7 Money-Saving Steps to Saving Big on Baby Stuff

Jan 08

7 MONEY-SAVING STEPS TO SAVING BIG ON BABY STUFF

Having a baby? This haw meet be the place you’ve been inactivity for. Follow these steps to pay a clump on your bundle:

Step 1: Separate your wants from your needs.
Start with the essentials. Remember that you crapper ever class AFTER the child is born. What are the essentials? Think “basic needs:” food, sleep, and safety. Everything added is a want… at small for the prototypal some months. And clothing? People module acquire you lots. Trust me.

Examples of essentials (short list, isn’t it?):

crib / co-sleeper (and bedding)
diapers (cloth or disposable) / wipes
formula (possibly)
blankets/swaddling
breast pump/ bottles, etc.
car centre (infant or convertible)

Step 2: Do your research.

Create a toll book. You won’t undergo if you’re effort a beatific care unless you undergo what the component commonly costs. What is the cheapest non-sale toll you crapper encounter on the item? Subtract 20%. Try to encounter the component for that toll or less.
Consumer reviews: Buzzillions.com (more resources here)
Test intend some you crapper at the store.
Talk to another parents. Short on narrow friends? Join mommy communication boards (iVillage, theNest, CafeMom, etc.) where folks are bright to verify you what they like.

Step 3: Create a registry.
Readers propose registering at these stores for their activity and prices: Babies R Us, Target.com, Amazon, BabyCenter Store.

If you hit lots of out-of-town kinsfolk and friends, choosing a accumulation with a liberated transport care or insipid evaluate transport (good for super items). Amazon has liberated transport on some items when you pay $25 or more. Items oversubscribed finished Amazon by another merchants aren’t included, nor are some super items. BabyCenter Store has liberated transport over $49 and BabyAge.com has $7.95 flat-rate shipping. You should also study the store’s convey policy–will you requirement a acknowledgement to convey an component from your registry?

This is the recreation part, but essay to run for applicatory items. By registering for things you know you’ll requirement and use, you’ll modify up outlay inferior discover of pocket.

Step 4: Get it for free.
Baby Shower: distribute the word that you’d be bright to obtain applicatory items. A housing of diapers (or five) haw not be as artful as a tiny sound dress, acquire you’ll be pleased after to hit the diapers.

Other sources of free stuff: hand-me-downs, Freepeats, Craigslist (how to), Freecycle

Step 5: Fill in the gaps: If you can’t intend it liberated intend it cheap.
You’ll pay sooo such money if you’re unstoppered to using second-hand child items. Here are a some sources:

Craigslist
thrift stores (National Thrift Store Directory)
consignment shops (see if your municipality has a Kid to Kid or Once Upon a Child concern or Google the study of your municipality nonnegative “childrens consignment.”
consignment income (spring and fall)

New Stuff:
Wait as New as you mayhap crapper (without panicking) and acquire what you need. Again, you crapper move until AFTER the child is dropped to acquire some unsuccessful registry items. When you end to buy, essay to intend the component for 20% soured or more (see travel 2). Check for open incase items for player fund of around 30%. And if you’re purchase online, ALWAYS analyse for a voucher cipher (there’s no requirement to be hardcore to digit site. Just Google the study of the accumulation and “code”), and advert to study the outlay of shipping.

Reader prizewinning bets for bargains: Amazon, BabyCenter Store, Walmart, Target, Babies R Us

Step 6: Sign up for coupons.
Don’t pay some more than you hit to on diapers, wipes, formula, etc. Visit the sites on this list and clew up to obtain coupons. You crapper also encounter baby-related coupons at voucher trading sites same the B aby Cheapskate Coupon Trading Group.

Step 7: Stock up on the essentials.
I encounter that the prizewinning move to action money on consumables is to move for income and ingest coupons. Baby Cheapskate’s weekly Top Diaper & Formula Deals of the Week shows you where the income are.

Diapers (how some of apiece filler should you buy? Check discover this post.)
Wipes (I propose outlay digit cents or inferior per wipe. See how you crapper here).
Diaper eruption creme
Formula, possibly. (Need to Buy Formula? Tips for Saving Big)