Looking for extra ways to save money for baby?
For entertainment of your new little one, it’s important to keep it simple in order to save money and sanity. The public library has story times; walks around the lake where there are ducks to feed are fun, and museums often have free days or reduced cost days for families with children. Get creative and see what is available in your community. Getting together with another mom, dad, or two at a park is another fun option. New DVD’s and Spanish lessons for your baby are great if you have the money, but if you don’t, find other ways to stimulate his or her little brain.
Ebay and Craigslist are two other ways to get good deals on things for your new baby. People sometimes give away baby and kid items on Craigslist. Ebay is a good place to buy lots of diapers and get good deals on coupons people aren’t going to use.
Also, check out Freecycle, which is a nation-wide, grassroots Internet network of individuals in communities who give away and take no-longer-wanted items and keep them out of landfills. People go through their closets, realize they have way too many newborn onesies than their 7 year-old realistically will use in the coming year, and they post that they would really like to give them away as soon as possible to someone who needs them. Then the person that needs them responds when they can come pick them up. If you are in need of something, you can also post that you could definitely use a particular item. This can spark someone’s memory that they have what you need hiding in a basement corner. It’s all done locally, and it’s a great way to even get things like toys, nursery furniture, baby books, blankets, etc. for free. Finding clothes for your kids through Freecycle is even better than spending hours at resale and thrift stores or garage sales and spending money on them.
Just keep it simple. Network as much as possible with people who have baby items that they will give away or sell cheaply. Your baby needs you and not a $200 crib bedding set that you probably won’t want to use as it may increase the risk of SIDS. Wait to purchase items that your baby can do without for a couple of months in order to spend some time thinking about what he or she will really need to be happy and comfortable.
Find more ideas to save money on a baby on our main website.
How do you save money on baby costs? Share your tips in the comments section, below.