It’s a well-known fact that having a baby is incredibly expensive. In fact, raising a family can be one of the most expensive times in your life. The average cost of birth in the United States can be nearly $11,000 for a natural delivery. And it can be almost double that for a C-section. And that’s before you even leave the hospital!
Everything else you need for your newborn will also give you sticker shock. Diapers alone can do a number on the family budget. Luckily, there are a few tricks for saving some cash. Here are some tips for getting the baby stuff you need without breaking the bank.
Register at Certain Stores for Free Gifts
When you create baby shower registries at stores like Target or Amazon, you will get a ton of free gifts in exchange. No matter which or how many items are purchased off your registry, both stores will give you quite a few full and trial-sized samples of various baby supplies. This can include formula, diapers, clothing, teething toys, and more!
Formula Clubs
Similac and Enfamil both have baby formula clubs. These are called Similac Rewards and Enfamil Family Beginnings. As a new parent, you can score some serious samples and coupons for free just for signing up. In addition, these free loyalty programs will usually provide you with some extra surprises just for providing your email, phone number, or address. You can join as soon as you learn you are pregnant. That way, you can start stocking up.
Take Everything From Your Delivery Room
Once you leave your delivery room after giving birth and being discharged from the hospital, everything inside your room gets stripped and thrown away. Therefore, any disposable items in the room should be taken with you, as it can save you some serious coin. For example, your hospital room will likely be stocked with diapers, wipes, bulb syringes, formula, baby tees, and more. If you don’t take it with you, it will all get trashed, so bring an extra bag to take home your hospital goodies!
Get Insurance to Cover Your Breast Pump
Many health insurance companies will cover your breast pump, whether you rent one, have a manual pump, or an electric pump. So, if you think this could be the case for your insurance, be sure to call and ask about breast pump coverage. In addition, for those who are having trouble breastfeeding, many insurance companies also cover breastfeeding support and counseling for new mothers.
Dollar Tree/Dollar General
Stores like Dollar Tree and Dollar General are great resources for moms with new babies. Dollar Tree typically has an entire aisle dedicated to baby stuff, which can include clothing, socks, bibs, bottles, food, toys, teething supplies, and more! Unfortunately, dollar Tree has bumped the prices of their items up to $1.25 per item, but everything is still incredibly cheap, so take advantage of dollar stores around you.
Make Your Own Baby Wipes
Making your baby wipes is an effortless way to save money on a baby item you will use daily. Making your own baby wipes is actually incredibly easy. Here’s how:
- Take half a roll of paper towels (cut through the middle of the roll) and soak it in a solution of a cup of water, a tablespoon of baby shampoo, and about a tablespoon of baby oil.
- Remove the inner cardboard roll.
- Place the wipes in a reusable container on your changing table. If they get too dry, just add more of the solution.
Use Couponing Apps Like iBotta
Many couponing apps are available for iOS and Android, but perhaps none are better than iBotta. iBotta doesn’t save you money at the point of purchase, but instead gives you cash back on your purchases after making them. You can see how much money you will get back before your purchase, so you know how much you’ll be saving. iBotta is free to join and works at many different retailers. So it’s typically easy to use no matter where you live.
Stack Coupons at Kohl’s
While many people might not consider Kohl’s a big box retailer, this store has many stackable sales and coupons to help you maximize your savings. For example, at Kohl’s and Kohls.com, you can stack up to four coupons on top of each other to get brand-name clothing and items for cheap. To save the most money, use a sitewide or storewide coupon followed by a department-specific, percentage-off, or dollar-off coupon. After that, use up to four Kohl’s rewards codes and one free shipping code.
Tip: Kohl’s credit card holders also get access to special deals and discounts. Just be sure you pay off the balance each month. Otherwise, all the money you save will be offset with interest charges.
Make Your Own Baby Food
You don’t need anything fancy or any expensive kitchen appliance to make your own baby food. Instead, you only need to boil fruit or vegetables until they’re fully cooked and softened. Then, puree them in a blender until they are a smooth, consistent texture. You can pour the food into reusable, sealable containers and save them in your fridge for a few days for baby’s meals. Additionally, if you don’t need all the food immediately or make too much, you can put it into ice cube trays and freeze it to blend later.
Sell Old Clothes/Toys
Once your baby grows out of clothes or gets too old for certain toys, one way you can earn back some money to pay for new ones is to sell their old items for cash back. People are having babies all the time, and if you don’t know anyone to sell the items to, try selling them on Facebook Marketplace or Mercari to buyers who are not in your immediate area. Then, once you’ve earned some extra cash from selling your child’s old clothes, you can invest in some new ones.
Pick Up A Side Hustle
A side hustle is an additional income stream to help you make extra cash. A side hustle won’t typically provide enough income to support your family fully, but it does provide you with a bit of extra money each week or month. This can help you supplement your savings goals, pay off debt, or buy baby necessities. There are many different examples of side hustles you could pursue, for example:
- Selling your items online
- Buying and flipping furniture
- Selling digital resources/assets
- Taking paid online surveys
Branded Surveys
Branded Surveys is one of the most popular websites for taking paid online surveys as a side hustle. Branded Surveys is free to join and highly protective of your information and personal data. This gig pays anywhere from $.50 to $2 or more per survey.
The site connects users with researchers, companies, or institutions that will pay you for your opinions. You probably won’t earn enough from Branded Surveys to support yourself entirely. However, it’s a great way to save money on baby items without dipping into your regular budget.
