low budget baby planning

d3st1n13 · November 2017

looking for tips on saving for baby on in a tight budget

knitsandgiggles · November 2017

You can score a ton of gently used baby and kid items at the seasonal HUGE consignments sales that are offered in your area. It is basically families selling items that their kids have grown out of, including everything from clothes to toys to pack 'n plays to shoes to books to bikes to strollers. I have been routinely getting a bunch of my kids clothes at these sales for the past couple of years. They grow so quickly so it just works well.

Here is an example of one in my area - https://www.facebook.com/passitonkidssale/

Just try searching "consignment sales" in Facebook and see what you can come up with!

Miz_Liz · November 2017

In addition to the above mentioned sales, most towns/cities have Facebook groups specifically for buying/selling kids items.

Also, talk to any BTDT moms in your life to help sort out WANT vs NEED.

ETA pinterest has some great charts for how to save $$ a little at a time and it adds up quick!

oneblessedmess · November 2017

I agree with @knitsandgiggles , consignment shops are my jam! There's one here called Once Upon a Child that I love, check and see if they have a location near you. Also, if you're on Facebook, check and see if there are any resale/yard sale FB groups in your area. All of DD's nursery furniture was purchased "gently used". I probably spent less on the crib, rocker, and dresser combined than a brand new glider would have cost.

Look around online to figure out what you REALLY need for a baby, so you're not buying stuff you're not going to use. For example, wipes warmers are nice but not really necessary. I never used one. There are lots of lists out there that will tell you the necessities.

Finally check out the "Freebies" thread to score some free stuff! It's not a lot but anything counts when you're on a budget!

Good luck!

jsl82 · November 2017

Honestly, most baby gear is nice to have not need to have... they really only need diapers/ wipes, some clothes, some place safe to sleep and a safe car seat. Get your prescription for your breast pump so that will be covered by insurance and get a few bottles in case you can't BF. Secondhand clothes, toys, a swing, and swaddles all work just as well as new. My DD is 10.5 months old now, and one of her favorite toys... our TV remote. Don't worry about getting all the stuff and gear- the AAP only recommends having your baby in gear for 2 hours a day anyway... so if you have less... you will use less.

May14th2011 · November 2017

Check Craigslist! I scored two huge trash bags of baby clothing for $20 that way. Obviously, do it carefully, you know, take a friend and meet somewhere public.
Consignment shops are awesome too- especially for newborn-12mo clothing, because those are usually worn so little. You get basically brand new clothes for pennies.

llamamama14 · November 2017

+1 to all the previous posters

My Biggest moneysavers:

-Breastfeeding
-Cloth diapering
-Thrift store/hand me down clothes/clearance rack (Once Upon a Child has some good deals but you can sometimes get better deals on basics from Old Navy clearance or Wal mart). I've seen Walmart Garanimals baby girl leggings for $2. Costco has better prices on fleece PJs than the used ones at Once Upon a Child.
- Craigslist or consignment for big ticket items like strollers, cribs and furniture.
- Wait and see if you can live without an item before buying it.

tammy574 · November 2017

Less is more! Buy crib used. Use a pack n play for bassinet. Do not buy hoards of used clothes! It all racks up and people will get you clothes as gifts and honestly you need so little. I like to have just a couple new sweet fresh sets of clothes that they wear over and over instead of scads of old used clothes and in the end it ends up being the same money if you buy less new clothes instead of a ton of used. Buy a couple packs of new onesies. A carrier used and a new low priced car seat. Babies can cost so little when you scale it back.

stillcozy · November 2017

*lurking from July*
We found amazing buys at Just Between Friends Sales for our first baby. I believe they have them in most states now but they are massive consignment sales and have everything! furniture, nursing supplies, clothes both baby and maternity toys and games, gear.

we also did facebook garage sale sites for our local area. I was able to buy multiple items in set sizes for a fraction of the price and 90% of the time got amazinf quality items

MamaDabo · November 2017

We make very, very little money as we serve full-time in a ministry that takes care of our housing and food for us. I breast-fed my daughter for over two years, use cloth diapers, and enjoyed an insane amount of hand-me-downs. If you have people in your life you want to bless you, let them. Let people know what you need. For us, we are very poor in money but very rich in community here.

juneandboo · November 2017

Love what everyone else has said and echo it -- hand me downs are GREAT! If you don't have friends or siblings with hand me downs to pass along, second hand or consignment shops are great. Also, see if there's OfferUp or a local Buy Nothing group that you can join - I can't tell you how many baby/toddler things have been given to use through these sites for free or very little. Breastfeeding saves a lot of money, if you're able to do it. Use the library for books for the kiddo. And remember that babies and toddler really don't need that much -- and that adopting a minimalist mindset with kiddos can really help keep the house and mind calm and focused!

murraydog2008 · November 2017

Everyone else offered some great tips already - I'd also look and see if there is a local buy nothing group. We have one in our neighborhood and people just give away their baby stuff they aren't using anymore. It's really great!

Breastfeeding is a HUGE money saver and when I was unable to produce enough, we scoured craigslist for unopened formula that people were selling. We could usually get a really good deal on it that way. I also made all our own baby food with #2. I'd just cook it on the stove top and then throw it in the blender. Once it was smooth - I'd put it in ice cube trays. It saved us a ton of money when he started eating solids and I was able to really control his ingredients.

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