. Plus depending on how many diapers you get you may not use all of them in a certain size (stores are pretty nice about exchanging them though). I also made the mistake on stocking up on clothes. We only buy the next size when our son is ready now they can grow unpredictably. Stock up on books, burp cloths, wash cloths, baby towels, toys, videos, cds things that you will def use and can never have to much of. Every baby is different its hard to stock pile until you know what works for everyone. Good start gentle plus is expensive but great formula, I used it after nursing for months. A must read is Little Bits of Wisdom by Josie Bissett. I still page through it all the time gives tons of great advice from real parents!!!! Good luck on the most amazing journey of your life!!!! hugs
Man I guess I was really lucky in breast feeding my children. I breast fed all 3 and saved tons of money on not having to buy formula. But like most ppl said every baby is different. Once my kids started getting teeth (around 8-9 months) I started weaning them off of breast milk and started giving them watered down whole milk. Took them a while to want the bottle but they eventually got really hungry. Then shortly after a year old I switched them to a sippy cup and then a cup. my son still has a sippy though because he’s still only 15 months. But another great thing would be ask friends and family for baby clothes. I always keep mine and then give them away to whoever wants them. Being a military family there is never any shortage of pregnant women. My sister always mails me clothes that my niece as outgrown. Great way to save money. Because lets face it baby and kids clothes are expensive. Another would be once you find out you’re pregnant solely start stock piling on diapers and wipes. or instead of a regular baby shower have a diaper and wipes shower. we did that with our 2nd and we didn’t have to buy diapers for her for over a year and we didn’t have to buy wipes for about 9 months. oh and if you plan on pumping invest in a good pump. especially if u plan on having more then one baby. and if you are lucky enough to produce enough milk invest in a small deep freezer to store all the excess milk. for my oldest i stopped breast feeding her at 8 months because she got teeth and I had enough breast milk stored to continue to feed her breast milk for another 5 months. Also if you have excess milk you might want to consider donating it like I did w/ my 2nd and 3rd.
Thank you! How long will breast milk last safely in the freezer?
6 months in a freezer that is attached to a fridge.
12 months in a deep freeze.
I cannot believe no one else commented to you. It is extremely important that no baby under the age of 12 months have cow’s milk. Watered down, nonetheless.
Not sure if you were trying extra hard to save money, but please do not do this. It is a health risk to your child. Their small bodies and organs are simply not developed enough to process cow’s milk.
Please, only breast milk or infant formula. There is not a dollar amount out there that would make me risk my child’s health.
I didn’t do it for cost reasons I did it because they refused to drink formula and every time I would give it to them they would throw it up. Doctors suggested to try and give them watered down milk. They also were eating solids (except meat) by then too. So they drank milk more as a drink with a meal and not a meal itself.
One thing I don’t think I’ve seen mentioned here but is a huge money saver for us is cutting wipes in half. It makes a container last so much longer! Especially when they’re small, you don’t need to use the whole big wipe.
Hi, Everyone! I’m absolutely amazed there are almost 500 comments on this post! I’m struck by how all of you have been so generous with your time by providing fantastic detailed comments to help answer Jennifer’s question. Your support and encouragement for Jennifer and all the other expectant mothers are very touching. Jennifer, you have been just as kind by checking in and leaving appreciative comments. Collin, thanks for posting Jennifer’s question and providing such a wonderful forum.
Thank you Jo-Ann! I am so very touched by all the support and tips that everyone is taking the time to pass on to me and others. I am reading carefully through each comment and taking great notes! Collin is the best!!! Thank you Collin for posting my questions!
I too have been reading through all comments and making notes! I am due in July for the first time and this has been a HUGE help!!!!! I likely won’t be given a baby shower and will lack certain amounts of support by living no where near any family, so this has been great! Very very much appreciated! Thanks for the good questions Jennifer, and thanks to all who have been answering!
Me too Kiki. My husband and I are going to start trying very soon and I know NO ONE where I live so I don’t plan on having a shower.
My biggest money saver was cloth diapering!!!! I have a 13 month old and am pregnant again, recently started sewing and have been making my own cloth diapers which make them cheaper! Also involved in swaps to get great used cloth diapers. It really isn’t that bad. On babycenter there is a great cloth diapering board that you should check out to get all the facts and/or questions you may have.
CLOTH DIAPER! When I had baby #2, baby #1 was still in diapers. It gets expensive. So we looked into cloth diapering. Not as bad as I thought…really! I would not go back. I haven’t stepped foot in the diaper aisle in 7 months… love it. Look into it if you’re on a tight budget. p.s. If you’re a low income family and want to try cloth go to http://www.clothdiaperfoundation.org
fill out an app, and the will loan you some for up to 5 months!
A great website I started using while I was pregnant with my first (baby #2 – due next month) is babycheapskate.com. Every Monday, she will post the Top Diaper and Formula deals of the week. Also, she has a great spreadsheet (on the bottom of her website) called Stockupportunity Prices | Diapers per Pack – here is her link for the PDF one: https://www.babycheapskate.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/HowManyDiapers2.pdf It’s a great diaper price point resource!
I really think I want to try CLOTH DIAPERS for my 3rd baby (In a few years..!), but I want to read more about this. Does anyone have a good website with all the information about cloth diapering? Reply on here or e-mail me please! Savvyspendingmommas@gmail.com
Thanks!
Megan
Savvyspendingmommas.blogspot.com
Another great thing is the shopping cart cover. My friends grandmother bought me one for our 4th. I didn’t really think about how many germs and bacteria are on those things with my first few. Yuck!! People put raw meat and fish and dairy products right in that seat that we all put our kids in. That was one of the best presents. Our cover had toys attached with velcro strings and noise makers….. amused the baby while I shopped and helped keep all the germs away from his body at the same time. I had seen the cart covers after my third and thougth is that really necessary?? But I was thrilled when I received the gift and started using it……..it fits right over the seat has holes for their legs and covers the push handle as well, preventing mom from getting germs too. And it rolls up and velcro’s together to store in the trunk easily. And you can wash it.
i just found out am expecting baby #3 in sept. love all the comments
Congratulations Anne! We are so blessed to have all of these great tips to help us! Thank you everyone for sharing your vast knowledge with me! Love and hugs to you all!
I haven’t read every single comment, but I did want to throw in something that I never used – baby food. I never had need of it, whether prepared or making my own. I nursed until about 7.5 months at which point it became obvious my son was ready for solids. Also, he was teething, so I found just giving him breadsticks to gnaw on or the mesh feeders with frozen fruit/veg in them was perfect until his fine motor skills were good enough to pick up small bites like soft beans, cheerios, pancake pieces, bananas, avocados, etc. To be honest I don’t quite get the whole baby food thing. Our ancestors didn’t use it before the advent of the blender…don’t know how this is a necessity at all.
Make your own baby food, take like 1-2 hours every Sunday and make plenty, put them in ice cube trays and freeze them. Its more healthier and saved me tons of money. Never bought a jar of food throughout three children (I worked full time as well).
Hi, Mary. I feel that way not just about the baby food thing, but about baby stuff in general. When we were growing up, our parents didn’t buy nearly half the stuff that is for sale today and we grew up fine. I have 2 kids, and I don’t know about you, but I get dizzy whenever I go into a “baby” store!
Hi Congrads to any new mom or mom to be!
Your child (ren) GROWS UP FAST!! (I think any mother knows this) your house stays the same, so don’t worry too much about keeping it SPOTLESS. Just do basics needed cleaning.
Don’t worry about the house, enjoy your child!
Wonderful advice 🙂
SOOO TRUE, esp when they start walking! also, dont try to be a supermom, accept help if its offered and dont be afraid to ask for help. no one expects you to do it on your own. Also postpartum depression is more common than youd think, it doesnt make you a failure!
as for diapers, im a diaper snob too – pampers only even though she can wear anything, i usually get mine with rite aid Register Rewards and coupons!
GOODLUCK!
Hi Congrads to any new mom or mom to be!
I am the mom of 7 and with my last child I started using cloth diapers for several reasons.
It is my number one piece of advice to new families! I cringe at the thought of how much money I wasted on diapers with the previous six kids. I also make my own diaper wipes from cut up old socks or rags soaked in a solution of water with a few squirts of baby oil and baby soap in an old wipes container. If you are a stay at home mom cloth diapering is easy and inexpensive. My personal favorite is the Flip system with stay dri inserts. I also reccommend diaper covers with snap closures over the velcro. The velcro wears out and baby can end up wearing her diaper around her ankles. I also didn’t start until the newborn was about 1-2 months old. I spent less than $120 and have diapers that will last until she is potty trained! Possibly even for another child!
I have some cloth diaper questions!!
I would love for you to answer them on my blog! Thanks!!!
Savvyspendingmommas.blogspot.com
Wow so much GREAT advice! Jennifer, I know you’re keeping up with all the advice you’ve gotten thus far so I am going to humbly ask a favor. Would you be willing to, at some point in the future, post your list of compiled advice? With a toddler and sick hubby, I really don’t have the time to read every one of these posts but they seem to be filled with good advice. You can also email me at blondyfm@gmail.com if you can’t post it here. I completely understand If it’s too daunting a task but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask. 🙂
Let me add, for you and all the other mommy’s with kids in diapers, if you have a Publix nearby, you may want to make a trip over as they are having a GREAT deal on Huggies diapers. You can get them for as low as $15.99 for a 140 count box (size 4). The sale is $19.99 plus $3 off with in store ad coupon plus some of the movers boxes have a $1 off peelie attached. That comes to about $0.11 a diaper which is a pretty good deal. Between the great Amazon deal and this one, I think we’ll be good on diapers until my lil guy is ready for pull ups.
Anywho, good luck to you and may God continue to bless you and your family!
When you are registering for your baby shower don’t forget the carseats! If you have chubbers like me then your little one will be out of the cute carrier in about 5 -7 months and you want to get a good one that will take you through a number of years to come. Britax car seats are expensive, but are great and will last a long time. Think group gifting. Diapers price point for me was 5.00 max for Pampers only. Learn how to time your sales at CVS and Rite Aid and you can really score big. Enjoy
Congrats on your new arrival soon. Best advice stack up on diapers and wipes will save you a ton of money, once you figure out that you have the last diaper on hand and they aren’t great deals going on. Also, get the “Champ” diaper disposal best one of all. I tried the “Genie” but you have to buy their own bags which sometimes don’t work and are expensive. They suppose to twist and create like a chain but mine never worked. Hate it. With the “Champ” you can use trash can bags, cheaper. Also, I got as a gift the wipe warmer, might work to keep the wipes warm but as soon as you take it out it gets cold so your baby really is not getting a warm wipe and on top of that, it dries the bottom wipes. Good luck.
diapers: aim for 15 cents per diaper or less. I can’t remember the last time I used a generic diaper on my kids, so 15 cents is SUPER doable. While your pregnant, buy a few jumbos whenever they’re a good deal. Keep your receipts, just in case you want to exchange them, although most stores should not give you a hard time for exchange for another size without a receipt.
unless you’re living in an apartment and have to go to the dumpster to dump the dipes, I found a diaper pail silly. Yes, they kind of contain the smell, but only until the smell seeps into the plastic, then you’ll never be rid of it. We just use a small garbage can and empty it daily. Not that big of a deal when you’re just taking it to the big garbage can in the garage.
Wipes: 2 cents per wipe or less. I’ve never met a dried out Huggies wipe no matter how long I’ve stored them. Huggies are the best wipes.
Clothes: definantly buy ahead on clearance, but this can be hard to do until you’re kid is wearing toddler sizes (2T and up) becuase they grow quickly and sporadically. Once they’re into 2T they’re wear each size for about a year, so its easier to plan. Buying ahead on clearance is definantly cheaper than consignment. The only thing cheaper than great clearance is garage sale.
Check your local Target nowish and in late July/Early august. Thats when they usually reset their baby section and we see lots of things go on clearance, up to 75% off. Clothes, gear, infant toys… all kinds of stuff. Best time to buy, by far.
Absolute must have items for me: boppy, and bouncy seat or swing. I like a plug in swing instead of a battery one, personally. 🙂
One thing I did not see posted was Palmer’s lotion. It prevents stretch marks. I am now due in March with our 7th child, I have been pregnant 9 times and I used Palmer’s everyday (on the growing parts!). I do not have one stretch mark. I love this stuff and it smells good too! Best of luck. BTW love cloth diapers and nursing!
You seem to be in the minority. Most people still get them even with using Palmers.
Hey Jen~
I am so glad you have been taking time to read all of these comments… Even having two of my own I am impressed by them all!!!!
Remember Every baby/kid is different!! With breast feeding,eating solids and diapers ect… You do what right for your baby. You will know- its mommy instinct.
I want to retouch on a few things…. It is OK to have help with your baby blues!!! A very high %of mom’s Have some degree of them. I didnt know much with my first and wasnt able to enjoy her as much as my 2nd baby!
2nd Nursing can be very very hard… if it is worth it to you DO NOT GIVE UP!!!!!!! There are so many resources out there to help you Plus it dose not cost a thing! I nursed both my girls on one side for 14 months each!!!! It was a challenge at first but it was so worth it! The pros way out weigh the cons.
3rd Diapers are always a personal choice…. and Sign up for the rewards programs like enjoy the ride- do it now and start collecting points!!!!!
4th Enjoy every minute if you can- they grow up so fast…. Every stage is hard but very worth it! I have a friend who wasn’t able to have babies of her own so I count my self lucky and love my lil blessings all I can!!!!
5th sign up for free baby mags…. its always good to have some mommy time!!!!!
6th make sure the Daddy helps!!!! (you need all you can get)
7th the items I couldn’t live with out: My body pillow (while preggers) my boppy….. A good breast pump (medulla is good brand). A swing, a jumper… and lots of burp clothes!!!!
Lastly If you are ok with second hand things for your baby ~Do it!!!!! Like mentioned above Once upon a child or other stores even goodwill or Garage sales are a good place to get cute inexpensive clothes and toys!!!! My girls are always getting compliments on how cute they look and I never pay full price EVER!!! unless its at Ross or Tjmaxx!!!! I never pay more than $5 for a top and get then as low as 10 cents!!!!! If you want more ideas on thrifty shopping for things and how much I am or am not willing to pay and where the best deal are feel free to email me at cami,stars337@gmail.com
I love to help!!! I am also known for being the thrifty fashion friend!!!!
Hey Ladies I was just on amazon ordering some things and I ordered a cloth diaper and was able to use the 20% amazon mom coupon found in magazines. Since they group 12 cloth diapers as one item i bet you could use the code to get 20% off of 12 instead of one! it is worth a try. Just thought those of you thinking about cloth diapering it would be a great way to reduce the intial cost of getting started.
maybe its just me, but these are children and newborns, why do we have to use the “cheapest and generic” ? I don’t understand that. I understand if you have the income that does not allow you to get the name brand. But if you are just buying the generic because its “cheaper”, then that is ridiciulous. The parents should sacrifice so that they can buy the best for their children. I could not always afford the huggies diapers or wipes, but I knew they were the best for my child, so i did. With all the coupons that are available, there isn’t really an excuse to not use the best. So, do not go for generic or the cheapest, there is a reason it is cheaper and generic, because 9 times out of 10, it’s crap and is not the best for your child. I am sure there are a lot of people that agree but arent saying anything knowing they are going to get attacked on here about it. But it needs to be said. Buy the BEST for your child and do the BEST for your child! 🙂
I couldn’t disagree with you more. Generic does not equal crap. Ugh.
The best doesn’t have to be the most expensive! The best isn’t necessarily name brand either. The best is what works for your child, not what works best for the average baby! Maybe you didn’t get the best since you refused to try generic!
Thanks again Collin for posting my questions way back in January! I have about 3 more weeks to go before our little boy arrives! I am enjoying going back through all the wonderful comments that were so helpful! Thank you everyone for your wonderful responses!