every parent out there knows that once you have a kid, there are certain things added to your expenses. but, it doesn’t have to be absurdly expensive if you don’t let it. i’m going to talk about a few ways you can save money.
milk/food
when it comes to milk, the cheapest thing you can do is breastfeed. now, i know not all moms choose this option or are even able to. for those that use formula, wait for those deals and stock up. you typically go through a container fairly quickly that you shouldn’t need to worry about it going bad before being used. target will often have those deals of ‘spend $x on diapers/wipes/etc. and get $x gift card.’ also, if you have a friend that has an oversupply of milk, ask them if you can use some of their milk and maybe offer a favor in return!
when your child is old enough to be eating solids, feed them what you’re eating (modified as needed). you’ll save money if you don’t make separate meals for the kids and adults in the household. this will also help your child not be a picky eater as they get older. also, buy regular snacks and not only things marketed for kids. i’ve found that i can find a kid snack that’s pretty much identical to something in the regular food section, but because it’s kid themed and marketed towards 1-2 year olds (for example), they can charge much much more!
clothing
shop second hand. i know some people get weirded out over used clothing, but i buy most of my kids’ clothes used. i can find great deals on things i would normally have not sought after. they grow out of clothes so quickly (especially early on) that it truly doesn’t pay to buy all these expensive new clothes for them to only wear a couple times before they’re too small or are stained.
you can also save money with your kids’ clothes if you dress them neutrally. this was a lot easier with my son than it is for my daughter, but if you can buy shirts/onesies and pants/shorts that can mix & match well, you’ll be able to use them in various outfits, resulting in not needing as many pieces of clothing.
diapers
we were extremely blessed with the amount of diapers we received for my son that we didn’t need to buy him diapers until he was well over 6 months old; it was amazing. but, all babies wear diapers and they go through them quickly!! it’s really easy to buy the diapers with cute patterns but sams club & costco have bulk diapers for a lot cheaper than you’ll find at other places. stock up there and save the money. we don’t personally have a membership, so we’ll ask my parents to pick them up for us as we need them so we can save the money still, especially with having multiple children.
furniture
my first tip for saving money when it comes to kids’ larger pieces is to shop used. don’t be afraid to shop facebook marketplace. you’d be surprised the good finds you can get off there; you just have to be patient & diligent to check frequently.
i understand there are some things that you’d prefer to buy new (one of those for me is a crib). in those cases, buy something versatile and neutral. what i mean by that is, for example, buy a crib that can transform into a toddler bed instead of buying a mini crib for your newborn, then buying a regular crib when they’ve outgrown the mini, and then buying a toddler bed in a couple years when they need that. that’s spending 3x the amount you need to. also, by buying pieces that are fairly neutral, you’ll be able to use them for boys or girls; it won’t matter the order the genders come in your family line up.
top brands
my last tip for saving money as a parent is to be okay not having the highest and most expensive baby items. (usually, they’re not worth it anyways). it’s crazy to me how you can buy theoretically the same thing but spend double or triple (or sometimes more) to have something with a certain brand name on it or to buy it from a certain place. to me, that’s not worth it.
it can actually be a fun game to try and save the most money as possible in these areas as a parent. what’s a way your family saves money?
tia marie
tia marie 