Having a baby is rewarding in many ways, but not financially. Your newborn might be adorable, enchanting, mesmerizing and simply watching him or her sleep can make you feel a deeper sense of love unlike anything you have ever experienced before. But babies need things, not just love and attention but things that cost money. Often, quite a lot of money.
When you just have a baby, the last thing you want to think about is devising strategies on how to budget, so we’ve compiled a list of tips to help you.
Ask Friends and Family If They Have Unused Baby Products
Since babies grow up so fast, most parents have unused baby products at home. They can be diapers they bought too many of when their child was smaller, bottles, clothes or toys they received as gifts and that never really got to be utilized. You can offer to buy some of them, most parents will be glad to give them to you for free anyway as they need the extra space.
Buy Diapers on Sale and in Bulk
Considering how many you’re going to need, it doesn’t make any sense to buy diapers at full price. In the old days, you’d have to make the time and find the energy to drive to a superstore but now we have online shopping. You can get really good offers with next day delivery. You should also take a look at the fliers you get in your local supermarkets such as the Aldi catalogue, because they also offer significant discounts from time to time.
Go Easy on the Baby Clothes
How do you think your friends and family have so many to pass on to you? Baby clothes are almost as cute as the babies. That makes it very tempting to buy a lot of outfits so you can take a million photos. But your baby doesn’t care about fashion. They just want to be well fed, rested, cuddled and loved. Your little angel will like any outfit that’s comfortable. Whatever you buy they’ll outgrow from month to month anyway so save your money for things that are more important.
Ask for Samples
The cost of baby formula can really add up so a good way of cutting down is to ask your pediatrician for samples. They usually won’t offer it to you unprompted so you have to get over your shyness and fill your diaper bag with as much formula and eczema cream samples as the nurses are willing to give you. They usually get them straight from the manufacturers who are trying to advertise. You’ll probably also be able to get discount coupons.
Sell the Items You No Longer Need
It’s impossible to calculate the precise amount you need so you’ll end up with extras as well. You can pass them on to someone who needs them. Some things you can give out of the kindness of your heart, the same way you got things for free as well, but for more expensive items, nobody will judge you if you want to get some of your investment back.
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