Expenses for babies go far beyond just baby food and formula. Don’t we wish that’s all that we had to spend money on?? Did you know that the AVERAGE COST of raising a child to age18 in 2021 is $233,610? OMG, that would be AVERAGE. That’s something that I would’ve rather not been aware of. Today we’re going to address some major expenses at the beginning of the baby’s life and include items like diapers, wipes, clothing, and all of the baby “stuff” that everyone has to have to survive with a baby.
DIAPERS
After food costs, a large expense occurring during the first years of your baby’s life is diapers and wipes. There is so much advertising in this industry and so many different options for new parents and babies. Let me reiterate the phrase “Price may not equal value.” The most expensive diapers are not necessarily the best. Try a generic brand and see if they work for you. For my girls, Luvs worked for us. You will go through more diapers than you want to think about and any amount of savings can add up to a big amount for your family. The same goes for wipes. Do your comparison-shopping at the warehouse clubs, discount stores, and supermarkets. Coupons can make a big difference as well. Don’t let yourself get tied to a specific brand because you lose your objectivity. To get some great deals and coupons, sign up for your neighborhood baby clubs. Check your local supermarkets and drug stores to see if they have baby clubs. Some send you monthly coupons and newsletters, while others may give you credit toward money off depending on how much you spend.
You also have options if you are more environmentally conscious and want to stay away from the number of diapers that will go landfills. Old school cloth diapers still exist and people do use them. An upside is the cost savings!! A major downside is actually having to deal with everything that comes with a diaper. LOL. Maybe you can’t imagine yourself swishing a dirty diaper in the toilet to get off the excesses and then washing them…I don’t blame you. It wasn’t something I was interested in doing.
If you decide traditional cloth diapers are not for you, evaluate some of the “new age” options as an alternative that have come a long way from the old school diapers that our grandparents used. Here’s an excerpt from the website www.itsabelly.com.
“Real Diaper Association estimates that 27.4 billion disposable diapers are consumed every year in the U.S and will sit in our landfills for 250-500+ years
50 million diapers end up in the landfill every day
Families using disposable diapers will spend $2500-3000 diapering one child, compared to $500-600 using modern cloth diapers.
Modern cloth diapers are dioxin free, often organic, are free of harsh chemicals and perfumes – unlike their big brand disposable counterparts.
Over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine are used to produce disposable diapers for one baby EACH YEAR”
Explore the following website to see several modern-day alternatives to plain cloth diapers. If being environmentally conscious is important to you, they have several ideas to choose from. They do require more work than a disposable, but if you are home with your baby or if you have a childcare provider who is willing to do the necessary steps, you do have many options. https://itsabelly.com/2011/10/eco-friendly-cloth-diapering-alternatives-to-disposable-diapers/
You will go through a lot of baby wipes over the baby’s “diaper lifetime”. Who am I kidding? I’ve used baby wipes for many other things than just for diapering. Either way, you will use a lot of them and want to keep costs low. Also, you may find that your baby has sensitivities to the ingredients in traditional wipes. The hospital and/or your doctor may give you samples and coupons for different baby wipes. There are traditional as well as more natural/organic options. Either way, we’re talking about a large expense. If your baby does not have skin issues, try the traditional generic store brands to see if they work for you. Even with coupons and sales, the generic brands still may be priced lower per ounce/wipe. Price comparisons are a must. Look closely at the cost sign and description where it breaks the cost down so you can compare apples to apples.
If you are adamant at going natural, you still have options. Some are even reusable so even better for the environment. Surf the following website for some more environmentally friendly options. They may not be offered at your local supermarket so planning ahead for an online order may be necessary. https://earthfriendlytips.com/best-eco-friendly-baby-wipes-for-natural-diapering/
MERCHANDISE
Along with food, diapers, and wipes, babies need clothing and other products as well. You have to think about cribs, bassinettes, cradles, dressers, changing tables, mobiles, bottles, and rattles, just to name a few. All of these items can add up to a large expense, even if you are lucky enough to have a prolific baby shower. Let’s go over ways to find these items at reasonable prices from the cheapest to the most expensive.
Your friends and family can be a great outlet to get merchandise and clothing for FREE. Even if they are not done having children, you can borrow the items until they need them back. This is especially true for pack and plays, cribs/bassinettes, strollers, and other large items. **Important: make sure that there have been no recalls on any of the items. I lent my snap n go stroller and cradle out to friends. They are both items that are not used excessively and would not get a lot of wear and tear.
Another option that gets overlooked by many is by things that people put out for trash. Yep, I said it--TRASH. Don’t think of it as picking through trash, but rather like getting an item for FREE that just as well could have been at a garage sale. It’s just a location issue (in the driveway or at the curb). Before our first child was born, I found a changing table on the side of the road down the street from our house. It had been used as a gardening table, but my husband replaced the shelves and I painted it to make it look brand new. You’d never know that we picked it up on the side of the road. Currently at www.walmart.com you find even the most basic changing table for $50+. We’ve also done this with outdoor toys like riding cars, a swing, and even a plastic school desk.
Your kids won’t know and no one else will either unless YOU tell. I’m actually quite proud of my acquisitions. I’m able to get things for my children that I hadn’t plan on buying new or even at all. They are additional things for them that weren’t necessities, but fun to have.
As always, consignment stores, and church/garage sales are great places to find kids’ stuff. This includes clothing, shoes, bedding, furniture, toys, books, videos, strollers, car seats, cribs, and the like. As I mentioned before, you can check online to look for discount items and don’t forget www.goodwill.org to find a location close to you. Go frequently because they get in new things daily. You may even befriend a worker that lets you know when specific items come into the store.
If you are purchasing items brand new, it’s important that you shop for bargains. The warehouse clubs such as Sam’s Club, Costco, and BJ’s have a small selection of baby and children’s clothing items, but also carry toys, books, DVD’s, music, and even large items like bikes and swing sets. As always, you need to compare prices with other stores. You can check out the warehouses online at www.samsclub.com, www.costco.com, and www.bjs.com. Many of their items are seasonal. Outdoor items usually appear mid or late winter and tend to sell out early spring.
Out of all the discount stores, I find that Walmart has the best non-sale prices. These are the prices before any sales, coupons, or discounts. You can also choose from TJMaxx, Marshalls, Old Navy, Target, and Kohls for very reasonable merchandise. Depending on the region in which you live, there
may be other places that have unusually low prices as well. Don’t forget to look online at places like www.overstock.com, www.buybuybaby.com, and www.thriftylittles.com. Another great resource is Burlington (used to be Burlington Coat Factory). We got our crib there for a fraction of the cost. www.burlington.com. Their larger items and clothing can be found quite a bit cheaper as well. Always keep in mind, the site https://freecycle.org/ where you can get items absolutely FREE. People give and get items that they want to get rid of for absolutely free. They don’t want you going on there just to get things, so make sure you have items that you can contribute to give as well. Facebook Marketplace and Craig’s List also have items completely for free. Just search “free stuff” or “curb” or similar terms. **These sites are not just for baby items, but for everything.
For other money saving tips for both babies and toddlers, I’d recommend two great books. Explore your local library or online before purchasing to see if it can benefit you. Baby Bargains AND Toddler Bargains by Alan and Denise Fields. I’ve used both and found some great tips and ideas.
Even though kids can be a financial suckage on your bottom line, you can help keep it in control and earn money for your family. Baby food, clothing, items, and so many more things can be found for free, major discounts, or at least on sale. You have a lot of time to plan for a baby, so start thinking ahead to get items when you’re not in huge need when you still can shop around for prices and deals. Your baby shower can help with the larger items that are harder to find deals on. Ask a seasoned mom about what items they never used so you don’t put those on your registry. If your finances are tight, try to stick to your necessities with only putting a few wants on the list. Your baby won’t know that you have the latest and greatest items nor will they care—just wait for the pre-teen and teenage years for that.
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