Frugal tips for new moms

[fizzie]

OK ladies--What advice can you give to help new moms save money?

[Mamaof2rugrats]

Breastfeed
Cloth Diaper
Or Buy Formula,Wipes,Diapers in bulk at Sam's

[druidessemily]

Make casserole type meals before you give birth, that you can freeze and reheat easily. You will likely be WAY too tired to cook, and it will be easy just to give in and order take out or similar. If people want to come over and visit with the baby, ask them to do a chore.

[Jaded]

There's a message on here somewhere about how to make your own baby wipes.

If they're not given to you, buy second hand furniture, accessories, and other stuff. Make sure it's not so old as to be unsafe. You can look up brands and model numbers online to see if they were recalled.

Not a frugal tip, but don't use ivory soap for babies. It's very drying. If you can find it, use castile soap. Can be cheaper than baby wash, at least cheaper than the name brands.

[druidessemily]

If you have a baby shower, you will probably receive a few dozen extra baby wash rags. We used those as baby wipes! Just get a spray bottle from the travel/trial section of a store's health and beauty department, fill it with water, and you're good to go We still use some commercial baby wipes, for poopy diapers, but otherwise just use the washrags. They've last a year so far!

[Scattymum]

dont be sucked in that you need everything that is on sale in the shops - in reality you actually need very little.

I agree with the cooking and freezing meals - i have 5 weeks to go and already have alot of meals already pprepared - the last thing i want to be doing in a few weeks time is wondering what to cook

[thrifty gal]

Remember that you don't need everything that you see in the stores. You don't need a changing table, bottle warmer, wipe warmer, etc. The changing table may be nice, but it's not a need, so don't burden yourself with trying to buy one.

If you are eligible, get WIC.

[druidessemily]

I keep thinking of more tips that we use!!

You don't need to invest in an 'infant tub.' I get in the tub with Asher. It's a LOT more fun, and I don't have to bend over the side to bathe him.

Make your own baby food. Either buy fresh vegetables and steam/boil them, or buy a bag of frozen veggies. Then puree them in a blender or food processor (we have a magic bullet, and it is AWESOME!) You can pour the puree into an ice cube tray and freeze them for perfect portion sizes, then put the cubes into a zip lock bag. Baby food costs about 50 cents a jar, for 4 oz. But if you make it yourself, you can make it as cheaply as 2 cents an ounce! And YOU can control the consistency. It also tastes MUCH better.

If you are open to the idea, try cosleeping with your child in bed with you. We've done this since day one, and absolutely love it. I breastfeed and love not having to get up every night, I just wake up, put him on a breast, and go right back to sleep. Waking up every morning to see his smiling face is awesome, too. My husband and I both love being able to cuddle with him.

We bought a swing, and Asher used it for a maybe two hours in a three month period. It was such a total waste of money, since Asher wants to be held.

Rather than getting a bulky stroller, look into a sling or wrap. This way, your baby is held right next to you (makes it very convenient to nurse in public), it's easier to get in and out of, it is easier to push around... And you can make one cheap, too, just a few yards of fabric and some metal rings. If you are interested, you can look at http://www.thebabywearer.com.

Don't worry about buying Dreft or some other detergent marketed specifically for babies. If you think about it, when you hold your baby, he is coming in contact with your clothes, that probably weren't washed in Dreft. We use the Sam's Club generic detergent, it has fewer dyes and additives (so in this case, cheaper is better!) and never had a problem with Asher reacting to it. So use what you have, and if it doesn't work, then maybe look into switching detergents. But chances are, you won't have a problem!

If you have a local Babies R Us, they give seminars very often. Go to them, and you can get goody bags, including excellent quality bottles! We have about a half dozen or so Avent bottles (some 6 oz, some 9 oz) that we've only used a few times. Other places might offer free samples as well, so look into that before you spend money on bottles.

Go to yard sales and thrift stores for baby clothes. When Asher was born, we bought all new clothes. Then one weekend I went to a few yard sales, and found baby clothes for 50 cents apiece!! I can't believe I was spending so much money before. Babies grow out of clothes SO quickly, that they are often still in 'like new' condition!

When you are done with the baby clothes, see if you have a consignment store in your area. Generally they split the profit 50/50. And it seems like it is easier to sell through them, than on ebay, where you only get good money if the things have tags or are name brand.

[ChristineLynne]

Biggest tip: research, research, research! Starting before you get pregnant, preferably. A LOT of conventional wisdom and typical practices are unnecessary and wasteful. Just some examples:

- You may not need "official" maternity clothes, especially with current styles being cut low on the hip.
- You probably don't need most of the interventions an OB/GYN will be inclined to do, and sadly many doctors don't really inform their patients of the risks (and costs!) of induction, epidurals, continuous fetal monitoring, and so on. In most cases, natural birth is healthier for mom & baby, and costs a lot less.
- You don't need most of the baby products advertised in magazines. Bottle sterilizers, special soaps, baby bathtubs, baby perfume? Forget it - think about what you really need.
- Come to think of it, don't read magazines at all. They are nothing but advertising cover to cover. What? You think the articles are an exception? No way - editorial policy is driven by the advertisers, and magazines are basically not "allowed" to publish any content that deters mass consumption.
- Breastfeed! It is practically free, there is free support and guidance (go to LLL meetings before giving birth, and have a flyer on hand with phone numbers). Plus it makes you and the baby healthier, so you have lower medical costs.
- Cloth diapers aren't as icky as you think. You no longer need pins, there are lots of different, easy to use styles, and they don't stink like disposables do.
- Avoid buying baby toys. You will probably get more than you can use as gifts. Immediately sell anything that makes noise or moves on its own. Blocks, cloth toys, plastic linky chains, the simple toys are more fun, and last longer.
- Don't buy toys and clothes new. Go to the consignment shop or thrift store. Things are cheaper, you often find very high quality items (they are the ones that last, so can be resold), and you don't have to deal with all the excessive packaging that comes with new things.
- Get a sling. It will let you get some stuff done, even with a high-needs baby. You don't have to drop $50 on a new brand-name one. Check e-bay, or look online for free patterns for sewing your own.
- Sleep when the baby sleeps, and let others who want to help do chores. Everyone wants to "hold the baby for you," but tell them they'd be more useful folding some laundry or doing the dishes.
- As others said, either set up freezer meals ahead of time, or ask people to cook for you when they want to help.