Evelyn is a million dollar baby. That being said I have made it my mission to raise her on the cheap. I would rather have her in second-hand clothes now and in college later. Yet, there are those days when "momma's gotta shop". So here are a few ways I save money in order to buy "the fun stuff".
First, you should realize you are going to spend more money before you bring the baby home then you will afterwords. Before you drop a ton of money at Babies R Us remember the only "essential" is a car seat. They will not let you take the baby out of the hospital without one. Other than that it is all up to you and your life style as to what gear to buy. Babies want to be in your arms for the first three months and on the floor after that. One big question for the first few months is: Swing, bouncy chair or both? We have both, I bought the bouncy chair at a thrift store for $4.00 and my mother-in-law bought the swing. Even so, I wish I would've had her buy something else and gone without the swing. The swing did save us a few hours of pacing the floor early on but Evelyn rarely uses it now (at 5 months developmentally). The bouncy chair has the added feature of seconding as a feeding chair and so it still gets used on a daily bases.
Second (this really should be first), you have gotta nurse the baby for a year. I have not, and do not intend to buy a can of formula. Formula is expensive, and if your baby needs to switch a lot to find the right brand then you pour a ton of money right down the drain. Of course there are a lot of health benefits to nursing but for me it was the money that got me to do it. Even if you have to rent a good breast pump and go to a lactation specialist to make it work you will save money in the long run. Locally there is a great place called The Lactation Station. A stop there is a must. Another way I saved money on nursing is by buying only a one nursing bra. I found that my sports bras and camisoles work great.
Third, buy store brand diapers. There is no amount of leakage control that can make up for the $4.00 a pack the name brands charge over store brands. With the money you save you can buy an other outfit and some laundry detergent and wash the leak away. Now keep your eyes on the ads and stock up on diapers when the stores have their brand on sale. Walgreen's often has buy two get one free. Free! That is more money for laundry! Speaking of which, Oxyclean is a must. It takes out poop, spit-up and blood.
Forth, make your own baby food. Buy a food puree machine of some sort and make your own stuff. Homemade baby food is healthy and it is cheap. Remember, many cultures feed their babes right off the plate. Just take it slow. Only introduce one new food a week.
And that is how you can have a baby on the cheap.
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