We all want the best for our kids. Nobody wants to have to think about money when it comes to having a baby, however, most of us simply can’t afford not to when it comes to newborn care. Money should never prevent you from having a kid, and also giving them the best. If you are having a baby, but aren’t exactly financially buoyant enough to spend lavishly on baby stuff, then we got you covered. Here are 10 baby care tips for new moms on saving money that will help you to successfully navigate the tide of caring for your kid on a not so heavy budget, while ensuring they don’t miss out on much.
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Get Second-Hand Clothes
Don’t get caught up in the idea that everything you get for your baby has to be new. That is a misleading trend and one that will get you all stretched out and stressed out if you can’t afford to get everything new. This especially applies to clothes. Babies grow out of clothes very fast. Instead of going for new clothes that your baby won’t wear for very long, you can opt for second-hand clothes from thrift stores. You don’t have to be worried that the clothes you get have been overused or anything because the first users probably didn’t use it any more than you are going to.
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Avoid Branded Products
Most companies don’t charge for the value of the products or even services they provide. They charge for the brand name. That is why big brands constantly increase the price of items and still get customers. There is a feeling of prestige when a person buys Gucci clothing. Because when they wear it, they know people can tell they spent a lot of money on it. Similarly, popular brands that sell newborn care, and baby products can be unnecessarily expensive. Baby items in general are particularly expensive. Your best bet is to opt for store-branded products, instead of those big companies. The quality is usually the same, but not the price.
Don’t Stockpile On Newborn Care Products
Avoid stockpiling anything, ever, not nappies, or even wipes. Buy what you need at the moment. Although the Coronavirus has been a major game-changer for most parents who are now forced to buy in bulk to cover an extended period, under normal circumstances, you should always avoid stockpiling. You may end up purchases a bunch of a brand of nappies only to discover in the long run that it does not sit well with you and your kid – you never know when you may need to get a different brand of a product. You wouldn’t want to waste money in this aspect, and neither would you want to continue using a product you’re not happy with.
Don’t Buy What You Don’t Need
Many newborn care products are essential, but many are not. You wouldn’t want to raise your baby without diapers. You wouldn’t want to raise your baby with no toys to play with. But, there are a few things you can do without. Because your baby needs toys doesn’t mean you have to buy a horde of toys. Just a few will do. Another thing is most parents like to keep some of their baby items as memorabilia. That is a good thing, but you need to be very selective about what you keep. You can make a lot back by selling what you don’t need. Just try and keep things in good condition as you use them.
Reuse
Other baby care tips for new moms on saving money is not to throw away everything you use. Initially, it won’t seem like much, but as you continually dispose of things you could have used one more time, two more times, costs begin to stack up, and before you know anything, a few hundred dollars is incurred. By carefully ensuring you reuse whatever can be reused to the max, you can save a lot of money over time. Repair culture has also been replaced with the ‘get a new one’ mentality. Repair things that can be repaired. You don’t have to get a new bouncer just because the handle broke – fix it.
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Multi-Use Items
One of the best baby care tips for making purchases of newborn care essentials is you should always consider items that can be used for more than one thing. Instead of having to buy two separate items, pick one that can do the work of the two. Although there aren’t a lot of these types of items, companies are gradually making them available. A good example of this is The First Years’ 3-in-1 high chair, an infant feeding seat that transitions to a highchair, and then a booster seat. Buying these multipurpose products does not necessarily mean you get it any cheaper than if you had bought all three separately. The trick is to get them second-hand.
Get Time For Newborn Care
You cannot get time back, and you don’t get extra of it because you have a baby. Often, you will have to pay for extra time. Instead of paying daycares to care for your baby when you have errands to run or something of the sort, ask your family and friends who can help out. Doing this will also save you money on things you would have otherwise paid to have done for you. You should do this as much as you can, and if possible, explain to them why their help is so important to you. Most times family and friends will only be glad to help out.
Test Before You Buy
You can always test a product you want to purchase for your newborn care before purchasing a lot of it to use. This is one of those baby care tips for making purchases that will help you not to spend a bunch of money on something you might not be using much of. You can also get some items from the hospital for free if you ask. So, before leaving, you can stock up with as much baby formula as the nurses are willing to give you – as long as you ask first. You can also use that opportunity to see if what you were given works for you and your baby or not, and if not then try another one.
Buy At Month End
When buying newborn care essentials, buying at the end of the month has several benefits. Many salespeople have targets to hit before the end of every month, and so tend to lower the price of items a bit below what they initially cost at the start of the month. One way you can take advantage of this is to purchase high-cost items at the end of the month. This way you are likely to get a better deal on those items, which can save you a ton of cash. You won’t necessarily get these items for half the price, but by the time you but 5 different products at discounted amounts, the total will likely be significant and worth the wait.
Call HR
If you work for a company, then it might be a good idea to give HR a call, even before you’ve had your baby. There are no worries if you already have, it’s just better to do it beforehand. Check in to see if your company offers any perks, you just might discover programs available to you that you weren’t previously aware of. You want to take advantage of any employee benefits available to you. However, if you don’t call in to inquire, chances are that you may end up not finding out. Your employer won’t be too eager to force you to take their money for your newborn care, even though they set those benefits in place. You need to make the call.
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