Moms with kids in Diapers and Formula

[Debbie34]

What do you fiqure per month, I'm having a baby in July..And any other useful tips for saving with a new baby...TIA

[Jamauk]

My kids were pigs LOL! We went through a lot of formula (and I breastfed, formula was only to supplement!)

As a new born you'll go through more diapers at first, but that's why the new born packs are bigger! For the first few weeks, I think we went through 8-10 diapers a day. That eventually slowed down to about 5-6 per day. You'll have to try various brands to decide which ones you and your baby like the best. DS1 could only use Pampers (of course), everything else made his skin break out. We just stuck with Pampers with DS2, but he probably could have used anything...

For formula, once you decide which brand you are going to use go to that website and sign up for their mailing list. Enfamil used to send me $5.00 checks every few weeks - you can also find stacks of these on ebay. Or see if you can get some friends/family to sign up as well and give you the checks/coupons.

[frugalfriend]

If you want/are able to breastfeed that will save you a small fortune! I've heard formula is really expensive, although I was really blessed to never have had to buy any with my three. Diapers I often bought with coupons, when on sale. It would be worth buying diaper coupons from one of the coupon clipping services to get a lot, at a time when you see a really good diaper sale. Cloth diapers may be another option, and you can save a bundle there, after the inital cost. Other coupons to look for are the baby shampoo, wash, etc. ones, which when you wait for the right sale can be free or almost free. You will probably get lots of clothes and cute things for gifts to last for awhile. Congrats on the new baby coming!

[30s&DebtFree]

We were given quite a few gift cards for Babies R Us & Toys R Us and bought many boxes of diapers using those.

Also, don't be afraid to begin potty training earlier than the experts often recommend. I started my son as soon as he turned 2 and it only took a day and a half!!! He still wears diapers for nap and bedtime, but is now wearing underwear during the day. Huge savings!!! Not to mention, so much easier not have to change poopy diapers. Couple of friends & family members said it was too soon to start, but DS proved them wrong.

We gave him a sticker each time he went to put on the inside of his potty lid. This was a great idea and worked like a charm.

I know you are a few yrs off from potty training, but don't be afraid to start early if you think your child can handle it. We adopted our son at 20 months of age, so I can't offer too much infant advice.

Oh, I wouldn't waste money on a diaper genie/champ. We just got into the habit of throwing dirty diapers right into the garage trash. A friend of mine used a diaper genie and it stunk up the nursery pretty bad. Use that 25.00 for a box of diapers instead. Also, use plastic grocery bags for dirty diaper bags instead of buying the scented ones. No one will know the difference when it is in your garage trash!!!

I found that a lot of what you register for is a waste. Perfect example- mall strollers that cost 100.00; use a 20.00 umbrella stroller instead!! Those "mall" type strollers are bulky and overpriced IMHO. Be sure to register for some value packs of diapers!

Good luck to you!

[Jamauk]

Oh, I wouldn't waste money on a diaper genie/champ. We just got into the habit of throwing dirty diapers right into the garage trash. A friend of mine used a diaper genie and it stunk up the nursery pretty bad. Use that 25.00 for a box of diapers instead. Also, use plastic grocery bags for dirty diaper bags instead of buying the scented ones. No one will know the difference when it is in your garage trash!!!

I absolutely agree with this - we used a regular trash with a lid and just took the trash out every night.

I found that a lot of what you register for is a waste. Perfect example- mall strollers that cost 100.00; use a 20.00 umbrella stroller instead!! Those "mall" type strollers are bulky and overpriced IMHO. Be sure to register for some value packs of diapers!

This I will politely disagree with. We used a travel system (the stroller that the car seat snaps into) and it works great for big outings - the zoo, airports, etc...as you can store a lot of stuff in the basket under the seat. Also, infants can't use umbrella strollers - they don't recline. Its very convenient to just pop the car seat out of the car and into the stroller. You don't have to move the baby around - helpful when they are sleeping!

[30s&DebtFree]

Something else I just thought of- when planning your nursery, think ahead in years, not just for the first year. What I mean is, buy furniture that will last thru the years. (Dresser, bookcase, etc). I didn't buy a changing table because I thought it would be a waste because you only use them for so long. I usually change my son on my bed or on the floor anyway with a changing pad underneath. It is safer. My neighbor turned her back for 2 SECONDS and her daughter pushed her legs and rolled herself off the changing table backwards. Needless to say, they spent the day at the ER.

I found a crib at IKEA for 100.00 (25.00 for mattress) that converts to a toddler bed and this has worked out very nicely for not a lot of money. This is the one item you can't skip for a baby, but for the rest of the furniture, buy stuff that will last thru the years and doesn't look like it was originally intended for a baby.

Cruise consignment shops, goodwill, salvation army, etc for clothing. I have found some GREAT brand name stuff for next to nothing for my son. He dresses like he should be on the cover of a magazine, but I paid next to nothing for it all. Shopping this way is a huge savings for parents. You have to look thru a lot of junk, but I always walk out the door with a few great items. I found a local NFL jersey for him (4T, so it is a little big now, but he can wear it for 2-3 yrs) for 2.00!!! They cost about 25.00 brand new. There is nothing wrong with it, looks new and it was something we wanted for him anyway. To me, finds like that make it worth it.

We waited 2.5 years to adopt our son from China, so I had PLENTY of time to sit around and think about stuff like this while preparing to bring him home.

[30s&DebtFree]

This I will politely disagree with. We used a travel system (the stroller that the car seat snaps into) and it works great for big outings - the zoo, airports, etc...as you can store a lot of stuff in the basket under the seat. Also, infants can't use umbrella strollers - they don't recline. Its very convenient to just pop the car seat out of the car and into the stroller. You don't have to move the baby around - helpful when they are sleeping!

Good point!

[Telephus44]

We spend about $40 a month on diapers and wipes; we use BJ's brand diapers and Huggies wipes (for some reason, using coupons, the Huggies wipes at BJ's are cheaper than the BJ's wipes). But comparison shop; some grocery store brands may be even cheaper. Really depends on what's available in your area. I prefer Huggies, and once every two or three months CVS has a deal on them that makes them pretty close to the BJ's price ($.158/diaper for BJ's - the Huggies on sale/with coupons and rebates I can get down to $.165/diaper).

When we started formula, we started with Nestle Good Start. This brand is cheaper than Enfamil or Similac. The large can (I forget what size) was about $23 and we used 2 or 3 per month. We did switch to the BJ's brand (I was hesitant about using generic when we started - I had been nursing exclusively but my milk supply wasn't holding up, so I was making a decision with a screaming hungry baby in the car on a Friday night), which was $18 and was twice the size, so we only used 1-2 per month. I second the advise to sign up with all of formula companies websites - you'll get high value checks (I think the highest I got was $12 off) for purchases. You can also trade for these or get them on eBay.

For general saving money on kids stuff - I just want to say that every kid is different. Some kids absolutely have to have "X" and for others it's a useless waste of money. So short of the real basics (like a car seat, or a crib), ignore what everyone says you simply "have to" get or what everyone says is a waste of money. For example, we didn't get or use a Boppy, or a wipe warmer, or a baby swing - but we did get a Graco Travel system (stroller and car seat bucket thing) and a diaper genie which we still use everyday.

[Odilia]

Are breastfeeding and cloth diapers out of the question? You will save $100's of dollars if you're open to those. I know there are some women who are physically unable to breastfeed but most can.

I bought a huge set of fancy cloth diapers with our first. When I worked out the cost comparison with store brand disposables and wipes, I found my break even point would be after 6 months of cloth diaper use. I did use disposables the first couple of weeks, though! After our third child, I needed to weed out a few of the more worn diapers and replace them (I also used them as a pattern and made several HM diapers), but I'm still using some of the original cloth diapers with our 5th child. Some of these diapers have been in constant use -- with 1-2 little ones in diapers -- for over 11 years now!!

I do use disposables on occasion for convenience. I always keep 2 packs on hand. I probably buy 4 packs (around $40 now) each year.

My husband was very opposed to cloth diapers at first, but he quickly got over it.

Whichever way you go, it's such an exciting time for you. Congratulations!!!

Telephus, that is the cutest avatar I've ever seen. What a little sweetie!

[MOMMYDEAREST]

Well I do foster care, and I have a baby who is 11mths & I buy diapers once a week ($9.00), and I get WIC for formula. Then I buy jarred baby food (he has a feeding problem with health issues so he can't eat table food yet), and I spend about $20.00 a week on jarred food. Good luck with your new baby

[dianne9106]

I will chime in on an environmental note. I used cloth diapers with my first and second in their first year. I moved to environmentally friendly disposable diapers with my DD at 1 year. I used a brand called Nature Babycare - you get them from diapers.com or even at some larger Targets. They are the best - no gel, they hold all the messy breastfeeding and formula feeds in and they are biodegradable (you can even put them in a compost heap if so desired).
Sometimes children stay in diapers for up to 3 years! My DD that is two is just starting potty training - so it can be expensive. If you do not care to go the cloth or eco disposable route - then def go with a really good brand for the start - meaning avoid leaks!! Then find whatever brand works best for your budget later on.
Formula or breast? Def go with breastfeeding if you do not have any issues. A word of advice though - it hurts at first, but you quickly get into a good position and routine with it. Drink plenty of water and eat well and nap when you can. Otherwise all I know is formula is spendy, but look for the coupons and sign up for freebies. Good luck and congrats!!
Dianne

[AmyMCGS]

This I will politely disagree with. We used a travel system (the stroller that the car seat snaps into) and it works great for big outings - the zoo, airports, etc...as you can store a lot of stuff in the basket under the seat. Also, infants can't use umbrella strollers - they don't recline. Its very convenient to just pop the car seat out of the car and into the stroller. You don't have to move the baby around - helpful when they are sleeping!

RE: the travel system, she took the words right out of my mouth. I loved being able to plop a sleeping infant into the stroller without waking him/her.

As for diapers.... a case of White Cloud runs around $15.99. In the infant sizes, I think a case lasted us two or three weeks. In size fours, at 23 months, we go through about five a day.

I would not advise buying a lot of inexpensive diapers ahead of time. We always used the cheap ones (White Cloud- can only find them here at WalMart) with DD, but DS broke out from anything other than Pampers. Now that he's older he can handle the White Clouds, but, wow, when he was little, he had super sensitive skin.

Formula will greatly vary with brand and use-- as a suppliment or full-time. I had to bottle feed both of mine (preemies) and also had to buy the most expensive formula that's made for a while due to their dietary needs.... so I can't really tell you what a "normal" formula would run!

[Palooka]

I agree with the White Cloud diapers. They are the best buy for the buck and I think they work good.

Also Walmart has a brand of formula called Parents Choice. It is marketed to compare to Enfamil. Exact same ingredients. It's like under 15 bucks for a big can verses like 25 for Enfamil. They have all kinds of formulas in that brand depending on what your baby will need.

[lisettelovebug]

We gave him a sticker each time he went to put on the inside of his potty lid. This was a great idea and worked like a charm.

Oh, I wouldn't waste money on a diaper genie/champ. We just got into the habit of throwing dirty diapers right into the garage trash. A friend of mine used a diaper genie and it stunk up the nursery pretty bad. Use that 25.00 for a box of diapers instead. Also, use plastic grocery bags for dirty diaper bags instead of buying the scented ones. No one will know the difference when it is in your garage trash!!!

Oh the sticker thing would not work with dd. She'll be 2 in august and loves stickers - loves to peel them off anything she can get her hands on. If we buy something with a clearance sticker on it, she peels it off. I want to start potty training her soon. I was thinking about getting her a Dora potty for her birthday. But maybe I should just do it now and try it with her. I dunno... ???

I agree - use plastic grocery bags for stinky diapers. We have a genie that we used during dd's first 6 months - it did stink and the inserts were expensive!! We didn't use it at all with ds whose 6 months old. Also a warmer for the wipes is a waste.. Ask everyone to buy you diapers in various sizes or ask for gift certificates. What we did when I was preganant last was get a gift certificate and everytime I went to Walmart I would put more money on it - We had about $100 on it when baby was born. It was a good thing we had it too because we used it when money was tight.

I also buy diapers in bulk when I find a sale and use a coupon. Don't buy too many in one size or you will end up giving them away when the baby outgrows them. Right now I buy size 4 and 5 for dd and size 3 for ds (yes he's 6 mos old and in size 3... he's a chunk). I know that ds will wear the size 4s if dd outgrows them. I've stopped buying 3s for a while because we have so many. target often has them where if you buy 2 boxes you get a $5 gift card and you can use 1 coupon for each box. We go through 4-5 diapers a day for each kid. So if we were buying the regular size pack of diapers they would last a little over a week. (I can usually get this size for $7-$8 using a coupon)

May I also suggest doing some batch cooking and then freezing. Make up double and triple batches of casseroles, etc that can just be thrown in the oven when the baby comes. This will be a godsend. I wish I had had a freezer before mine was born I would have done it. I freeze meals now and it makes life so much easier and we don't end up eating out as much.

For formula we use enfamil because that is what we get on wic. But we ran out last month and had to buy some, so we bought the formula at sam's club. We used the walmart version when dd was little. Sam's is about $19 for a huge container, and walmart I believe is about $13 for a large container (the same size as the enfamil that runs about $25). All formula is regulated by the fda, so there is no worries there. The only difference in formula looks to be how fine it is. Enfamil is a very find powder and mixes up a little better than the rest. It seems like the store brands are based on similac - they're a little thicker of a powder and you just have to shake a little more. WIC gives us 9 cans a month - so if we were paying for emfamil it would be about $117 a month (based on $13 a can). Using the sam's version we would probably go through 3 at most - $60.

We buy baby food and baby cereal at savealot . babyfood is 39 cents and the cereal is 1.19. Both are beechnut. I ordered coupons online for these and ended up getting the cereal for 19 cents each box and 25 cents for the jars of babyfood.

I usually buy the large boxes of huggies wipes (I prefer the texture of these over pampers) using a coupon. With 2 little ones in diapers I have to. I'm not sure how many we go through a month. Maybe one box??? You can also get coupons for wipes online.

[mamamia]

Another good thing to do is to sign up for all the baby clubs at your local supermarkets, at least those that have them. Most do though. And sign up at the sites like pampers.com, enfamil.com, gerber, beechnut, earth's best, huggies, luvs, etc. Playschool now has diapers that are cheaper than the others too. Anyways, I'm sure you get the idea. Any baby brand should have a web site. All these things get you LOTS of coupons and you can join before the baby is born too!

Congrats on your baby and have fun web surfing :O)

Theresa