new baby advice

[alwaysbudget]

Heya guys, I am new to this site and I think its great!!
Me and my husband have recently just gotten serious about saving money and being frugal lately, and we have been doing a great job so far, I think.
Well, we have a baby commin soon (in two months) and we will be 1st time parents and I was wondering what are some excellent baby saving advice that you guys can provide for me?? I see that some of you have children and experience in saving and raising kids, so it would be greatly appreciated.
We already have somewhat of a plan.. like using cloth diapers and buying baby clothes and toys from resale stores and garage sales...
well any advice would be greatly appreciated.. thnx.
Sarah

[jeffrey]

This article may help:

10 Baby Items You Think You Need, But Really Don’t - Personal Finance Advice

[disneysteve]

Now that Spring is upon us (not that the weather this week is any indication), that means it is yard sale season. With very few exceptions, you can get virtually everything you need at a fraction of it's original cost by shopping yard sales. By far, baby items are the most prominent things at yard sales. People buy them new, or receive them as gifts, and only use them for a few months or a year. Some items never get used at all.

Specifically, look to yard sales for things like your stroller, high chair, basinette, swing, bouncer, exersaucer, playpen and other standard items. In addition to saving money upfront, another big advantage to buying used is that when you are done with the item, you can resell it usually for about the same price that you paid. We did that with quite a few things. In fact, a couple of items we actually made a profit on because we bought them with minor damage which I repaired myself (for free) while we owned them.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Are you using cloth for environmental purposes or for price? Some people get really cheap disposable diapers. Consider getting disposables for the first few weeks before you are up and moving around a lot and having to do a laundry daily.

[alwaysbudget]

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

Are you using cloth for environmental purposes or for price? Some people get really cheap disposable diapers. Consider getting disposables for the first few weeks before you are up and moving around a lot and having to do a laundry daily.

I am mainly condsidering using cloth diapers for price, and secondary environment. I would think that using cloth diapers would cut down alot on costs of disposables. I have never used cloth before, and I am not sure exactly how much it would be for washing, and I know its more of a hassle.. it was just an idea..

[Scanner]

Off the top of my head:

Buy some rubbermaid containers. Store all clothes if you have a basement or crawlspace. Get a piece of masking tape and a marker and write "Toddler - 3T" on the side. This will especially work becasue you'll get clothes they only use once or twice.

You'll have a 50% chance of using the clothes for the little brother or sister.

We did this and we have hardly bought any clothes for the second boy. However, boys will wear anything you put on them. Once girls can communicate, they'll have opinions on what they are wearing so. . .it may or may not pay.

I would say join a wholesale club but you are using cloth diapers

[PrincessPerky]

Relax, you don't need half the stuff 'they' say you do, yard sale or otherwise, the main thing a baby needs is you..and you are already paid for

Oh and I ditto everything in that article

[crabbypatty]

Don't plan on using cloth diapers if you expect to return to work before your child is potty trained. I don't know of any daycare providers that will accept children unless they use disposables.

Make your own baby food. Those little jars get expensive.

About the yard sales. I completely agree. Also, check your community calendar. Around me there are several major yearly yard sales designed especially for kids stuff. They have them places like fairgrounds where you can have 50+ vendors, all parents trying to get rid of their baby/kidsstuff.

[Homebody]

Breastfeed. It's cheap and easy once baby gets the hang of it and the nipples toughen up. Be sure to drink a glass of water for each side each feeding.

Each of my three daughters, at about 6 weeks, I went through a period of my nipples being painful, but it goes away after a week and then it was smooth sailing...

[baking23]

Congrats. I don't have kids, although some of my friends do, and they said breastfeeding has helped them a lot. She didn't buy the pumps, or special bras though, which I think helped too.

[luvnspnful]

congrats on the little one!
i have a just turning 2 yr old so i am sort of still in the baby stage. the intial buying period for a baby can be overwhelming and expensive but if u can start out with just a few essentials until u learn what u truly need that can cut down on cost a lot. \
dont bother with a bassinet- itll hardly get used and almost every baby ive known wont sleep in one anyway. buy a 3-in-1 crib- they are more expensive at the outset, but u get a lot of miles out of them once they turn into a toddler/double bed for later use. buy your carseat brand new- it is never safe to have second hand for this as u dont know if its been in a car accident or the age. i recommend the Britax brand. sure, they are the cadillac of carseats, but ease of use and long term durability is worth it. plus u can Ebay it later for almost as much as u spend. . for the newborn infant seat, Graco Snugride is excellent and fairly inexpensive.

clothing: buy a ton of baby t-shirts (gerber onesies) in every size u can find up to 3T. my 2 yr old still wears them everyday under his clothes- hes learned how to remove his diaper so that keeps it on and keeps his outer clothes from irritating his skin. stick to sleepers and easy one piece outfits for the first six months. u can buy them cheap at 2nd hand stores and they are easy to change in a hurry. i know how tempting buying cute outfits are, but u will get a ton of them as gifts and most likely never get them on the baby before its outgrown, so just buy for special occasions like the going home outfit etc. i found my little guy does best in sweatpants and sweat shirts (durability and comfort) so i buy them at each size from oldnavy and sears.

diapers: i never used cloth because just regular laundry upkeep is exhausting and neverending, didnt want to add more to my daily routine. i just buy whatevers on sale as long as they have stretchy tabs. once in size 3 and up it really doesnt matter what u use- but its true about the daycares- they wont take kids in cloth as its a pita for them to store them for pickup.

misc: a bottle warmer is a good idea ( i have one i only used 2x if youre interested- free to a good home- just pay for shipping ). ditto good baby bottles: dr brown's are exellent and u can buy them used on ebay for a fraction of the cost. just buy new nipples in different stages.
-breast pump u can rent. hospital grade is good or buy a Medela Pump in style. dont bother with a cheaper one. i tried 4 kinds and they werent worth the cardboard they were wrapped in.

keep it simple. u wont really know what u will use until u use it. u can always buy things later when u discover u need them. mom-to-mom sales are excellent. keep your eye out for these.

good luck hun.,... hope this helps a bit

[fairy74]

soon to be mom here as well, here are my tips:

1. Let everyone know you except freebies, a lot of people are happy to have someone to give the stuff away to and be able to clean out their garages. You'll get some stuff you don't need, but can pass it on.

2. Use your local freecycle or craigslist

3. As others have mentioned yard sales and/or thrift stores

4. Breastfeed if possible, make your own food...there are some good baby food recipe books in the library.

5. Register for the big items you need...and don't buy everything at once. If you don't have the money for a crib right away --- a moses basket or bassinet will do until you can save up the money.

6. Don't get sucked into to everything must match a theme. We are doing a jungle theme, but the predominant color is yellow, so we don't get overcharged for the little patterned stuff. Plus if we have a girl later on we can add some pink or purple touches and not have to buy all new stuff.

7. Do buy some gender neutral layette items, that way you don't have to buy entirely new stuff if you have a different sex child later on, buy a few cute boy or girl outfits for photos and such....

[GoodBuyGirl]

You may find using cloth diapers more work than it's worth.
I aslo agree with DisneySteve on buying baby items at garage sales. Not only a great place to find clothes but also strollers, walkers and swings.
Next to toilet paper baby swings were one of the greatest inventions. But thats just things through my eyes.

[PrincessPerky]

You don't nbeed a recipie for baby food, pure the veggies you are eating (though do get used to eating the same veggie for 4 days in a row, or else puree enough for 4 days the first night and freeze servings 3 and 4)

As to the order of introduction, ask your ped at your 3 month visit.

[Saving in So Cal]

I made several fleece blankets that my 3-year old still uses. Babies like them because they are very soft. Parents like them because they wash and wear well. Plus, fleece comes in so many colors and prints, you can match just about anything. I just took 1-1/2 yards of fleece fabric and trimmed it with blanket binding. However, you don't really needed the binding because fleece doesn't ravel. If you want a nice edge, you can use zigzag scissors or a rotary cutter cut the fleece.

[My English Castle]

We got a book at the library called Baby Bargains by Denise Field.
It offered good reviews and advice.
It also serves as a handy reference guide as you're garage saleing.
There's no point in buying a bad car seat or a badly-rated carrier if you can find a better one.
Our daughter would only sleep in the carrier sometimes--and ours weighed a ton. I wish I'd have bought a lighter one---but did I ever have great biceps!

[Bluezy]

Congratulations on your new little one!!!! I was a first-time mum three (3) years ago witrh my CJ, so I have some ideas:

1. Stock up on diapers, size 2 on up. Your little one won't fit in newborn size very long.
2. Don't bother with newborn clothing other than t-shirts and socks. Newborns adjust to life at different speeds, pooing and spitting up at inopportune times.
3. Buy Spray and Wash for the poo and spit-up that will occur at inopportune times on your clothes.
4. Use consignment shoppes to buy clothes. Thrift stores are great places to purchase play clothes. When you do splurge for a good outfit, catch sales
5. Enjoy each minute with your little one. You first one is special, so cherish each moment with them. You will have time to yourself later on...you won't be able to get time with your little one back.
6. Same thing with sleep. Catch it when you can, but enjoy each moment!!!

Garage sales are good if you can find toys that are in good condition. I would never buy a stuffed toy from a garage sale unless I knew where it came from and could wash it.

[gackle]

I have also heard that homemade baby food has more nutrients in them than the jarred variety. We made a bunch at one time and froze it in ice cube trays. The serving sizes are just about right. (Stay away from the pureed beets - very messy and stains easily)

We were lucky enough to breast feed two children, but if you have to go formula you can buy formula coupons off Ebay for pennies to the dollar sometimes.

We tried to save money anyway we could, but weren't willing to do cloth diapers. More power to you if you take that route. Be sure to let us know how it goes.

[nanamom]

I used cloth and highly rec them. Don't feel you need the high end ones though. I used Walmart ones until potty training and then used cloth training pants. Keep a few disposables for traveling and such. A friend of mine made her own diaper liners to cut down on how often she had to wash. It does help. Use paper until the cord comes off though it is too hard to keep it dry otherwise.
Yard Sales Rock!! You can find lots of stuff. Don't buy a used car seat though. It is worth it to buy new on that one. make sure the crib is new enough to meet safety standards. One of the most useful pieces of equipment I ever saw was a sling. Not a front pack but an actual sling that can be changed as the child grows. You can even nurse in it. I also agree with the people who said to nurse. Can't beat it. They make a lanolin cream now that will help with the tenderness that develops at first. (When I did it you had to buy actual lanolin) Like others said, you don't need most of that stuff in the stores and if there is something you really want, find it used. Alot of resale shops have a bag day (fill a bag for X amount of $) or a 5 for a dollar day every month. Look for those. Toys are easy, spoons and pots work well too! Pick th eimportant ones like blocks (early math skills) and letter shapes (sand toy) and let the relatives fill in with the rest! Remember if they are surrounded by toys at this young age they will expect the same when they are older and their toys cost way to much!!
As to baby food, by all means make it but make sure you don't salt the food before you puree it. I had a baby food grinder that was portable and it worked when traveling or in restaurants. Or get a good blender and a small travel bag that will keep things cold and do the ice cube thing. They make little plastic things now that hold a serving too. Disposable spoons (12 for a couple bucks) are great for traveling. I never disposed of them but if DH forgot one I didn't really care. Same with cups. Try to not get the baby attached to a specific blanket or toy because sometimes things get forgotton and then you have a big problem! You be the security object.

[34saving]

Bluezy is right about the Spray and Wash, but it needs to be the STAIN STICK. Treat stains when they happen

Your baby will probably only like one or two "devices", so try to borrow to find out what he/she likes. My kids like the swing and the saucer. . . .couldn't care less about the bouncy seat or the front carrier.