Simple Ways To Save Money On Baby #2

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This post should really be titled “How to Save Money on Your Not-First Baby”, but I didn’t think that sounded very professional. Either way, I’ve been extremely proud of myself for the way that my little family has been able to stretch our pennies preparing for our second little one. No matter what baby you are on, those tiny purchases can really add up! Add in the fact that the Best baby bottles and clothes are oh-so-adorable and your budget can really suffer. I wanted to give you some practical, doable tips for saving money on Baby #2, 3, or 7.

Don’t Be Afraid To Shop Second-Hand

This is the biggest frugal tip I can give you as a parent. Baby clothes, toys, furniture…it’s all very temporary. Your littles will grow out of items faster than you can blink, whether it’s a favorite shirt or a toy they were obsessed with. Don’t be afraid to buy items at a thrift store or second-hand. Not only will you be saving a lot of cash, but you also won’t have that “gasp!” moment when your little one spills grape juice all over a $30 baby suit. You don’t have to sacrifice cuteness or quality when purchasing these items. If you don’t mind a bit of a treasure hunt, you’re able to purchase high-quality items at a fraction of the cost. I’m not a particular brand snob, but if I was.. I could have thrifted an entire name-brand wardrobe in the 9 months it takes a baby to arrive.

Make Do

If you’re anything like myself, chances are you probably have a few baby things that can be reused. My second baby is also my second boy, so there are many items that I haven’t had to buy such as a bouncer, some clothing items (the babies are different sizes in different seasons due to their birthdays) and a few toys. There are some ways to get creative with off-season clothing, I’m sure. Some ideas that come to mind right away would be layering a short sleeve onesie with a jacket or a long sleeve onesie during the cooler months, hemming pants into shorts, etc. I’m not particularly handy with my sewing machine yet, but alterations are another great way to save money. If your babies are of the opposite sex or this would be your first, you might be able to use this tip by asking family and friends if they wouldn’t mind sharing their used baby things.

Save Receipts

This is a tip that I recently learned from the Review of SuperMoney Financial Services Portal and some trial and error. I bought a crib at full-price not too long ago. I spent about $130 on the crib alone and still had to get a mattress. While I was perusing social media, I saw that a woman had a gently used mattress and crib that were a great brand for $50. I hadn’t opened the crib I bought, so I was able to return that crib for store credit which I used to buy other needed items. If I had saved my receipt, I could have easily gotten cash back, which could have gone into savings or given me a better variety on what I was able to purchase. Moral of the story, save your receipts! You never know when you’ll find the deal of the century!

Sign Up To Be A Tester

Through testing programs, I’ve been able to get free diapers and a brand-new baby swing. I’ve also been offered baby wraps and other useful items. I am under NDA, so I can’t disclose the exact programs I am in, but if you perform a Google search you’ll find a bunch of great ways to get free items. These programs don’t even require a blog a lot of the time, just your honest review!

Sign Up For Samples

Never underestimate the power of freebies! The toiletries bag that I’m packing in my hospital bag is full of sample deodorant, toothpaste, lotion, etc. This is awesome because I don’t have to buy travel sized products or lug around my full-sized favorites. You can get samples for baby as well. I got a sample box for trying out Amazon Mom that was full of goodies like a bottle, Burt’s Bee’s products, etc.

What are your favorite ways to save on baby?

Reference: Smiles of Austin.