Frugal Baby

Beansjjo

FTM due dec 24th. living the frugal hippie life and with baby coming, I am finding different way to go about baby needs. Currently planning for cloth dipers/wipes. BF, homemade food(later)and minimal baby items such as swings, bouncers, mats and other such items. Any one else ? Crunchy tips?

bowlwoman

You can easily make a sling (my sister and I both did). Go to the hardware store and get the big rings, and you can find all sorts of directions and patterns online. I used some fabric I had leftover from a renfaire garb costume, some ugly drapery fabric I got on the cheap. Strong, durable, and cotton so it didn't irritate baby's skin. (Full disclosure: I wound up not using the sling very much because it was hard to fit baby and my 44DDD breasts comfortably, but I did give it the ol' college try.)

Also, instead of buying a full high chair, we bought a $25 booster seat that attaches to a dining chair. Plus, it's portable if you want to take it when out and about. We never did buy a high chair for the girls, and we plan to use the booster seat again for this guy once he starts eating. Then, you just remove the tray and use it for the toddlers when they get big enough to sit at the table.

Other than that, just the stuff you mentioned like cloth diapers, breastfeeding, making food, etc. If you want to go really old school, use a dresser drawer instead of a bassinette like my grandma did (totally kidding).

Another thing to do is figure out the indoor playarea circuit. Many malls have a small indoor play area for kids (sometimes even a carousel nearby for older kids), and a lot of libraries and bookstores have similar spaces. Those are good, free, (generally clean) indoor areas for kids to play if the weather is bad, cold, hot, etc. Plus you can meet some new people that way.

Beansjjo

Thank you! Thrift stores great idea.. from canada craigslist wont work for me but kijiji ill be looking at now lol

Beansjjo

Baby wearing is totally up my alley never thought to make one myself! Great idea thanks

mlee116

My H and I are cheap because we were broke for awhile after we got married, but old habits die hard IMO, the best thing you can do to save $ is just not buy stuff unless its absolutely necessary.  I know that seems obvious, but its so easy to go into a store and say "Aw, we NEED this." Nope, you probably don't.  Check out consignment stores.  I got several name brand sleepers yesterday with the tags still on them for $2/ea.

We saved a lot of $ by BFing.  I did buy a pump, bags, etc., but we still came out ahead.  We also made our own food, which was really easy. Don't buy a baby food maker...use a blender or a potato masher and you can freeze the food in ice cube trays then throw in a container/bag.  

Some other things we did: make your own laundry detergent (easy to do, just Google the recipe), replace cleaning sprays and fabric softeners with vinegar, have a garden (then make baby food with the produce, win, win!)

QueenOfSpades622

You can also try looking for local mom swap shops on facebook and stuff. I have gotten most of my baby great for under $30 off of those. Yesturday I got around 30-35 onesies(Various sizes) for $40 from a local mom.

soulcupcake

Welcome to the crunchy side of things. I've always been crunchy-minded. I have a very minimalist approach. No nursery/furniture, follow AP (before it was even a "thing"), minimal baby gadgets, etc.

JunkieBrewster

I am practically done with everything, the only thing I've had to buy was a changing table which I got of. Craigslist for $40 , and everything else I picked up off of freecycle or gotten from friends. my mother in law is buying my travel system, and about $400 in cloth diapers, of which I offered to buy but she insisted. having a kid at 35 really pays off at times like this, because all of my friends are done with baby stuff and looking to unload, haha.

oh, also my mother works at a thrift store so she has gotten me enough clothes to last the first year.

brownmouse

check and see if there is a store called Once Upon a Child near you. They are an amazing thrift store and I usually have really nice almost new things for cheap. This is where we get all of our kids clothes from for both my daughter and the baby, and save so much money. If you're into cloth diapering prefolds and covers are definitely the cheapest way to go. We use all in one diapers because they are convenient but have a bunch of prefolds too that I love for night time.

with DD I made my own cloth wipes by taking a giant king size flannel sheet and cutting it into squares, there's a lot of money saved since you can get the sheet for just a few dollars and it makes hundreds of wipes.

BayCamp

I found a local b/s/t Facebook page and have gotten a TON of barely used clothes, baby stuff, even maternity clothes for dirt cheap. Even got a ring sling for $20, I was planning on making my own but for that price it was worth it. If you look on Pinterest you can find some great DIY sling instructions.

brownmouse

Also, check craigslist like many PP said. We got almost everything but a carseat there for very cheap.

Also, if you need an infant seat, we just bought this one and its super nice, and REALLY cheap. safety1st.djgusa.com/en/djgusa/onboard-trade%3B35-infant-car-seat

brownmouse

shinycat said:

kate44m said:

You can probably peruse the Craigslist Free Stuff to see if there's anything for baby you can use.

Where do you find the Free stuff? Is there a special section for it?



There is a free section under the For Sale section.

Also OP, check and see if they hold consignment sales in your area. JUST 4 Kids is a good one that is done all over, and the one in my area is this September.

Beansjjo

Love the sheet idea!

MaineMama

Beansjjo said:

Baby wearing is totally up my alley never thought to make one myself! Great idea thanks

@beansjjo- if you plan on doing baby wearing, make sure to read up on proper safety for DIY carriers. A PP mentioned using hardware rings- NOT a good idea. They can have a rough seam which will degrade the fabric with use and could cause unexpected rips. Even with the most vigilant checks of the fabric it can be easy to miss a small tear that can turn into a big disaster. Slingrings.com sells proper rings.

Also on FB there are groups, babywearing on a budget, Babywearing 101, and some DIY groups that have great advice/tutorials and lots of mammas to answer questions

Eora3

I would suggest looking into Crunchy Mommy and AP groups through Meetup.com. It is always nice to have other people to bounce ideas off of and hang out with. Plus I bet they would be a great resource for baby gear and Crunchy lifestyle tips!

turkeyleg5

I've been looking at Craislist, consignment stores, etc. but I've found the absolute best deals at tag/yard/garage sales.  Sometimes you just find someone who wants to get rid of stuff and isn't really looking to make a lot of money. Last weekend I bought 30 baby outfits (onesies, sleepers, etc.) of different sizes (newborn - 9 months) for $4!  That's a little over 13 cents each!  And most of the were good brands.  The woman just wanted to sell them and be done with it - she said anything she didn't sell would go to Goodwill. All of my best deals have been at yard sales.

Also check to see if there is a Just Between Friends Sale in your area.  It is basically a giant 2-3 day kids consignment sale.  Since the items are sold directly from the owner to the consumer, the deals are usually a lot better that traditional consignment stores.

ETA: Here's a link: https://www.jbfsale.com/home.jsp