I’m not a parent yet, but my best friend is. She just had a beautiful baby girl and being new to the whole parent thing is kind of scary. You have so many things to think about. So many things to do. So many things to worry about. Not to mention, the additional cost of having a child.
Not that kids aren’t a blessing. They are. The fact still remains that having another living breathing being in your house is an added expense. Big Corporations don’t help either. Their products cost too much. So what can we do? All we can do is be wise about where we put our money.
I did my own research. I wanted to learn how I can help my friend find ways to reduce her expenses. Here’s what I found.
1. New outside clothes but old inside clothes. Your baby is going to vomit all over it anyway. So why bother buying new indoor clothes? Use the ones you already have. Don’t ever buy designer clothes. Babies get sick, poo, and pee on everything they wear and grow out of them quicker than you think. When you want to buy new clothes, buy from cheap stores. There’s a ton of baby/kids section in thrift stores and in consignment stores.
2. WFH – switching to work from home can save you a ton. It can save you from eating out and car insurance. Yes, you read that right. You can call your car insurance company to lower the amount of kilometers you will drive in a year.
3 Buying second-hand items. There are tons of second-hand items that are in great condition and priced low. Items like strollers, changing tables, etch, can be found in Facebook Marketplace. Or even better than Facebook is to join your nearest Buy Nothing Group. Yes, they exist. If you monitor closely, you’ll save countless amounts by making use of what others gave away. They usually give away toys, books, clothes, foodstuff, baby supplies and many others.
4. Make your own baby food. It’s definitely healthier, cheaper, and super quick to make. All you need is a regular hand blender or a fork to mash and turn it into a puree. You can just boil vegetables in water with a pinch of salt. Blend it with the boiled water until very smooth. You can blend peas, spinach, carrots, beets, squash, and potatoes.
5. Baby towels are unnecessary. Use regular towels. They are fine to use. Don’t give in to their advertisement strategies. The same goes with baby shoes. They don’t need them. They can’t walk yet. Just don’t.
6. Breastfeed if you can. If you can’t. Formulas at Costco are almost a third of the price of other brands. If you can’t find one, search on Facebook Costco groups. You can usually know when it arrives in stock.
7. Go to the Library instead of buying new books about being a new mother. Some libraries have an online library where you can borrow books online. Some even have programs to help you, new parents. Use it to your advantage.
8. For stains, use unscented dish soap and throw some on the stain before washing. It emulsifies the stain better than most stain removers. It’s much cheaper too.
9. When your kid starts teething, instead of buying new tethers, peel a carrot and let the baby munch his tiny little gums on it. Just make sure to watch him/her. If the baby is well on solids, you can also use cucumbers.
10. You don’t need Disney+ or Netflix. Youtube has a lot of great but most especially free educational videos and series. Not that I encourage children to always be on their pads or phones, but sometimes when it’s needed or when they need to learn from watching. You can use Youtube. When using Youtube though, you need to filter things out.
11. Stock up your freezer. Make a bunch of soups. This can be good for three months. When you cook, make more than you usually do and freeze them. When you’re tired, you can just heat them up whenever you want to. You can also buy frozen meals if you want. It’s not as healthy and as cheap as making meals on your own, but it’s also a good option. It’s way better than ordering out. It’s a good way to cut back your expenses.
12. Kirkland Diapers are the same as Huggies and are way cheaper. The downside with them is their start size is one. They don’t have a newborn size. Kirkland wipes are good too.
13. Buy diapers and wipes in bulk.
14. HelloFresh subscription is also a good option. Rather than spending on takeouts. HelloFresh can help lessen the stress of mealtime prep. Their meals are typically quick and easy.
Here are some final words, while the cost of raising a child can be daunting, there are plenty of ways for first-time parents to save money without sacrificing quality and safety. By creating a budget, embracing hand-me-downs, buying secondhand, taking advantage of free resources, planning for childcare costs, making your own baby food and so on, you can navigate parenthood with confidence and ease.
Doing a ton of preparation will help you a lot. Also, by being smart in how you prepare, not getting lost in the trends, and knowing what’s necessary will make everything easier. After all, the most valuable thing you can give to your child isn’t material possessions – it’s your love, time, and attention.
