If you are expecting an addition to your family, or just
planning on having a baby in the future, you need to start
thinking about how you are going to budget for your little one.
Many first-time parents are shocked when they realize how much
having a baby can cost. And I am not just talking about the
doctor bills. It's all the little things, such as diapers,
clothes, formula, baby food, and toys, that add up to cost big
bucks!
When my wife and I had our first child, we learned a lot about
what we really needed and what was a waste of money. So now that
we are seasoned veterans and expecting our second baby, we feel
confident that we can avoid the same wasteful mistakes we made
the first time around.
Here is a list of 6 things that your baby can live without,
followed by 4 things that we could not have lived without:
Baby Wipe Warmer - An unnecessary waste. My daughter never
fussed when we used baby wipes that were room temperature. Baby
wipe warmers are just an attempt to get parents to spend more
money on something they really do not need.
Expensive Clothes - You are going to find that your little one
will grow out of his or her clothes incredibly fast. It's one
thing to spend a little extra for a nice dress or outfit for a
holiday or special occasion. But it doesn't make sense to spend
a fortune on clothes that will be worn only once or twice.
Instead, choose the lower priced items (as long as the quality
is satisfactory), especially for little onesies and sleepers.
Another tip: don't remove the tags from baby’s clothes until
they are ready to be worn. We have outfits that my daughter grew
out of before she even had a chance to wear them. Since we had
already removed the tags we were not able to exchange them for a
bigger size.
Brand Name Goods - Using generic items instead of brand names
can save you hundreds of dollars per month. We used the brand
name baby formulas for the first few months and then switched to
the generic brand after we realized it cost 60% less. Not only
did our little girl not mind the change, she actually seemed to
prefer it. The generic brand seemed to give her less gas.
Toddler Foods - When our baby was first learning to eat solid
foods, we tried dozens of different flavors of baby food. We
thought it was important for her to adjust to the new foods and
to try a variety of flavors.
But as soon as she got used to the new texture, we started
making our own baby food. Carrots and sweet potatoes worked
especially well when mixed in the food processor.
And we never even bothered with the 'toddler foods'. They are an
expensive waste. Look on the supermarket shelf and you will see
the jars of diced fruits and vegetables 'just for baby'. But you
know what? You can cut up a pear or a green bean yourself. It
will save you money and you will know that the food is fresh.
Large and Expensive Toys - When my daughter was born we spent
several hundred dollars on toys for her to play with, plus we
received many more as gifts. We got her all sorts of giant
stuffed animals and high tech toys that danced or played music.
Do you know what her favorite toy is? A squeaky bath toy shaped
like a crab. It cost $1.49. She regularly pushes aside all of
the fantastic toys we bought her for that inexpensive little
crab.
Now I'm certainly not telling you not to buy your little one
anything expensive or fancy. Just keep in mind that she may just
push it out of her way so she can play with the box.
Baby Walkers - You hardly see these in stores anymore, but they
can be found. Skip it. They are dangerous. Stick a baby in one
of these and they can wheel themselves into trouble before you
know it. There have been horrible incidents of children rolling
down a flight of stairs or running into a table and knocking
something down on top of themselves.
The 4 BEST purchases we made...
An ExerSaucer - An exersaucer looks very similar to a walker
with one major difference...it doesn't move. The exersaucer
stays firmly planted on the ground and allows the baby to
'stand' and play with all sorts of toys that are attached to it,
plus any other toys you give to him.
My daughter absolutely loved being in her exersaucer and it gave
us a chance to get something done around the house while she was
occupied. We knew she couldn't get into any trouble and we
constantly changed the toys so she would not get bored.
But be warned. Once baby becomes mobile he likely won't want to
use it anymore. He can have a lot more fun crawling around
getting into all sorts of trouble!
The Best Car Seat You Can Afford - Keeping your baby safe is no
joke. Having a quality car seat is vital in case you get into an
accident. Be sure you read the manual and secure baby tightly
each time you take her out.
Also, contact your local police station and ask them if they
offer free car seat installations and inspections. Most towns
have a few officers who have received special training on
installing car seats. If your town doesn't offer this service
they can get you in touch with a neighboring town that does.
Even the best car seat is useless if it is not installed
correctly.
Bundle Me - Unless you live in a climate that is warm all
year-round, a Bundle Me is a great timesaver. It is basically a
cozy blanket that fits into a car seat or stroller. Rather than
bundling baby up in a snowsuit and blankets, just place her in
the car seat and zip it up. You'll be surprised how warm she
stays.
It is especially handy when you have the type of car seat in
which the base stays in the car and the seat pops out so you can
carry it around. You can have baby all snuggled up inside rather
than struggling to do it in the cold.
Shopping Cart Cover - You've probably seen them in the
supermarket. It's just a cloth or vinyl cover that goes over the
top section of a shopping cart. The baby sits in it and it
prevents her from touching the shopping cart with her hands or
mouth.
Many people will argue that this is unnecessary, but I see it as
a valuable safety device. Countless numbers of hands have
touched those shopping carts and who knows what kinds of germs
they left behind. Keeping my little girl healthy is more than
worth the $20 expense.
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