Hi friends!
I’m in money-saving mode over here. I’ve been trying to think about all the ways we saved with our first baby and keep in line with the same goal for baby #2. And there are even a few things on here that I realized after our first go-around.
Newborns pretty much need milk, sleep, diapers, and lots of love. It doesn’t get much simpler than that. All the bells and whistles that marketers try to sell you can be helpful but NOT necessary. As moms, we all find what works best for our family (me included) so you may not agree 100% with this, but it’s my own personal experience.
I hope that the below tips and tid-bits help to save you money and space in any way, shape, or form. They definitely worked for us.
- Sterilize bottles without a designated sterilizer. Instead of having an extra piece of equipment on your counter (a pricey one, at that), I used a large pot to boil bottles.
- Skip the bottle warmer. Simply place bottle in a bowl and add hot water. I used my stainless steel kettle to heat up the water quickly. Just another way to save space on your countertop.
- Skip the wipe warmer. Why get your baby used to warm wipes? You won’t always be home to have warm wipes! This just seems too fancy for me. Save space and electricity while you’re at it. If the wipe is too cold, rub it between your hands first.
- Choose onesies and zip-up pajamas. Newborns like comfort and there is nothing more comfortable and soft than onesies and zip-up pajamas. I say zip-up because they are much easier than buttons in the middle of the night. Trust me. Skip the fancy dresses and jeggings.
- Buy bottles in the 8-9 oz sizes only. I only used the 4-5 oz bottles for a couple months before Willow was drinking more. Just buy the bigger size so they grow with your babe.
- Use regular towels. Hooded towels with ears are adorable (and someone will probably gift one to you, to be honest) but they outgrow them fast. I found them flimsy and too small. Soft, large towels will grow with baby and the whole family can use after.
- Choose practical burp cloths, not fancy. So many cute designs on burp cloths, right? But honestly… they are for spit up and milk and all that good stuff. Skip the 5-pack of patterned cloths and grab a 10-pack of these plain bad boys and be done with it. You can’t beat the price and they work great.
- Shop thrift for clothes or ask around for hand-me-downs. Babies grow out of their clothing so quickly, why buy new? It doesn’t make sense to me. Find a local thrift spot and check it out – most used baby clothes are practically new. You can also ask friends who have had babies if they have any bags of clothes to rid of (trust me, they probably have them in their basement!) I asked all my Facebook friends and was supplied with clothing for Willow up to 18 months!
- Shop thrift for swaddling products. I am not talking about the swaddling blankets (those are worth having on hand, trust me) but the zip-up or velcro products. The thing is, you don’t know if your baby will even like swaddling or how they will prefer to be swaddled (hands in? arms up?) I am SO glad I didn’t spend more than I needed to on them because Willow HATED the velcro ones. She needed to have her arms out. I bought two used for $2 each and did not feel an ounce of regret when she rejected them. These are easy to wash – no need to buy new.
- Find out if you are eligible for a free breast pump. Depending on your insurance plan, you may be eligible to receive a free pump. A HUGE WIN!
- Skip a designated changing table. A towel on the floor, bed, or couch will do. If you want a table, buy a regular dresser that will grow with your babe and purchase a changing pad + cover for the top. We only used ours for about 5-6 months until she was wiggling too much for me to feel safe changing her on it.
- Use a pillow instead of a boppy. The boppy wasn’t even very comfortable for me personally. I just used extra pillows we had around and it worked great.
- Skip the diaper pail. Do you really want crap diapers lingering in their bedroom? If you are able, just take the diaper immediately outside into the trash bin. It is an extra step but our house never stunk like poop. Yay.
These are just some of the ways that we avoided buying too many products and saved some money. I also shared a more in-depth post on newborn products you can do without HERE, if you are interested. I hope that these tips above were at least eye-opening and maybe you’ll think twice about how you’ll handle some of these scenarios.
What are some ways that you saved as a mama? I’d love to hear more tips before #2 arrives!
