Baby on a budget

sjis · July 2017

STM here! With DD, I went a little overboard and ended up with so much I didn't need. Seems like I should just throw a wad of cash in the trash these days! I am learning to budget more wisely for #2. I'm starting with more affordable diapers and seeing what works best, buying clothes on a need basis at the moment, and a pump with insurance.

Please let me know your tips and advice! Thanks!

wabash15 · July 2017

@sjis If you have a once apon a child near you they sell gently used baby cloths/toys/stuff. its all in good condition and when they have sales you can get it super cheap. plus they will buy your cloths/stuff when your done...

sjis · July 2017

@wabash15 oh wow! Thanks so much! I'm definitely going to unload all DD clothes there!

flowerpower5838 · July 2017

Some schools/organizations have bi-annual swaps - I always like those because it's nice to go somewhere with so much in one location. Also your local BST facebook groups are good to keep an eye on or even post an ISO (in search of) posts if you have something specific in mind.

We like Aldi diapers and snacks. The diapers are just under the cost of Target brand diapers and their version of the Gerber puffs, etc. snacks are significantly less than the name brand stuff.

clearlyclara · July 2017

FTM here and I've already decided I don't want to buy too much unneeded stuff... Maybe stm 's can chime in here what they thought were just nice to haves or some tips on setting up nursery on a budget

thx in advance!

eazybreezy225 · July 2017

If you do disposable diapers, generic brand diapers definitely help. Cloth costs more upfront but you save more in the long run.
Also, you can so go with generic brands of formula, as they must pass the same nutrition and health standards as name brand formulas.
Cheaper baby gear, such as car seats or cribs, is also a good option. It's doesn't matter if you spend $50 on a car seat or $200, they all passed the same safety standards and testing.
Also, you can pass on the changing table and create one on top of a dresser or desk. Or you can do a "mobile" changing station (which is what I'm doing) and put together a basket with everything you need to change the baby, including a pad, lotions, creams, extra onsie, etc. Then just change the baby where ever you're at, bed, floor, couch, etc.
You can also save money by sticking to a principal I use in all my shopping, which is "never purchase ANYTHING at full price unless it's an absolute emergency". Use coupons, discount codes, in store sales, promotions, or buy used.

jackiesmom324 · July 2017

Loving this thread

ameliabedelia-2 · July 2017

Don't buy a zillion outfits and then remove tags/wash them. I have at least 50 outfits I bought for DD that have never been worn because I bought an entire year's worth of clothes before she was born, and she was so tiny, she didn't fit into anything. We were at least two seasons behind in everything, so by the time she fit into her winter stuff, it was summer. Same goes for bottles. We went through about 10 different bottles/nipples before finding one she would use. I am glad I didn't splurge on one of those enormous bottle sets, only to find out she wouldn't use it.

sjis · July 2017

@ameliabedelia-2 totally agree on buying all the clothes. DD didn't wear a lot of the clothes I bought because 1. it was out of season 2. a lot of it I had no idea it would not be convenient to wear, and 3. I would just wash and reuse what was comfy and easy.

I too splurged on bottles only to find out DD refused them all and only wanted boob. Same goes for pacifiers, DD hated them.

Agree with @eazybreezy225 about the dresser/changing top. Bought one that DD will hopefully use until high school.

lijuan09 · July 2017

With DS we were in a tight financial situation, and my motto became, "Will the baby care if he has this?" We didn't do nursery decor, we got his dresser second hand, bought minimal clothes (I second the Once Upon a Child comment!) and didn't buy bottles until after he was born and started having issues with the breast. I also agree that one should never buy anything at full price!!

ameliabedelia-2 · July 2017

Also, for all those secondhand shoppers, if there is a "just between friends" consignment sale in your area, it's a great place for used baby stuff. They usually happen twice a year. The one in my area is ridiculously huge. They have everything from clothes to toys to strollers. I volunteer there and it gets me a free "early access" shopping pass. I look forward to it all year!

leighalou91 · July 2017

I only buy baby/toddler clothes that are on sale or secondhand. DD is hard on all her clothes (and refuses to wear a bib) so I hate to spend much on her stuff. I buy a lot of her stuff at thrift stores! Today I got her a pair of shoes, and two winter sleepers for less than $9.

splsmama2016 · July 2017

For us, diapers at the beginning were non-negotiable. Since both DH and I have sensitive skin, we used Pampers sensitive diapers until she was about 4 months. We tried after about a month to use store brand and even regular pampers swaddles, but she would break out around the legs where the elastic part would sit. Now, we use mainly Target brand (because I'll gladly pay $6 for a 32 pack of diapers vs $10 for 27). Formula, we bought at Costco. SO MUCH CHEAPER!! We tried the generic/Target brand of the Non GMO Similac for DD and she wouldn't drink it. I ended up trying it myself and it was chalky and gritty and it kept clogging the nipple. Always ask your pediatrician for samples.
I didn't buy any extra bottles beyond the medela ones that came with the pump and the cooler set until much later on. However, when you register at some stores, you might get a couple bottles in your gift bag. We received a Tommee Tippee, a Nuk, and a munchkin latch. None of which she took to. But I do agree, don't buy a multipack until you've learned what works for babe.

The first few months after DD was born, it was hot here in San Diego, so we had her in a plain onesie most of the time. No pants, no socks, no shoes (i think infant shoes that are ridiculously cute but pointless are stupid lol), no jackets. A 5-pack of plain white onesies (be it tank style, short sleeves, or a kimono even) costs maybe $6-8, depending on the brand. The colored ones are usually the same price too. Wal Mart usually has cute stuff on sale, but I personally hate going to walmart, so Id make DH go. Second hand stores, JBF events, BST or even your local "Buy Nothing" fb group are great places to look for not just clothes, but things like a RnP, PnP, a stroller, baby wraps/carriers, etc.

The RnP was a life saver!! for about $60, we got one that auto rocks, vibrates and plays soft sounds/music. She slept in it until about 3-4 months I think (FFC: yes, I know its a SIDS risk. But we didn't bedshare. Refused to for personal reasons). The mamaroo, thankfully it was a gift and we didn't splurge on it. She liked it for a couple weeks, then HATED it for a couple months, then loved it until she got too big for it. If you can find a cheap one, it doesnt hurt to try it.

Zip up swaddle sacks! We couldn't burrito her to save our lives. Ridiculous.. Once we found the zip ups (SwaddleMe ZipUp Pods), life changing! Ours all have double zippers so you have easy diaper access.
Baby Merlins Magic Sleepsuit: I wish I found them sooner. They actually worked, then she started rolling in her sleep -_- Join their email club and they usually have a couple of sales a year.

Sorry its long. Insomnia sucks.

thatlauragirl · July 2017

Amazon Family offers a 20% discount on diaper subscriptions. It was perfect for us because we could get Pampers at great prices and have them delivered to our doorstep.

I also follow Krazy Coupon Lady and Southern Savers (I know there's a lot more out there). They do the work for you determining what baby items are on sale along with showing what coupons are available online.

It can be tempting to buy a bunch of toys but they generally won't have any interest for the first 6 months.

if you're tempted to buy a bassinet for the first few months, consider just using a PNP instead. You'll get a lot more use out of it.

anewadventure · July 2017

excellent post. i feel like the odd bird sometimes because so many families seem to just drop cash on anything and everything for their kids. it all adds up fast.

for STM+, don't be concerned if your baby gear is all pink or purple or blue and firetrucks. your baby will not care. reuse reuse reuse. even if you're not a fan of reusing all the clothes for the opposite sex, at least re use pjs and onesies and pants. i LOVE once upon a child!! if you hit their sales, you can literally buy like 20 items for 30 bucks (not onesies, those are practically free). they have shoes, gear, books, everything. i haven't tried passing off any clothes there yet as i'm waiting to find out what the sex of this LO is first.

i find that jackets, clothes, and shoes are a great place to save money. your kid doesn't need five pairs of shoes in any given size. i don't care if my son wears his neon green and blue shoes with dress clothes to a party or nice event - he's two. big deal. you only need so many clothes, which you can get second hand. people love to gift these things as well for birthdays and christmas.

as PPs mentioned, don't get name brand diapers, wipes, and formula unless you're shopping the sales / couponing / amazon. we love aldi brand wipes. my son loves aldi diapers (he likes the pattern, LOL) but i'd recommend them more for toddlers than for infants unless you plan to change them every hour or two. we don't buy puffs but if you do, aldi is the place. they also have pouches. (in general, i love aldi! it saves me a lot of money since my son is going to turn into fruit and we drink a lot of milk, eat a lot of eggs, etc.)

we buy formula at costco - kirkland signature brand (most similar to similac) but they have the name brands too. we often buy diapers there (when they have coupons) so we switch to whatever the coupon of the month is, huggies or costco brand. however, this is partially convenience, and if you do your work you can definitely get diapers for even cheaper than costco. we also do amazon subscribe and save, aldi, and even wegmans brand diapers. we've found that each brand of wipes is totally different and we like different ones for different purposes. if you're paying more than 3 cents per wipe, you can do miles better. you can easily go down to closer to 1.5 cents per wipe with coupons and store brands. costco is great for diaper cream (giant tubes of desitin) and medicines.

let me throw this article (one of many) out there too. we use the ibotta app but with most couponing things, you have to be mindful and walk the line of savings. don't buy things just because you have a coupon or a sale. you end up buying stuff you don't need. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/tech-has-taken-the-work-out-of-couponing-heres-how-to-save-big-with-little-effort/2017/06/05/a8ef1a2a-40b8-11e7-8c25-44d09ff5a4a8_story.html?utm_term=.454164f4a839

i also recommend ebates, and can provide referrals, if you're a big online shopper like me. i get really aggravated with people, road rage, stores, lines, and lack of selection so i buy a lot online. i also love the convenience.

when you have the urge to constantly take your kids to "do things," just know you can drop a lot of money on this or find free things. there is a lot out there. libraries, parks, festivals. regal cinemas does practically free kids movies on tuesdays in the summer. my kid loves to grocery shop and do laundry, for goodness' sake, so i don't need to pay to take him to bounce houses and things like that. he thinks going to wegmans is the best thing ever. it has APPLES and DONUTS and A TRAIN and a GREEN TRACTOR CART. lol.

andipandicWed121369 · July 2017

Fall is big Mom2Mom sales season around here. I'm holding off until then to get a rock and play and a lot of baby's clothes. I've also made good money selling at M2M sales and it's a good way to unload a lot of stuff quick (I haven't had a ton of luck selling DD's clothes at Once Upon a Child. Our store is super picky! I'll take a basket full and they'll take like 2 items!!!!)

beaandthebabes · July 2017

A friend took me to the best shop today. Here we have a secondhand store called Bigwheels 2 Butterflies and across the street from one location is their last chance outlet where onesies are 2 for $1 and everything else is $1. I bought loads of adorable name brand onesies plus pants, pjs, a couple of full outfits (which count for $1 so long as it is on one hanger), plus several jackets, vests, and sweaters. I had 2 bulging bags for $50 which is hilarious as I was just patting myself on the back for getting 6 things from the Carters/Oshkosh outlet for $45.

tamaraaaa · July 2017

Target is giving a $20 gift card for $100 spent, or $50 GC for $250 spent this week.

I try and stock up during these times when they offer gift cards with purchases and then I save them all year long. At Christmas, I bust them all out and it adds up quick! Last year I had a few hundred dollars worth which makes gift buying a little less stressful.

elcd458 · July 2017

Costco has their organic Kirkland wipes on sale this month. It's the case of 900 (9 packs of 100 wipes) for $15 something (normally $20).

jrschube · July 2017

I might be the odd person out, but I don't like buying clothing secondhand. I have severe OCD and am always concerned about what things were stored with, where, what they've been washed with, etc. I am also pretty sensitive to chemicals so the smell of some laundry detergents makes me sick. I sound like a lot of fun at parties, right?

Anyway, to save money on clothes and shoes and such, I buy clothes for larger sizes. DS is 2.5 and I have clothes stored up to 5T. I went after Christmas to some outlet stores because they had like 75% off clearance prices. I do the same thing when Target does 20% off clearance on cartwheel and Old Navy does 40% off clearance in stores. This usually happens at the end of the summer and right after Christmas I've noticed. I also signed up for JCP rewards. I get a $10 off $10 or more coupon about once a month. I go in, buy an outfit or a few things that add up to less than $15, and I've spent $5 or less on either a full outfit or a bunch of clothes. I got some shorts there earlier this year for $1.25 a piece this way.

I also try to combine sales at target/ibotta rebates/target giftcard offers. A lot of the time, they'll have "buy two boxes, get a $10 gift card" for diapers, while also having a "spend 100, get a 20 giftcard" type things. So I do both, and if there's a rebate on Ibotta or a Cartwheel offer, I layer those.

Facebook sale sites are great for selling used stuff. If you have higher end brands of clothing, like Hanna Andersson, Boden, or Tea, you can actually sell them for a really good price on eBay. I like the facebook sale sites for buying and selling things like toys though, especially because my local Mom's club has a private one, so I know the people I'm buying from.

elcd458 · July 2017

@jrschube Those are some great tips! I completely understand about the consignment stuff too. I have really severe allergies and always worry that someone's cat co-opted that Rock-n-Play before it made its way to the sale... also bedbugs (a new fear thanks to an exterminator FIL, ha!).

threatlevelmidnight · July 2017

Diapers and wipes - we surprisingly love Walmart's Parent's Choice diapers and wipes! We loved Target Brand's old diaper design, but the new design with the blue dye made DS break out. Noticed more leaks too.

Bottles and pacifiers - like PP said, you never know what they'll like, so try to get lots of free samples before you buy a set.

Formula - this is the only area I don't mind paying more in, since it is nutrition. I guess I'm just kinda funny about it. We used Hipp and saved a lot of money buying bulk from formuland.com they have an awesome rewards points system too.

Clothes - they only need a very few newborn outfits. DS was always just in a diaper with a Muslim blanket on him. I like rummage sales for clothes. I haven't lucked out with consignment stores. They always have the prices way too high and I could buy knew for just a couple dollars more. I love Target using coupons and cartwheel, and also Kohls. I save using my kohls charge and kohls cash.

Gear - we were able to get a lot of gear slightly used from friends, or rummage sales.

Sorry I mostly just echoed what everyone else said, but I spent too much time writing this out so I'm posting it anyway.

tmk0325 · July 2017

We used Gerber Good Start Soothe formula. No generic version and hardly ever has coupons from the manufacturer, however I took full advantage of cartwheel when it was 10-15% and double dipped when they had the spend so much get X back gift cards or when you buy 3 you get a gift card. With twins on formula this helped quite a bit. The formula sales are on cartwheel and in store at least once a month, so I would stock up.

jackiesmom324 · July 2017

hey does anyone have an idea one where to start with cloth diapering? https://www.amazon.com/Noras-Nursery-Pocket-Diapers-Inserts/dp/B0153SP86E/ref=sr_1_8_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1500237567&sr=8-8&keywords=cloth+diaper&refinements=p_72:2661618011

jackiesmom324 · July 2017

I forgot all about this thread when I started the basic baby items list. I am also trying to stay on a small budget and also am limited in space

Tennis11785 · July 2017

@jrschube - I'm a lot like you. I just can't handle not knowing where the item came from before I got it. If I know the person, I'm totally fine, but not knowing gives me the heebie jeebies. I love your idea of buying after season and storing for the next year.

lovesclimbing · July 2017

*June lurker* As a mom of a one-month-old, I can truly say you don't need much. I second the second-hand clothes thing. I have bought exactly zero new clothes for this girl. I went to a large consignment sale and bought everything for the first six months I thought I'd need for super cheap. I've been gifted a few new outfits and have also been given a ton of second-hand stuff. All of it is in great condition because this is babies we're talking about. They don't wear it long and at a young age, they can't really ruin it except with a blow out. She's been sleeping on couch cushions covered in a waterproof cover and a crib sheet in a large box. No crib/bassinet/pack-and-play needed. (I'd love to have one, but not completely necessary.) One of the few things that is necessary is some way to wear the baby. Sometimes I can't get stuff done unless I'm wearing her. You can always buy fabric and make a wrap to keep it cheap. If you do certain kinds of knit fabric, it's not necessary to sew. I would say a car seat, a wrap, a few clothes and diapers are really the only things you have to buy. Anything else, you can really make do, at least for the first few months. @jackiesmom324, I recommend reading or watching on YouTube a cloth diaper overview. Just google "cloth diaper getting started" or "cloth diaper overview" and you'll get a million hits. Personally, I liked Jaimee Gleisner's cloth diaper 101 series on YouTube.

cait5413 · July 2017

The only warning I will give about buying clothes in advance is that if you live in a place with real seasons, your baby may outgrow the sizes before you get to that season. Some babies wear much bigger sizes, so you could buy 12 month clothes and have them not fit. Note also that baby clothes are generally sized "up to." So, sometimes you'll see 3-6 months and sometimes the tag just says 6 months. That generally means on average a baby can wear that outfit until they are about 6 months old. Of course, not all babies are average! Just keep the tags on til you're ready for them. DD is pretty true to size these days but we also live in the south, so I know short sleeve stuff can get some wear pretty much year round. Its the warmer stuff I have to be careful with.

cait5413 · July 2017

Also, if you are planning for multiple kids, test out those carseats! We have a bucket (infant) carseat and a convertible--we kept one in my car and one in DH's, planning to move both to my car because DD is out growing the infant seat. They will not fit side by side the way we planned to install them. They will both fit in my backseat, but not in a way that will allow access to the 3rd row. So, when we buy a 2nd convertible, we will make sure they can fit side by side. I'm finding this helpful: https://www.thecarcrashdetective.com/3-across-car-seat-guide-html/ We don't plan to have 3 across, but if we want someone else to be able to sit in the back or to have access to the 3rd row, this is the info we need! The Car Seat Lady also has helpful info.

Just wanted to add this here because you don't want to have to replace seats before they are expired because you can't fit them in the same car!

thatlauragirl · July 2017

Check out Target also because they do a lot of daily flash sales. We were able to get the travel system we wanted last week on a one day sale for $209 instead of the regular $369.99. After using my Red debit card for 5% off and getting the $20 gift card, it ended up costing $179 including tax! I'm constantly skimming ads and checking Target and Amazon for flash sales.

I also buy a year ahead on seasonal clothing but it's pretty safe since I'm in Florida and it's pretty much hot all the time.

wabash15 · July 2017

@jackiesmom324 feel free to PM me and I can help you navigate cloth diapering.
I also second @cait4513 that for some kids its easy to buy in advance but others not so much. My DS is pretty much in cloths for his age so its not so bad but DD is a peanut. she spent 6+months in 6 month cloths and was pushing a year before I moved her to 9 months stuff. She's over 2 and is still in 18th month cloths so its WAY harder to plan ahead for her because she may be in something forever and we live in a place with seasonal changes.

anewadventure · July 2017

i can't find the previous steals / deals thread, even though it's probably staring me in the face. this was on kinja deals today. i haven't done any significant research yet in sit-to-stands so i can't vouch for the product itself, but just in case this helps someone else:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y285QUA/ref=twister_B00YOY3Z0U?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

( Graco Roomfor2 Click Connect Stand and Ride Stroller, Gotham for 84.96 right now)

elcd458 · July 2017

Not sure if this will be at all the locations, but I just saw on FB that our local Once Upon A Child is having a Onesie Sale on Saturday-- 20 onesies for $10!

skc040512 · July 2017

One thing to check out is local consignment sales (not just the regular stores like One Upon a Child).You can usually find ads for them all over facebook, especially in your local mom groups or BST pages. I just went to a huge one in Raleigh, where everything was an additional 50% off on the last day of the sale. You can usually find tons of items for $3 or under at those types of events. We got 30 outfits for DD1 an this LO for $50...and a bunch of stuff still has the original tags on them

cait5413 · July 2017

@skcobb is right. We don't have Once Upon a Child, but our area has 2 big consignment sales that each happen twice a year, and the last day is always 50% off. I usually go on the first day to have the best pick of stuff, but last time I could only make it the last day and there was still a ton of good stuff including smocked and monogrammed outfits (I've gotten DD several things that have "C" monogrammed on them for her first name) and seersucker--all very popular here in the south, but can be very expensive new! I've gotten DD brand-new (tags on) shoes and outfits as well as gently used stuff. I never spend more than $10 on anything. We have one coming up at the end of August and I am going on the first day, but may go back on 50% off day too depending on what they have and what we need for DD and baby. Some good deals on gently used toys become Christmas presents. The two we have are Little Feet Consignment and All 4 Children consignment. This site is also helpful: https://consignmentmommies.com/

mrsorigami · July 2017

with DD i took a lot of her clothes to consignment, did a couple of sales, and also used once upon a child and another similar store several times to swap stuff or just to sell to get rid of it.

with this next one we are reusing all of dd's old stuff. crib and mattress are still great, (dd is only 4), travel system, packnplay, rocknplay, high chair, etc. I plan on breastfeeding again and doing BLW when the time is right, just like we did with DD.

We used cloth diapers for DD after a few months, so i have huge stash of those for this next baby and plan to cloth from the beginning. it feels good to know i will never need to buy paper diapers.

most of her newborn stuff was gender neutral- i have gone through her baby clothes and set aside the ones we can use again for the next one, regardless of the baby's sex. all of our equipment and other items were also gender neutral, so i am not worried about any of that.

the facebook marketplace is handy if you are looking for any equipment you might need. i found a gently used rocknplay a local mom was getting rid of for $10. we are going to take it to my MIL's house. it was basically like new and the fabric part is washable. i also found a new travel system and packnplay on clearance at target, which is for MIL to have at her place. but that's all i have really spent any money on this time around..and i don't plan on anything else.

i did make a small registry on amazon but it is private and mostly for myself for things i might like to have or think i need. like we will need an infant insert for our tula, but i can always order than on prime and then fulfill my registry requirements to get the baby box they send.

jackiesmom324 · July 2017

thanks you all for this

elcd458 · July 2017

@Skcobb I live just outside of Raleigh, small world!

leighalou91 · July 2017

@jackiesmom324 I am going to private message you some cloth diaper info

failuretofly · July 2017

FYI everyone, Old Navy (and I think Gap and Banana Republic) are having an online sale that ends today! 40% off everything with the code BEACH!
I got a whole boatload of stuff for DS and babe!

Tennis11785 · July 2017

Is there anything people are waiting to buy on Black Friday? Depending when you're due in December, it can be really late to pick up some of the bigger/important items (furniture, car seats).

Just curious if there are any items people are specifically holding off in hopes of getting a good price. Or if you're just hoping that you can fill what you don't get at your shower with a Black Friday deal.

So far, I'm thinking clothes (see what people give us and then fill any gaps) and diapers. Anything else I should mentally move until November to buy?

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