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32 Ways to Save Money When You Have a Baby
Right after I gave birth to my first daughter, a funny thing happened: Virtually every dollar I owned seemed to sprout wings. Then one by one, they flew away—to the pediatrician, the drugstore, and any chain that sold cute kids' clothes. Sure, I'd known that a baby would bring new financial pressures. But when I saw my first postpartum credit-card bill, I totally freaked out.
If you have a newborn, you're probably panicked too. No wonder: Depending on your spending habits and child-care needs, you'll likely shell out $7,000 to $14,600 annually between now and your little one's second birthday. But there's hope. Through trial and error, I learned a lot about raising a daughter on a budget. Now that my second girl is here, I've gotten even savvier. Here are ways you, too, can cut your baby expenses by half—or even more.
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Breastpumps should never be borrowed. IU can't believe that parents is publishing something like that. Do your reserach!!! It is not just the plastic parts...
9/16/2011 09:02:56 AM Report AbuseCheck to see if your insurance covers a breast pump rental. I rented a hospital breast pump through my insurance for no charge to me. Which was nice b/c I used it for two months before I ended up with a life-threatening condition unrelated to my baby and landed me in the hospital for awhile and I stopped nursing at that point. Spending money on a breast pump would've been wasted when I only used it two months.
9/3/2011 01:36:11 PM Report AbuseCloth Diapering saves you $1000-$3000 during the newborn stage to potty training. Check out www.everybabiesbottom.com
7/20/2011 08:16:59 PM Report AbuseWe are expecting our first baby for may and have found several ways to save up: - We have bought a full baby wardrobe from newborn to 18 months through craigslist for only $90 (20 cents per item). That is a huge saving, and then I can buy one or two cute outfits and all set! - If you start a registry, most shops will give you coupons. We got a 20% off and spent it on a new infant car seat (one of the few things I read should be new) in Toys r us. It save us $50.
2/24/2011 12:28:37 PM Report AbuseI'm really surprised that you recommend borrowing a personal breast pump. It's probably actually ok in most cases but there are some cases, such as if the mother had thrush, where borrowing a breast pump might not be the best idea. Yes, you can change most of the tubing etc, but there are parts that cannot be sterilized. A hospital grade pump is designed to be used by multiple women so borrowing that I can understand.
11/22/2010 04:30:56 PM Report AbuseAs for the breastfeeding/borrowing a breast pump...you should NOT use a used pump unless it is a hospital grade pump. A regular pump DOES get milk particles into the pump itself and there is no way of cleaning it out. Hosptail grade pumps have a fliter that prevents anything from getting into the pump. But there are tons of places that rent out hospital grade pumps
11/22/2010 01:19:26 PM Report AbuseYou should also try savvy mom deal/coupon sites like www.CrazyCouponMommy.com because not only because of the free printable coupons, but also the weekly lists of free items you can pick up at CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid and Target! This week there are 10 things for free at Walgreens...:)
4/26/2010 12:31:12 PM Report AbuseThanks for the great tips on saving money! Another new thing that has come out to save money that I found is http://zulily.com -they offer up to 70% off of baby/children/maternity products!
2/18/2010 05:23:32 PM Report Abuse