Economic Survival Tips with a New Baby in the House

Granted, the last year has been tough for almost everyone, but if you had a baby in the last year, you have incurred new costs that seem impossible to eliminate or negotiate down. Unfortunately, because of these new costs, how do you survive in this economy? With all of the things you absolutely have to have, there are several things you can do to cut down on your costs.

Make Your Own Baby Food

The cost per serving can be a large savings since you do not have to throw away unfinished jars. The shelf life is controlled when produced in your own kitchen. Other than the cost savings, there are extra benefits to making your own food. The first is, making your own baby food means you’re controlling what ingredients your baby is ingesting; and second, you cut down on waste since you are not throwing your jars away. Even if you’re recycling, eliminating recyclable waste is a greener way of living.

Gently Used Toys

So your little one is growing and there are developmental milestones you don’t want to inhibit just because you can’t afford those expensive toys. Learning toys cost a great deal, but a baby only uses them for a very short amount of time and then they move on to the next item. A great savings can be found by checking with your local charities and area churches and garage sales as they may have sales specifically on baby toys. You can pick up gently used toys for a very small amount. Check your local paper listings or charities for these sale opportunities.

Hand-Me-Down Clothing

Ask your friends with children to give you their children’s clothes. Babies grow fast and if your friends have clothes your baby can wear, then use them. A baby only wears an outfit a few times so don’t go spend money you don’t need to be spending when you have this incredible source. You both benefit since your friends will be anxious to get rid of clothes their children are not wearing so they will have more space in their closets.

Buy in Bulk

Shop online for formula and diapers in bulk since often one can get a larger size for the price of a smaller one. Look for sites where you can get the most diapers for the lowest price. Such sites match cheaper prices and offer free shipping for purchases over a specific dollar amount. Some sites also offer coupons which they can email you so the savings continues to grow, like www.diapers.com.

By applying a few motherly tricks like the above, your savings will quickly add up.