Budget: How are you saving money? What money saving questions do you have?

wtfisup · February 2014

Sometimes I feel like everyone on this board is a ZILLIONAIRE. Or at least without any financial concern. But I love money, and thus I really like saving it and using it resourcefully.

What are you doing to save money with this baby?
What are you trying to find cheaper options for?

wtfisup · February 2014

For us, my husband's current employment contract ends in May and another picks up in the fall, and thus we want him to take the few months between when our baby is born off with me (I'll be on maternity leave), rather than look for three months of employment. So we're saving up for that, plus, you know, all the expenses of a baby.

We're pretty utilitarian and not into buying stuff just because it's cute, so that helps. We're pretty utilitarian.

So far:

Furniture: all used for very low cost or free. Actually, free so far. My mom spent $10 on the dresser we're using as a changing table. The crib and rocking chair were free. We still need to get a mattress and maybe a reclining glider for the living room.
Clothes: we've gotten SO MUCH for free. We went to Target once and bought some goodies on clearance for around $8 total, but we have her entire wardrobe, sizes 0-12 months. First, my mom lives back home and hits a thrift store that does "all you can fit in a bag" for $2. And she can usually fit at least 15-20 pieces of baby clothes. Second, two of our friends have baby girls that just turned one, and they basically gave us their kids' entire wardrobes.
Baby gear: Again, our friends have given us TONS -- high chair, bumpo, baby baths, strollers, car seats, carriers, etc. We'll be trading the car seat in for a new one and using the old one to get a discount.

Things I'm still trying to figure out:

Diapers. Everyone has a different idea of how to get them for cheap and disagrees. I don't see us clipping coupons -- that's just never been worthwhile for me. We're also in the city, not the suburbs, and thus some of the mega-box stores aren't nearby. Maybe using AmazonMom?
Childcare. SO EXPENSIVE, DEAR GOD, WHY ISN'T THIS MORE AFFORDABLE? Our plan so far is to HOPEFULLY get my husband on a 3-day a week teaching schedule, then maybe I can work from home one day a week. That would have us only paying for childcare 2 days a week. We won't be able to use a daycare center, since most require a committed schedule that we can't use. We'll be paying an individual sitter.

And while this kind of doesn't count, I'm also trying to squeeze in a cheap vacation. I submitted to present at a conference in Vancouver during my maternity leave. This means we can take a vacation, husband and baby will go with me, and my job will pay for everything but his flight and food. A couple of friends might go with us, too. This would allow us to get a family trip for about $550.

wtfisup · February 2014

Oh, and we're planning on starting to freeze meals in April/May. We don't have a ton of freezer room, but our friends do. We're planning to cook up pasta sauces, casseroles, and make some batches of pizza dough.

babygabe614 · February 2014

As far as general savings, this is going to sound very archaic of me but my DH handles all of that. We make about the same amount of money but he is just more savvy when it comes to all things banking related so I put a chunk into our joint account every paycheck and he divvies it off into the account(s) it needs to go into.

Things we are saving money on:

Furniture: I bought my crib and changing table second hand so we saved a ton on that. We're building custom shelving and storage into the closet (instead of investing in a dresser) so that will save us some money in the short term.

Clothes: I am not buying any baby clothes (at this point), nor am I registering for any. There are 15 women in DH's family alone that will be attending my shower and I'm willing to bet almost all of them will want to buy us some, so no need for me to spend my own money on it. We also have friends with a baby girl who have offered to give us their old clothes if we have a girl, and my godson's mother has offered to donate her son's clothes to us if we have a boy. Boom, done.

Baby Gear: We're planning to get a stroller off Craigslist and anything I don't receive at my shower (aside from the carseat obviously) will be purchased from consignment sales, Craigslist, etc. One of the biggest items is my best friend (godson's mother) has also offered to give me her Medela breast pump that she only used once or twice. That will be a huge expense saved!

Diapers: My mom has already taken it upon herself to start a stash at her house. We need to do that too, and will probably start sometime around April. I have looked up a few articles online for the best ways to stock up diapers and have found out from friends which stores in my area have the best deals.

Childcare: My mom has generously offered to provide us childcare for the first year or so when I go back to work after my 12 weeks of maternity leave. That will give us plenty of time to sock away money for when we'll have to eventually put LO into daycare. I would love to find a way to change my work schedule to 3 days/week to save money on child care but at this point, it doesn't look like an option.

Home improvements: We have decided it is important to us to have some things in order around the house before the baby comes. Nothing stresses me out more than the thought of construction + a newborn. Last week we had all new carpets installed throughout the upstairs level of our house (the old ones were about 20 yrs old and digusting) and in April we are having a stamped concrete patio put in. We have been saving for both of those for quite some time, and while some may say the money could be put aside for baby, DH & I feel that if we are going to be stuck primarily at home for most of the summer, we need an outdoor space to escape for a bit, invite people over, etc. And there was no way I was bringing a brand new baby into 20 years worth of filth from the previous owners of our house, hence why the carpets had to go. The mason doing the patio is a close friend of ours (one of DH's closest friends) so he is giving us a really good price and we are basically only paying for materials. The carpet company has a good relationship with my mom and cut us a deal, as well. We are relying heavily on our personal contacts to save us money on the major purchases and any simple home improvement work (painting, building shelving, etc.) I do myself since I'm the handyman in the house.

General budgeting items: There's some areas where we are obviously cutting back to accommodate the strain that will be put on our finances. I cook at home more, we aren't going out as much on weekends since I can't drink and want to be in bed by 8:30 most nights anyway, and we nixed our plans for a "babymoon" (ick, I hate that term) to save for the patio instead. We have always lived within our means so we didn't really have to make HUGE changes (yet) but I'm sure we will learn what other areas we'll need to cut back on to make room for baby's financial needs.

katekat8721 · February 2014

We started saving pre-baby b/c we're big time savers and frugal as hell. We also had a lot of practice saving pre-baby since our infertility treatments ran upwards of $20K (oy)

For now the main thing we're doing is cutting my salary in 2/3rds and saving the extra 1/3. In CA you get short term disability when you're out, and my company pays 66% of your pay. So we're practicing living off that disability value now while saving what will eventually be taken away.

We're also big on thrift stores, garage sales, second hand items, etc. We've bought some new items for the girls (car seats/cribs) but they were a GREAT deal. A lot of their stuff is going to be second hand so that will reduce costs.

rmjones15 · February 2014

We save half of my salary. We are lucky to live in a low cost of living area. We opened a "baby savings" when I got knocked up and so far we've saved enough to cover living expenses for 3 months and hope to save for 3 more.

I am lucky to have nieces born in the summer, and a generous sister in law, so we have lots of clothes. I frequent the baby consignment store in town and have found a lot of stuff there. We use cloth diapers and save a ton there.

That said, we will definitely never have no worries. My husband is a teacher and I'm a social worker, so in no way do we have money for days. The only thing I worry about is having two in daycare next year. Luckily our daycare is not charging full price for our second.

Kinipela7 · February 2014

We live within our means and don't really buy much "stuff" for us. The only thing we really buy is running shoes when we need them! We put a lot of money into savings each month since we are saving up to put a 20% down payment on a house in the next year or 2. DH has a good profession in computer science, but I myself do not make much money at all. When baby comes, I will be staying home/working part time.

hollygb22 · February 2014

we started to cut back once we found out #2 was on the way. Daycare in our area is high and having 2 in daycare is going to run us around or just over $2k a month.

- We refinanced our house. We bought at the height of the market and had to wait a number of years to have a house that was worth more than the amount we owed. That has given us a few extra bucks a month and we are currently still paying our orginal mortgage to get the principle down but have that buffer area if we really really need the $.

- Cut back to eating out once a week. Going out to eat with a 15 month is no picnic anyways so this wasn't that hard..but we only do take out or go out to eat with her on Fridays. Dh and I also bring our lunch and allow ourselves one lunch out a week.

- We're not going nuts with buying stuff. It's easier said than done with #2 since we have alot of gear already. Stuff we needed I bought mostly off of BST groups on FB. A snugabunny swing for $30 etc. I didn't unload alot on nursery furniture the first time around...I think DD's crib was $200 and the dresser was from IKEA and $250. We are buying the Lauren Graco crib for $150 and a friend was getting rid of a dresser. We are repainting it, changing the knobs and it will be DDs dresser.

- I wasted an absurd amount of money on clothes with DD. Clothes are a crapshoot. I remember when summer stuff came out, I stocked up only to find that she was a small kiddo and none of the sizes worked. i sort of stuck my nose up at consignment sales for gear and clothes for her since we could afford to buy stuff brand new...but seeing how she destroys her clothes at daycare, consignment sales have been the way to go!

- we're not taking a vacation this year..every summer we goto Martha's Vineyard, that won't be happening with a 6 wk old and we would go somewhere tropical during Feb/march to get away from New England weather..and skipped it.

- we buy our meat from a local farm through a monthly CSA. That's saved a ton of money. I don't clip alot of coupons because they tend to be for more processed foods which we don't eat. We're members of BJ's Wholesale club and do buy all paper products, tp, paper towels, etc with their coupons and mftcr ones which saves us some $$.

SecondTimeinMSU · February 2014

Right now we are going to be going from one child in daycare three days a week to two full time in daycare so I am freaking out a little. To save on childcare I am leaving DS in daycare near by work rather than moving him to a center closer to our new home. It means maybe a 25-30 minute drive with him in the car but it is a good time to chat and catch up with him and we will be literally saving thousands to get the same quality of center as we would near our new house. Also we, of course, take advantage of the tax savings of doing the full amount of the dependent care account.

Stuff this time we pretty aren't buy much at all new just using all the stuff we've saved. Having another boy is really going to save us on clothes. Before we had DS though I got a lot of his clothes and gear through garage sales and mom to mom sales at super low prices.

Diapers I've been buying a few boxes here and there whenever I see rock bottom promotions. Usually at the local store I can do good with a combo of a coupon, a sale and a buy $X get so much off promotion all teamed together. Plus my big saver is to get DS out of diapers before the baby comes so I am saving that. The kid is so smart and totally capable he is just stubborn beyond belief. I am thinking sucking it up for a cold turkey plan soon since I know he doesn't like to be messy. Pray for me.

I've worked on building an emergency fund for while I am out on maternity leave since it is unpaid and just partially covered by vacation days. We just try really hard to save on every little expense. Even small stuff like basic phones without even texting and we don't have a trash cart, we pay by the bag which is cheaper when you only set out one bag a week like we do since we recycle as much as possible which saves about $125 a year at least. Basically anything we can save on that doesn't reduce our happiness and quality of life we try to chop down

Mztwilson · February 2014

At the beginning of my pregnancy my plan was to put 200 into an after baby checking account every paycheck because my husband pays most of the bills I just paid my student loans, groceries, internet and any other non monthly bills like dr bills car insurance ect. Well then I ended up with sacroiliac joint dysfunction because of my loosening ligaments and couldn't work. This was back in November. I just now got approved for short term disability starting from dec 20 on forward. My first check will go to paying off all these doctor visits I've accrued then the outrageous propane bill then car insurance. What we have to get for baby is pretty minimal. I've learned after having 3 that you don't need baby towels wipe warmer ect. And with our last the car seat stroller ect was all gender neutral. My mil has been buying babies cloths like crazy so I'm thinking all that might be left is a new diaper bag, a pump if insurance doesn't cover it, bottles, receiving blankets and socks. We are set on cloths for the summer until I go back to work. My dh works days and so I think I'll go back prn ( I'm a nurse aid at a nursing home) and pick up shifts around his schedule.

tdf2010 · February 2014

Since this is DD#2, we won't be buying many new clothes for this baby. Also, my parents are buying us our crib again, since currently DD#1 is still using hers and will after we convert it to a toddler bed. Also, I sold my pick up for a more affordable SUV. We are also going to be cutting out cable since we only watch it at night anyway. Since we've cut these things, I've still been deducting the full amount from my checking account, but moving the difference to savings. Also, we negotiated with our daycare center to let DD#1 out of daycare unpaid for 4 weeks of my maternity leave. That should help a ton since I won't be getting paid my full paycheck.

k2k2tog · February 2014

DH and I have been renovating our house for 2.5 years and are finally nearing the end of the major construction, but it definitely means we haven't been able to do a lot in terms of saving money for baby. On top of that, I'm going back to school in September, which will mean an extra $20,000, approximately, gone over the next two years. Not fun. However, since we've been renovating together for almost our whole married lives, and saving for this house before that, we've never been anything but frugal with our money. We rarely go out for dinner, 'brown bag' lunches, live on the free coffee at work, go shopping maybe twice a year when our jeans and work pants have finally given up, etc.

Fortunately, DH has a great job and has been working at developing 2 personal businesses, both of which are quite lucrative. Sometimes it's kind of frustrating... he's a structural engineer, so anything he touches with his degree brings in a significant chunk of money. Meanwhile, I can wave around my Bachelor of Arts in English Lit all I want and maybe, MAYBE get a few pennies for the hours of effort.

Baby-wise, we're doing our best to keep our expenses as low as possible.

I found an adorable crib on craigslist for $100 with mattress and sheets. We're hoping to get as much baby stuff used as possible.
My inlaws have already offered to buy us our stroller for us, which we also hope to find on craigslist.
We won't buy any clothes until after any and all showers, since I know people will be buying stuff for us. My mom and SIL are also knitting like crazy, so I'll never need to buy our little one sweaters. Any clothes we do need, I'll find at thrift stores, no problem.
We plan on going with the cheapest car seat we can find. They all meet current safety standards, so what's the point in getting the cadillac of car seats?
Childcare... is going to be tough. Since I'll be in school, my schedule will be really erratic, so I think we're likely going to have to look into hiring a part-time nanny. It's not likely to be cheap, but at least we'll only be paying for the time we actually need.

MamaTree17 · February 2014

Since this is DD#2 and DD#1 isn't quite 1-1/2 yet we have almost everything we need so I'm constantly reminding myself I don't need to buy anything! I've also taken to selling lots of things on Craigslist...we moved this summer and everything that didn't find a home in the new place is being sold. Nothing huge but $20 here, $30 there adds up quick. We're also in the middle of renovating our basement so we don't have must "extra" to be spending every month.

The plus is I just found out baby #2 gets a deal at daycare! I had been assuming our current monthly payment x2 and am pumped to know there will be a little break. I'll take what I can get.

@wtfisup regarding diapers I haven't found any website that is cheaper then diapers.com. You also get points and it's always free next day shipping. I just can't find anything that beats it.

abastian00 · February 2014

lyracelesti - depending on where you deliver, you might have to get a carseat just to leave the hospital (if you're not going the home birth/birthing center route - but I'm not sure what the brooklyn birthing center policies are)! I think its legally mandated most places... I'm also in NYC and car-less so I'm grumbling about this one.

For my part, we've gotten a lot of gently used things from family and friends which has been super helpful. Since we're in a smallish apartment, we're definitely not tempted to buy too much stuff, or invest in nice furniture given we don't know if/when we'll move in the next couple of years.

But, mostly, we're saving like crazy. It means zero fun-times for the next few months (and previously few months), but I feel so much more confident having a good nest egg put aside for when the baby comes. I'm not sure yet if I'll get a maternity leave (my company is not FMLA eligible), or whether they'll allow me to come back on a PT or distance basis, so we're just being extra cautious financially.

(That said, I bought a purse on the Kate Spade sale yesterday... baby NEEDED IT

)

Shineoncrazy · February 2014

DH and I are currently living in different cities, so we haven't been as aggressive given we have to maintain two residences. That said, we earmarked the amount we will have to start paying for childcare in September and added that to our monthly savings budget.

As far as baby stuff is concerned, we buy big items on Amazon and have started buying diapers (mostly Pampers Swaddlers, sometimes the sensitive) when I find them for a great price. I figure even if they don't work for our LO, I will have baby shower gifts for the next year.

We go to Spring Training every other year in Phoenix, so we're calling that our baby moon this year. We used AMEX points to pay for our hotel.

becomingmommyagain · February 2014

We are very fortunate to be in a good financial position now. But, knowing that it can change, we tend to be a little more cautious with making larger purchases. I like to keep a safety net in our main bank account. I have a savings attached to my checking that I keep a minimum of $5,000 in. This money is to cover the mortgage on our house and our rental property, car payments, bills, etc should something happen and one of us lose our job. I do carry accident insurance and my work provides short/long term disability so we are covered if something happens in that respect. I do have a separate bank account that I stuff away "excess" cash at the end of each month. DH & I both get take an allowance to use as we see fit without having to ask each other should it be a major purchase we are looking at.

We've been without the "rainy day fund" before and will never allow that happen again.

As for prepping for LO:

Furniture - we opted for IKEA to outfit the nursery. We did a $119 crib, but splurged a little more on the dresser and are also purchasing a daybed with trundle. Nursery will also double as our guest room until my daughter goes off to college in 2 years. Then LO will move into her room and she'll use the guest room when she's home from school.

Clothes - I'll be hitting up the second hand stores for most of it. Especially for the early years. My DS#2 was an AWFUL drooler and ruined many shirts. I'd feel much better if LO ruined used clothing then new clothing!!

Baby Gear - this is one area we both agreed we would not go bargain on. With safety in mind, we thought it better to purchase a new travel system rather than accept a hand me down from. I also couldn't do a handy me down on the PnP. Other gear...bathes, bouncers, swings, we have gotten from friends and I'll check out the second hand stores too for good deals.

Diapers - I'd love to say I could clip coupons...but I fail in that area. We have a Sam's club membership and will probably start there. I'm looking at Amazon Mom too. But we'll see what works with LO before stocking up.

Childcare - we have a dear friend that runs a licensed in-home care. She cares for my sister's kids and will take on LO until he's probably 18 months old when we'll switch him to a child care center that incorporates educational elements. Toddler care is cheaper than infant care by far!

Home Improvements - we have put major projects on hold until LO is out of day care. Fortunately, our house is in great condition and doesnt require any renovation. We are still debating on whether to do anything different with landscaping or just leave it for this year. I contract out our general maintenance (furnace tuneups, tree trimming, pest control, etc) and I'm on a regular schedule for that so it's built into our budget. Our Rainy Day Fund would cover anything that pops up with either our house or the rental property.

Pepper6 · February 2014

lyracelesti where do you live that you only have 375 sq.ft.? That's crazy! I bet you are super awesome at organizing though.

We saved on a lot of our nursery stuff. We repainted an old dresser, bought a glider off craigslist for $60 and are buying a crib/mattress/changing table from one of H's coworkers for $100.

For baby stuff, we bought our travel system on sale and for everything else we'll wait to see what we get for our baby shower, but I've still tried to keep everything limited to essentials only. Not only do I not want to spend a ton of money, I don't want to have our house overflowing with unnecessary baby gear.

Maternity leave will be a hit for us since I only get paid whatever I have in PTO (3 weeks) and I'll be out for 12 weeks. BUT I did just pay off my car, so we have one less car payment to worry about during that time.

The only thing we need to figure out now is the best savings plan for our LO. I looked into the 529 college plan, but I don't think that's the best option and the plans in our state have terrible reviews.

tbmadeamistake · February 2014

We're lucky and will be reusing all of C's things for this baby, so there is very little cost as far as nursery/equipment. I am hunting sales for clothes for him, as while I'm happy to have my boy dress in pink, I also want him to have his own stuff. A lot of the sales I'm finding can end up being cheaper than the consignment store near my house, so I cruise Target and the occasional Carter's sales.

We are planning on using clothe diapers this time around. My mother is going to help us build our supply as our new baby present (they bought the crib for C). That will be a huge help.

I'm quitting, as two daycare payments will mean I'm only bringing home $50 a month from a job that I'm not longer happy in. We need to plan for this, but either way we'd be losing my income so it's not a huge leap at the end of the day. This month we are paying off our credit cards with our savings to save us monthly payments (and the interest in the long run). That's literally saving us $400 a month in payments (we had a lot of debt). We'll be looking into closing our old cards and opening one, joint, new card that gets us good rewards.

We cut back on our cable, cut way back on outings, and set up a new grocery budget system that so far seems to be working really well. In two months I've only gone over budget one week, and we were under budget the week before so it evens out a bit in the end. That's also making a big difference.

We are looking into refinancing our home. I'm hoping this will save us at least a couple hundred a month, but it makes more sense right now than moving. Here's hoping our meeting with the mortgage lady on Thursday goes well!

That's about it, apart from doing any work on the house ourselves if at all possible, and becoming way more organized and pay more attention to the finances. It's a struggle but we're making it work. Oh, and no more "fun money" for DH and I, apart from the occasional date night while in-laws watch the kids so we don't have to pay for babysitters

Hairstylist16 · February 2014

Since this is baby #2 I think we've gotten better at being frugal. Our son is still using his crib but its a 3 in 1 so we don't have to buy a new bed for him when he gets older. I found the same 3 in 1 crib on craigslist for $100. Although I didn't need a new stroller I found the jogging one I wanted and had the carseat with base included on craigslist.

I sold or am currently trying to sell our extra baby items that we had multiple of. Also saved all our baby requirement like swings and bouncy seats.

Our son was a month early so we had to go out and buy preemie and newborn clothing, but even if this baby is a girl I plan on using all those outfits. Especially since strangers always thought he was a girl in blue outfits so it doesn't really matter what color you put them in ha ha. But I love consignment shops for any clothes you do need to buy and I can never tell the difference between what I bought brand new and what was on consignment.

I'm going to try breast feeding this time around also. It'll help save money on formula because its so expensive.

We started buying an extra box of diapers whenever we got groceries so we'd be used to the expense and can have a stash if we need to cut back for whatever reason. I've also tried all the cheaper brands and finally found one that is just like the pampers snugglers but half the cost.

Finally on daycare, I'm a licensed hairstylist but lease my station so its like being my own boss and work in the evenings so we don't have to pay daycare. I did loose a little income but the cost of daycare is ridiculous.

kimberly11511 · February 2014

I spent a long time couponing in the past and even though it does save a substantial amount of money I found it incredibly wasteful.

About three years ago we cut out all paper products in our house. Even though the savings were not large to begin with we have saved a decent amount now by doing this.

We use the envelope method when setting a budget. On pay days we take out our allowed amount of cash after paying bills. Each envelope is labeled for its purpose. We have one for gas, food, baby items, tithes for church, and each of us have a $50 a month allowance to cover other things we want. It makes us stay really on top of our spending, because when we are out of cash in the envelope we are out. We have paid of a very large amount of debt since starting this method last March.

Since finding out we were expecting we have budgeted $50 a month towards baby items. Combining the super sales that have been around recently and a few in store coupons we have been able to purchase all of the furniture for the nursery, decorative items, some clothes and have started purchasing cloth diapers.

Pepper6 · February 2014

@Lilygrace48, we refinanced our house a little over a year ago and it cut about $400 off our monthly mortgage payment, which was awesome. It took a few tries for us since we have a VA loan and our house wasn't quite appraising at market value, but for now paying less than we could even rent for, it was totally worth the effort. Good luck with your mortgage lady!!

MNOpea · February 2014

We save money every paycheck but it's not for anything specific (actually that's not true it's tentatively for a house down payment when dh retires in 10 years..) we aren't really saving money for this baby as I don't anticipate this baby really costing us much. We have all the clothes we could possibly need from DS, their birth months are only 1 apart so I think the seasons should match up fine, we are reusing DS infant car seat, swing, toys etc. I am either going to buy a crib from Craigslist if I can find one worth it or just get an ikea crib for $100-$120, we cloth diaper and have a large enough stash that I can split it between the two boys and still do laundry every other day, I plan on ebf-ing again, and I stay at home so no need for day care

curlylocks3 · February 2014

To save: we are trying to live on H's salary alone and put mine straight into savings. We still haven't decided what I'm doing postpartum yet, so trying to be frugal and prepare either way (me SAH or a nanny coming in because we can't use a day care center with my schedule).

We just decided last night to go the cloth diaper route to save money. More money up front, greater savings over all. We have started couponing again as well.

I'm trying to utilize Craigslist and second hand stores as well- we have a great children's resale store nearby. Our stroller was a bit of a splurge but double strollers aren't cheap and we figure we can walk more with the babies this way. We found it on CL in great condition for an awesome price! I will be hitting up the local Moms of Multiples sale as well to get used baby items.

We are using Ikea furniture for the nursery and will try to sell most of what is already in there on CL as well (an old dresser that is too tall to use with a changing table on top, etc).

Haven't bought a ton of clothes but will pick stuff up if I'm out and it's on clearance. BIL and SIL offered us hand me down girls clothes and we said yes although we are Team Green because we aren't picky.

We very likely aren't doing this again though, so anything we do buy we plan to sell on CL or something when the babies outgrow it.

tbmadeamistake · February 2014

@Pepper6, did you go through the current mortgage company you had or another company all together? We're looking at doing both (currently with BoA, we want to try and get it with our credit union if possible). I'm wondering which route will get us a better deal. Thanks for the encouragement

Pepper6 · February 2014

Lilygrace48 said:

@Pepper6, did you go through the current mortgage company you had or another company all together? We're looking at doing both (currently with BoA, we want to try and get it with our credit union if possible). I'm wondering which route will get us a better deal. Thanks for the encouragement

We ended up going with a different company. We tried with our original lender first, but they declined us based on appraisal. It ended up working out though because rates went down even further by the time we got approved through a different lender.

Also something completely unrelated, but money saving is to get new quotes for car insurance. We were with our original insurance company for years and on a whim decided to shop around and we saved another couple hundred on our policy for MORE coverage than we were getting. It's actually amazing what having a baby will make you reevaluate...we should have done it a while ago, but didn't think about it until I got pregnant.

jc51206 · February 2014

Yay, I love this thread! We are super frugal and don't have a high income, so saving money is a game and way of life for us. Thankfully, it's our #2, so we have most of what we need (same gender). I'm not squeamish about buying used things for the most part, and am not proud to take others' hand-me-downs, so that saved us a TON last time around. We are finally to a point where we might have to buy some clothes for our preschooler (at rummage sales of course) for next size, and I only have a few things I need (ok, things I want) for this one. We cloth diaper and I breastfeed, so there's a huge savings. We also have a huge garden, which I'm going to really plan well this spring, to get the most veggies I can to make baby food, as I did with our first. Of course, I wind up buying some of that and a minimal amount of disposable diapers throughout babyhood, and things like breast milk storage bags , so there will always be some expense for us, but we are not really throw away people for the most part. We reuse a lot.

wtfisup · February 2014

Just a word about cloth diapering -- several of my friends tried it. Some had great success. Others didn't. Not all babies' skin types tolerate it as well. If you find a steal on a whole set, grab it. If not, you might want to ensure it works for you before buying them all.

I know my mom successfully cloth diapered one kid, then got me, who has sever allergies and skin sensitivity, and it wasn't an option.

I'd love to try it, but it's not realistic. If the kid gets my genes, she'll be allergic to life. Additionally, laundry is already our biggest struggle. We can barely ever keep up as is. Adding the diapers wouldn't be feasible. But kudos to those who do it. My friends who have had success adore it.

k318 · February 2014

We are mid income, not rich by any means, make decent money but there is a high cost of living where we are.

I am lucky enough to have free child care. If not, I don't know what I would do as daycare costs roughly half of what I take home and I don't think I could justify that expense. I would probably stay at home a few years if I didn't have free child care.

We use lots of hand me downs for clothes and gear. Other things that I wanted new I got on clearance (double stroller for $95, etc).

I stock up on diapers when on sale At target. I like their brand and they go on sale pretty cheap and you can get an additional 5% off with the cartwheel app and another 5% with their credit card.

There are a few things that I splurged on which I buy online with rewards points or at least using a card with a good cash back program.

I save what I can month to month, try to limit eating out and didn't spend a ton on maternity clothes as they are temporary and I wear scrubs to work.

We also "invested" in a few extra cable channels since we are home more (don't want to take baby out too much in this freezing cold weather) and don't go out as much in general anymore.

MSUMands · February 2014

This is something my husband and I are VERY passionate about, and have started to get a thrill off saving money. We moved shortly before our first BFP, so we didn't have a baby shower and paid for everything ourselves.

Nursery - We spent less than $200 total. We bought a crib, toy organizer, and dresser for dirt cheap. Garage sales and haggled with people on Craigslist. We got a ladder shelf for his books, radio, etc. that was unfinished. We sanded and painted it - it cost us $5 and about $10 to redo. I found that instead of a theme (monkeys, mickey mouse, etc.) we just stuck to a color theme so it was easier to match. We didn't buy bumpers or a blanket because we knew we couldn't use them, just crib sheets (new) on sale for $5. I made his mobile and all the artwork for his room (found ideas on Pinterest or I can share photos if anyone needs inspiration!).

Toys - Also garage sales and craigslist. Our DS loves books more than toys, so we went to a library book sale that did "fill a box for $10" and got about 120 books that way. Keep it simple. Grandparents gave a lot of toy's for DS's first birthday and Christmas as well.

Diapers - As much as my thrifty self wanted to do cloth diapers, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Instead, I keep notes on my phone for how much I pay per diaper. Target is 14 cents per diaper, Costco is 15 cents, Walmart is 16 cents, etc. When I see them for 10 cents or less, I literally buy out the store, or as many will fit in my trunk. Especially size 2. DS was in size 2 for a long time. When we get home, we take them out of the boxes and slide them under out bed until we need them. The DS2 that's in my belly is set on size 1 and 2 for about 8 months along. And BONUS! I don't have to go to BRU or Target late at night to get diapers when he's in his last one and subsequently, pick up impulse purchases.

Clothes - we look at thrift stores (it is fun!) and sales at places like Target and Babies R Us. One of our thrift stores (Kid to Kid) does a clearance sale twice a year where all of their clearance items are $1 each. I usually stock up during that time. Although I tried to be frugal, I still overspent and DS has WAY too many clothes. Doing it over, I would buy much less and wash them more.

Saving - We only spend $200 a month on food for the three (four?) of us. We buy a $100 grocery giftcard every two weeks and when it's gone, it's gone. This works better for us than the envelope method because we still get the points on our Discover card, which add up to about $800 of "free money" per year. We charge everything we can and pay it off every month.

Sorry for the book, I've considered starting a blog for parenting and cooking on a budget

hollygb22 · February 2014

wtfisup said:

Just a word about cloth diapering -- several of my friends tried it. Some had great success. Others didn't. Not all babies' skin types tolerate it as well. If you find a steal on a whole set, grab it. If not, you might want to ensure it works for you before buying them all. I know my mom successfully cloth diapered one kid, then got me, who has sever allergies and skin sensitivity, and it wasn't an option. I'd love to try it, but it's not realistic. If the kid gets my genes, she'll be allergic to life. Additionally, laundry is already our biggest struggle. We can barely ever keep up as is. Adding the diapers wouldn't be feasible. But kudos to those who do it. My friends who have had success adore it.

Check with daycare too if you're going that route. I thought about it but the majority of daycares in our areas required disposables. It wasn't worth the cost to invest in CD knowing they'd be used on nights and weekend (for us at least!)

wtfisup · February 2014

lizardbreath14 said:

@wtfisup please don't feel alone! We are so far from rich! I'm a lawyer, but I'm a public defender (read: paid like crap), and my husband is going to college on the GI Bill. And we're 34, so we're feeling really behind as far as savings go.
We've actually saved a lot just by quitting smoking when we got pregnant. And friends are giving us a whole bunch of clothes and some other things like pack 'n play. We bought a reasonable crib for about $250 (which included the rail for a toddler bed), and we got a funky armoire at an antique store for $130 which we will paint. There shouldn't be too many more expensive purchases. And we're going to try to cloth diaper, which should help.
I honestly hate thinking about money right now because it is tight, and it makes me nervous. There's other life "stuff," too, like my dog is getting his teeth worked on tomorrow, and it'll probably be around $400. Fucking sucks. I'm dreaming of a vacation so hopefully by spring / summer 2015 we don't feel like total peasants!

Yeah, we're both in academia but also make a pretty normal salary. Sometimes folks think that x-degrees = $$$. Oh, the LULZ.

I should add that we have some savings and are adding to it monthly. We put about 25-30% of our income into savings. But then life also happens, like last weekend when we were driving to the hospital tour, a rock hit our windshield, and now we get to spend hundreds on that! And then H's computer died! So AWESOME!

SarainColorado2013 · February 2014

Thanks for starting this thread, it's really motivating! We normally save about 20% of our incomes but have gotten some big financial surprises lately. We have a huge tax bill thanks to the marriage penalty, and just found out our sweet dog has cancer and will need chemo treatments over the next few months. Our emergency savings will be depleted so I'm going to try to be extra frugal to get our savings built back up a bit before baby arrives....but not sure if that's going to happen.

Here's our planning:

Nursery furniture -- My splurge was a used Dutailier glider ($200 off craigslist) because I really want a comfortable place to nurse. We'll be getting used or Ikea for a crib and dresser.
Childbirth prep - OK this also felt like a splurge because I signed up for hypnobabies ($375) and hired a doula ($800). Hoping that investment in planning for an unmedicated birth pays off!
Baby clothes - I'm not buying anything - hoping for hand-me-downs or gifts, otherwise I will just buy consignment/yard sale stuff as we go.
Stroller - I'm actually thinking of waiting on this unless I see a good deal somewhere. At first I will probably just wear baby in a carrier/wrap so don't really need a stroller, right?
Feeding - Yay, breastmilk is free! Getting a pump through my health insurance. Guess I just need some bottles.
Childcare - is damn expensive. I am hoping for 3 months of leave, so that gives us a little more time to save. Jealous of those of you with families nearby who will watch your LO!

colllydon · February 2014

My twatwaffle company denied me STD because they didn't start offering it until oct and I went to the doctor at the end of September to confirm pregnancy so I had to disclose it as a "pre existing condition." So my second job is paying for my maternity leave. I save every dime from that job and I should barely have enough by the time I can't physically do it anymore. (I'm hoping to make it until the beginning of May)

As for baby stuff

Furniture: my sister is giving me my nephew's crib. My mother offered to buy the baby a dresser which I will also use as a changing table. We have put money away for a rocker.

Clothes: FTM so I'm just going to wait to see what people buy at the shower. I figure she will be born in June so she will basically live in onesies (sp?) for the first few months. I'll buy what she needs when she needs it. They grow fast right??

Diapers: my mom suggested I register for them, I know people do it but I don't really know what sizes to register for. I think we will just buy as we go as well.

Childcare: I will be home for 12 weeks and the DH will be home until the spring. He is a pro golf caddy and his work is seasonal. He won't go away to work next year like he always has because between savings and my pay we should (barely) be able to make it without his pay.

Renovations: we rent a 2 bedroom so no renovations needed. I would like to move next year sometime but it depends on my work situation. I'm going to start actively looking for employment at a different company on maternity leave because the family health insurance at mine sucks right now.

So no not even close to independently wealthy, just an obsessive compulsive planner. I had 75% of this plan set up before I got pregnant.

Mrs_D_in_KY · February 2014

This is DS #2, so we have all of our clothes from DS #1. That had been a huge saver in itself. We have been catching Pampers diapers on sale and stocking up when we can. Also the same for unscented wipes. DS #1 is 4 years old so we haven't had diapers or wipes in a couple years.

When we were preparing for DS #1 I was finishing my bachelors degree and DH had just been out of work for donating a kidney to his dad. I was also working part time, I have no idea how we made it work. We wound up refinancing our house which saved us $200 a month and also cut out cable. My mom bought us our crib and the rest of the furniture was given to us (dressers and extra bed). We found a lot of stuff on Craigslist and DH's cousin gave us the infant seat.

Since then I am working full time to pay for daycare and also save money each month in our emergency fund. DH maxes out his HSA contribution so we aren't stuck paying medical bills until DS #2 is 3. (This is what happened with DS #1). We are much more secure now, but still find ways to save/cut money out of our budget to have a safety net.

brandi04ksu · February 2014

I'm like you in that I enjoy having money so I find ways to save when I can. Personally I use coupons for everything or wait for a sale.

Overall I use iheartpublix.com to help me save every week and also https://www.couponsthingsbydede.com/ for coupons.

For diapers I am starting to stock up gift cards that I am getting back through our Discover Rewards. I am also going to be using 20% coupons for other items like our rock in play.

I have almost everything for DS1 so I do not have a ton of expenses beyond diapers and daycare.

One thing I did to prepare for DS1 was going to consignment sales and I plan on still going to buy things for DS1 and DS2 can reuse those items later. Here is the site I use and I placed where you can see the sales I might for my state

https://www.thebargainwatcher.com/sales_search_results.asp

MSUMands · February 2014

@caitykate How long have you got?

It's been a process, but we aim to pay double on both our student loan debt and mortgage every year to avoid the insane and outrageous interest rates. We decided one of the easiest places to cut would be food.

To start, we ask for Amazon gift cards for Christmas and our birthdays. We use those to buy restaurant gift cards right off Amazon.com - let's face it, we all love to eat out! We strategically plan for dinners out and use our gift cards or Groupons that we've purchased. When we were "off the wagon" we were eating out SO much - spending upwards of $400 a month at restaurants. We realized we could put that money towards our loans and we could save years of payments and thousands of dollars in interest.

In terms of grocery shopping, we go every Sunday. Every OTHER Sunday, we buy a $100 gift card. We aim to spend $50/week. Our favorite foods that give us the most bang for our buck: rice (50 pound bag at Costco was $12 - that lasts us a year), eggs, bananas (they average about 11 cents a piece - a great deal! My son eats one per day), pasta, bread, and potatoes. I try to menu plan and incorporate these as much as possible.

We also cut corners by buying meat in bulk from Costco or Sam's. Things like a 5 pound package of ground beef. Instead of making 5 dinners with it, I divide it up 7 ways so each dinner has slightly less than a pound. I add some water to every soup recipe so we can have leftovers for dinner the next day.

We never eat out for lunch during the week (we both found that once we allow ourselves to do it, it became a weekly or daily habit) instead I plan lunches for the week (10 total) that we both eat. Turkey wraps, leftovers, lasagna, soups. My husband eats like he's 700 pounds so I pack him lots of celery, homemade cookies, grapes, carrots, hummus, etc. so he can snack at work and isn't tempted to hit up the cafeteria or vending machines.

We slip up every few months but get back on track for the next 2 week cycle. It was hard to adjust at first, but we realized that we were spending so much on food and having zero to show for it in the end (except an expanding waistline...) we made a change and it has become a way of life

Sorry for the book guys, like I said I have become a huge advocate for this and could go on all night. Feel free to PM me with questions.

chloephoebecali · February 2014

Hit up spring garage/yard/tag sales. You will find the BEST prices and it is so much fun. I did this in anticipation for ds to find extra stuff that would make my life easier -bouncer/swing in each floor instead of having to tote the bouncer up and down, changer for my main floor (it was good storage for stuff, too, and had two in diapers then), etc. I've also picked up a Moby, bumbo, and so much other stuff for next to nothing. Look for sales on craigslist and map them out the night before. I've also found amazing clothes, some I just buy to resell in my local consignment shop. Other: We don't go out to eat much. It's not really fun with our kids, anyway. We joined costco. (Love their diapers, haven't tried for a little one, yet.) If you do formula, start with genric. Change cable companies if you are out of that initial contract deal or call and tell them to lower your bill/you want to cancel. Move from a smartphone to a non smartphone (without internet). Or get a pay as you go phone just for emergencies. Meal plan based on circular/sales. Pack lunch if you typically buy. Pay bills online. Try to maximize driving. Take care of a few things at once. Make sure your heat goes down at nigh and while you are at work (if you do).

kimbercash79 · February 2014

Mrs_D_in_KY said:
This is DS #2, so we have all of our clothes from DS #1. That had been a huge saver in itself. We have been catching Pampers diapers on sale and stocking up when we can. Also the same for unscented wipes. DS #1 is 4 years old so we haven't had diapers or wipes in a couple years.

When we were preparing for DS #1 I was finishing my bachelors degree and DH had just been out of work for donating a kidney to his dad. I was also working part time, I have no idea how we made it work. We wound up refinancing our house which saved us $200 a month and also cut out cable. My mom bought us our crib and the rest of the furniture was given to us (dressers and extra bed). We found a lot of stuff on Craigslist and DH's cousin gave us the infant seat.

Since then I am working full time to pay for daycare and also save money each month in our emergency fund. DH maxes out his HSA contribution so we aren't stuck paying medical bills until DS #2 is 3. (This is what happened with DS #1). We are much more secure now, but still find ways to save/cut money out of our budget to have a safety net.

Sorry to detail this post. Your hubby donated a kidney when you were pregnant? Would live to chat sometime. My husband is scheduled to donate his 2/25.

In terms of saving money we are getting a stroller and lots of stuff from my husbands coworkers with their kids in grammar school.

katekat8721 · February 2014

CharSamm said:
Here's one simple idea I found on pinterest if you are using a diaper genie...
https://mothersrealm.com/2013/02/23/how-to-save-money-on-diaper-genie-refills/

Awesome!!

Mrs_D_in_KY · February 2014

kimbercash79 said:

Mrs_D_in_KY said:
This is DS #2, so we have all of our clothes from DS #1. That had been a huge saver in itself. We have been catching Pampers diapers on sale and stocking up when we can. Also the same for unscented wipes. DS #1 is 4 years old so we haven't had diapers or wipes in a couple years.

When we were preparing for DS #1 I was finishing my bachelors degree and DH had just been out of work for donating a kidney to his dad. I was also working part time, I have no idea how we made it work. We wound up refinancing our house which saved us $200 a month and also cut out cable. My mom bought us our crib and the rest of the furniture was given to us (dressers and extra bed). We found a lot of stuff on Craigslist and DH's cousin gave us the infant seat.

Since then I am working full time to pay for daycare and also save money each month in our emergency fund. DH maxes out his HSA contribution so we aren't stuck paying medical bills until DS #2 is 3. (This is what happened with DS #1). We are much more secure now, but still find ways to save/cut money out of our budget to have a safety net.
Sorry to detail this post. Your hubby donated a kidney when you were pregnant? Would live to chat sometime. My husband is scheduled to donate his 2/25.

In terms of saving money we are getting a stroller and lots of stuff from my husbands coworkers with their kids in grammar school.

PM me and we can discuss further.

DH was a real trooper with donating a kidney to his dad 4 years ago. It's also funny that DS has his birth mark in the same spot as DH's largest scar. I guess he was marked from daddy's surgery.

wtfisup · February 2014

caitykate said:

MSUMands said:

Saving - We only spend $200 a month on food for the three (four?) of us. We buy a $100 grocery giftcard every two weeks and when it's gone, it's gone. This works better for us than the envelope method because we still get the points on our Discover card, which add up to about $800 of "free money" per year. We charge everything we can and pay it off every month.

Sorry for the book, I've considered starting a blog for parenting and cooking on a budget

Omg I don't even understand how this is possible! Maybe because it's due to the fact I live in a high cost of living area - but we spend $1k+ per month on food (2 people) and I can't imagine getting it under $750. Tips?

Whoa! We spend $400 for two people, and that includes all household stuff (garbage bags, laundry stuff). What are your meals typically ?

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Married DH 7/30/11

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CHC arrived 6/2/14

Married DH 7/30/11

CSC arrived 5/7/12

CHC arrived 6/2/14

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