Thrifty Tips for Thrifty Moms

Babies can be expensive!  But there are many ways that you can cut down on some of the costs.  Here are a few of the staples I use to stay within my budget.

1.  Diapers.  Oh my goodness!  I find it hard to believe that something that is going to catch poop and be thrown away can be so pricey!  Good news, it doesn't have to be.  There are two options when it comes to diapers.  You can buy cloth diapers, which will require an initial investment to build up your stock, but then you will never have to buy diapers again, just lots of laundry.  Or if you are going to go the disposable route, you can purchase on off brand.  Pampers and Huggies are great, but they are very costly.  We use Parent's Choice diapers (Walmart's brand).  They are fantastic!  Sure, they don't have Elmo on them, but they catch the pee and poop and don't leak.  Plus, a jumbo box is only $13.77 (which sure beats $25-$40 for the other brands...).

2. Child consignment stores.  These are a necessity to me.  You can get previously owned toys, lightly used clothes, and everything else you can think of that is baby related.  One of my favorites is Once Upon a Child.  Word to the wise though, anything you purchase, make sure you wash it (clothes) and disinfect if toys or bedding.  NEVER buy a childs car seat from a consignment store (you never know if it has been in an accident and damaged) and always check if the item has been recalled (this includes clothing).  Consignment shopping is a great way to save money.  For $20 I usually walk out with two huge bags full of stuff.

3.  Make your own baby food.  If you have the time and the will you can make your own baby food.  You just need a food processor (or blender) and some common sense.  If making veggies, ALWAYS wash and cook the veggies first to sterilize them and make them safe for your baby.  They make food processors specifically for this (Baby Bullet for example) but a regular processor will work just fine.  A great source for tips on making your own baby food can be found at babycenter.com.

4.  Make your own books and toys.  One of my daughter's favorite things is a book my mom made her.  She cut pictures out of magazines and put them into a photo album (one of the big ones with the sticky pages).  They are amazing.  She loves looking at the pictures, turning the pages.  And the best part, its drool proof, and rip proof.  She can beat it up and it keeps on ticking.  This is also a great way to store recipes.  If you get food on it, you can just wipe it off rather than it staining the paper.  We also made our own rattles.  She loves anything that makes noise.  So we took an empty 20 oz bottle, put some cheerios in it, put the top back on and voi la!  Instant rattle! 

5. Cut coupons.  Coupons are a great way to save you some money.  You can clip them out of the paper or go to coupons.com to print them.  You can also save with Walmart's Ad Match.  Bring in any ad and they will match the price.  That way you don't have to go to several stores just to hit all the deals.  But remember to bring the ad because they won't match it unless they can see it advertised.

That's it for now.  The little one is starting to stir so my "me" time is coming to an end.  Do you have anything that can be added to the list?  Leave a comment with your money saving tips.