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Frugal baby tips

2K views 9 replies 8 participants last post by  ARCMOMMY 
#1 ·
So my sister in law is having her first child. I got her on board with Dave Ramsey and now I am trying to help her see the frugal light. Lol! Well for her baby shower I am making her a "frugal Baby Basket gift" I want it to include all the things that I SWEAR by. example Dollar General brand has drops and Aldi Baby Wash. Both are dollars less than the name brand and work great. along with those type item's I wanted to include Baby Food, Bibs and things that no me mommy would think they should get. So if there is a product you absolutely love or found as a better replacement I want to hear about it. I love suggestions so bring em on! Thanks in advance everyone!
 
#2 ·
I like Costco wipes. I like the resealable packagage that's easy to carry in a bag on outing. They don't dry out as fast as other packages. I'm not a make my own wipes kinda person.

Their diapers are also good.

Free stuff from Nestlé baby when you sign up on their website. Including a change pad I used for both of mine...free!
 
#3 ·
Ignore 99% of the baby equipment that everyone thinks they need. You really don't. Things that are needed are a car seat, high chair, crib, playpen and maybe a changing table. For my last 4 babies I used a dresser with a fuzzy bathroom rug on top as a changing table.

Ignore 99% of the baby products. You do not need baby wash use a mild soap. I fully realize times have changed, but I have to say disposable diapers and wipes are a huge waste of money. If you have a washer and dryer cloth diapers and homemade flannel wipes are huge money savers. If you use disposibles and wipes away from home and cloth at home you will still have savings. Mom to be should decide whether or not she wants cloth and let it be known before the baby shower.

Purchased baby food is handy for first foods, but after than table food mushed up works find. When you make your own baby foods you quickly realize how much of the contents is liquid and I object to paying money for liquid that I can easily add to table food myself.

I like the idea of a gift basket. I've used it myself and it was well received.
 
#4 ·
I'm old school - If the couple has a washer and dryer, cloth diapers and washcloths are fine. Mild detergent for all of the baby's clothes are a must. I didn't have a playpen or changing table. I did have a great deal of small blankets which were great.

If the baby has to go to daycare then that changes the rules, but if it were up to me, I'd focus on things like a thermometer, maybe a pacifier and if the mother is not going to breast feed, then formula and bottles.
 
#5 ·
A good little food processor of some sort. No need to spend a bajillion dollars on those little jarred baby foods when you can throw (most) of your own meal items into a food processor and feed baby! I did this with my last tow and wish I had done it with my first. I saved a TON of money making my own baby food instead of paying .50-75 a jar. It was probably healthier most of the time too.

I haven't had a baby in the house for a while, but no doubt there's got to be some good 'frugal baby' books out there to add to the basket. Another pricier item that they might 'need' is a CD player or a white noise machine to help baby drift off to sleep. Start 'em on it right from the get-go and they learn it as part of their routine and it cues them that it's time to sleep.
 
#6 ·
I am on my 2nd child and couldn't agree more on how much you do not need that the stores and trends lead you to believe. My dd was born in July and I don't even think I have spent $100 on her yet. I kept some things, Salvation Army for others and just really use the bare minimum for everything else. I just hope she will enjoy the gift. Thanks everyone keep the ideas coming
 
#7 ·
Something cheap and easy. Even the resealable diaper wipe packages can be too big to be convenient. Use ziploc style baggies to put a batch of wipes in. They stay wet FOR EVER. That way you can have some scattered around places you don't normally carry them. It also makes it easier to just stuff a diaper and some wipes in your purse rather than taking an entire diaper bag with you when you have a quick trip, although that works better for older babies who aren't likely to blow out :)

Baby toys. The only real "essential" are those teething rings that can snap together. I used those to create all sorts of interesting things for the baby to play with. I could attach other items, keys, toys, whatever. Attach them to the car seat handle, crib, play pen, very versatile and very helpful. Safer than string or yarn or shoelaces or ribbon so you can make longer chains.

We used a play pen in place of a crib for two of our children. Takes up less space. If we travel, they have "their" bed and it makes it a little more comfortable for them. If they can climb out of a playpen, they can climb out of a crib so it came to the same thing.

A baby food grinder was very nice. I bought the store bought stuff only when we had to travel because then I didn't have to worry about refridgeration. You can grind up food and put it in ice cube trays and freeze it. Put it in baby size servings (1-2 "cubes") in baggies in your freezer and then thaw a day before needed.

Our birthing class mentioned that a good rectangular laundry basket or drawer makes just as good a bassinet as a bassinet. My brother actually started off in a drawer when my parents were in the military in Germany and there was no room.

Oh, yeah. We also didn't care after two children whether it was boy or girl colored, at least for blankets. If it covered them and kept them warm, we used it. You don't need a whole new set of stuff because the sex of the next baby is different.
 
#8 ·
The only *expensive* thing that has been really worth it is our babyfood maker... steams AND blends. And after we're done with baby food it will be nice (already is) to steam veggies to go with dinner with a pushbutton instead of a burner (where it has to be watched). It cost about $150 on sale and at 9mo old, it's already paid for itself compared to "baby food". The only "baby food" I buy is yogurt, because it's the only whole milk yogurt I can find and is similarly priced to regular yogurt.

We also cloth diapered and breastfed... but that takes dedication and extra work for sure, not something that you can casually give.
 
#9 ·
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