You have a baby on the way, and you are so excited to finally meet them. What you’re not so excited about is all of the expenses that come with raising a newborn. You know that you can cut coupons and collect discount codes to get better deals on essentials like diapers and baby food, but you’re not sure what else will help you save money on baby-related expenses. These are some tips you should consider.
1 Get Hand-Me-Down Clothes
Your baby will grow out of clothes very quickly. They will wear one side only a few times before it starts to get too tight, and you’ll have to get them one in the next size up. So, it doesn’t make sense to buy your baby-to-be a wardrobe full of brand-new items purchased at full price. You should try to get your hands on hand-me-downs instead.
How? If you have any relatives or friends who have recently had babies, you can ask them if they have any baby clothes that they’d like to donate to you. Or you can find local parenting groups to see if anyone is offering clothes. Plenty of parents want to offload their old items to others in the community.
2 Skip the High-Tech Items
When you’re browsing through parenting websites and baby stores, you’ll see a long list of high-tech items with hefty price tags. You do not have to buy them. A lot of these high-tech items are not necessary for raising a newborn—they’ll just be a waste of your money.
What are some high-tech items that you can skip for the sake of savings?
- Baby wipe warmer
- Bathtub thermometer
- Bottle sterilizer
- Formula dispenser
- Wifi-connected baby monitor (a basic audio baby monitor should suffice)
3 Do Not Buy Bedding Accessories
You do not need to spend money on bedding accessories like pillows, blankets, plush toys, and bumper pads. Newborns should never sleep in bassinets or cribs that are crowded with these accessories.
Why is that? Bedding accessories can be health hazards for newborns and could potentially increase the risk of SIDS. Newborns should only sleep on top of a mattress that has a well-fitted sheet and waterproof liner underneath it. That’s it.
4 Do Not Buy Baby Shoes
Baby shoes are very cute, but they are technically a waste of money. Your baby won’t need to wear shoes for a long time. Even when they get old enough to start standing and walking, you shouldn’t get them shoes. It’s easier for babies to walk barefoot. It helps them develop better balance and foot strength.
So, wait on the purchase. You don’t want to think about it until after your baby has reached the childhood milestone of walking.
5 Be Strategic with Your Baby Registry
The most popular way to save on baby-related expenses is with a baby shower. Then your friends, family members, and colleagues can gift you some of the gear you’ll need for raising your newborn. To help the guests pick out the right gifts, set up a baby registry.
On your registry, you will want to add some big-ticket items that shouldn’t be purchased second-hand, like a car seat or a crib. Don’t balk at the price tag. Guests can pool their money together to get the gift. If you’re uncomfortable with asking for the big-ticket items, you can ask for several gift cards for the location where you’d like to purchase those items instead. With enough gift cards, you can buy these after the shower.
Gift cards aren’t just useful for purchasing baby gear. The cards can also help you keep up with essential expenses like diapers. Asking for a gift card for diaper-related expenses is much wiser than asking for boxes of diapers because you can’t predict the size of diapers your baby will need months from now. Gift cards allow you to circumvent this problem.
Many registries made through retailers offer gifts and discounts to new parents. Check out which ones suit your needs and take advantage of those rewards!
6 Organize a Meal Train
When you’re taking care of a newborn, you won’t have time or energy to whip up dinner. Making anything more than a piece of toast or a bowl of cereal could feel like a Herculean task. So, naturally, you’ll be tempted to order takeout. Doing this for weeks on end will cost you a ton of money, and it might lead you to make some unhealthy food choices for the sake of convenience.
So, to save yourself money, try to arrange a meal train for after your due date. Or, better yet, ask a trusted friend or family member to organize this for you. Your loved ones can bring you meals in those first few weeks of parenthood so that you can save money and focus on what’s important: healing and taking care of the baby.
7 Do Your Research about Symptoms
You’re going to be nervous taking care of a new baby, so you might panic every time that you spot something strange. You might book a last-minute doctor’s appointment or rush them to the ER. This habit could cost you a lot of money, and it may not even be necessary. Your baby could be completely fine.
So, before the baby is born, try to do some research on strange symptoms of newborns that are not emergencies. If you’re still not sure whether something is concerning, call the pediatrician before booking an appointment. They may be able to diagnose the problem over the phone and let you know that things are just fine.
What if you do need an appointment? In that case, don’t skip it for the sake of savings. Your baby’s health should be your top priority. Hopefully, your insurance covers the majority of the medical costs, including any prescription medications they recommend. If you can’t afford these out-of-pocket costs right away, you may want to consider a different payment solution. You might meet the eligibility requirements to apply for cash loans online—this type of loan can be useful in an emergency.
With an approved online loan, you can use temporary funds to cover your urgent expenses in a short amount of time. Once that problem is dealt with, you can direct your attention to a loan repayment plan. This can be managed through a straightforward billing cycle.
You don’t have time to worry about your budget once the baby is born. So, follow these tips now! You won’t stretch your budget so much once your little one arrives.
