This is the first time I’ve invited someone to guest post here, at The Digerati Life to give me that occasional break. Lindsey Lin is today’s guest writer. She comes from Debt Management Talk – a personal finance forum that shares its revenue with their members. Sounds like a great place to learn about debt strategies and personal finance while earning a nice side income at the same time. As a policy, I do not accept sponsored posts but I do accept guest posts, so let me know if you want to be a guest writer for us here. 
The pink double lines show up on the test. It’s positive! Congratulations you’re having a baby! Despite the joy and excitement at the prospect of bringing a wonderful new life into this world you can’t help but feel the fears creeping into your mind. Am I ready? Will I be a good parent? Can I afford this?
Money worries are one of the major stressors that couples face. Having a baby is sure to amplify any concerns you may have already had. As a couple or a singleton you may have been able to survive from paycheck to paycheck, but with a baby on the way there are certain essentials and day to day products that you must have, all of which add up to a lot of money.
If you haven’t thought about how you’re going to pay for your little one, there are a lot of different strategies and ideas you can use to save a lot of money along the way. Here are some tips to take into consideration when planning out how you’re going to afford everything you need for your little one’s arrival:
Take an Inventory
Ask yourself, What do I need in order to prepare for my baby? Make a list of things you consider essential. Most stores will provide lists of everything they think you need. You probably need about 1/2 to 2/3 of what the stores tell you that you need.
Talk to friends and relatives in order to figure out what they used and liked with their baby. What were the most useful items they bought? What did they never use? Bring them your list of items from the store or the list that you’ve compiled on your own and see what they can add or subtract from the list. You’ll be surprised the things that are never used.
Don’t Try and Keep Up with the Jones’
Let’s face it, as consumers things have gotten quite out of hand. Americans are not known for their saving power, but their spending power and debt. Many of us live beyond our means. It’s easy to do with the media bombarding us with celebs steering their $3,000 strollers and carrying their $500+ diaper bags as if they were actually affordable. You don’t need to spend a lot to buy high quality products though. Do you really need the Rolls Royce of strollers? Probably not. It’d be much better to put excess money aside in savings in case you lose your job and need reserves and buy the $150 stroller that is a Consumer Reports Best Buy.
Buy in Bulk
A lot of items for your baby can be bought in bulk and this can save you lots of money and time. You can buy many daily use items like diapers, baby wipes, bottle nipples, and pre-mixed formulas in bulk. Experiment with which products you like and then stock up.
Costco has great deals on bulk items such as baby wipes, diapers, and formula. Amazon.com also offers good deals on diapers and pre-made glass bottles of formula for traveling (free shipping and no tax). You can also buy items like bottle nipples and diapers in bulk on EBay, but watch out for shipping costs. Do some research and you will see that buying in bulk from the right places will really make a difference on your bottom line.
Buy Gently Used
Don’t be afraid to buy products that have been used. No one needs to know. Craigslist.org has the best listing of used items for sale by owner, often at a fraction of the original retail price. Craigslist is easy to use, it’s like an online garage sale, but it takes much less time to find what you are looking for. Just click on the baby category and your off. People list some of the best brands out there from Graco to Peg Perego to Bugaboo. If you don’t have $500+ for a designer stroller check out Craigslist.
You can even earn a little money listing some of the items you will be clearing out of your home to make room for your baby. Unlike EBay, listing is free and people that are searching for items are local.
Explore Buying Generic
There are a lot of good products on the market that are generic. Make sure you are picky when choosing your items. Don’t go generic if you don’t trust the company or if you don’t like the product after you’ve tried it out. It is a process of trial and error. You might love the generic formula, but your baby hates the generic diapers. I found the generic formula was about a $10 savings per can and it includes the same ingredients as the brand named counterpart. If you go through a can a week, that’s saving over $500 per year. Add all of your generic savings up and it will most likely be over $1,000 a year.
Use Coupons
Coupons are not only found in your weekly newspaper, you can also find them on the internet. Get free shipping coupons, percent off coupons, and dollar off coupons from some of the internet sites listed below. Pick out what you want ahead of time and then wait for the sales. Most online stores have sales and you can combine those sales with internet coupons. I purchased a lot of baby gear (large items like the stroller and playpen) over the internet when Target was running a free shipping special. I combined that with a 15% off coupon I found on coolsavings.com and saved quite a bit of money and it was delivered right to my door. Also check out websites such as couponchief.com and ultimatecoupons.com. These sites are free to use.
Keep Track of all Receipts
This might seem like a no-brainer, but you will be getting presents and making so many purchases that it is easy to lose track of the receipts for all of your baby gear and clothes. You will not use everything you receive. Keeping the receipts in a special file with a note identifying the item or taping the receipt on the box until you use the product is a great way to keep track of all your receipts. The last thing you want is to have $100’s of dollars of merchandise to return and not be able to get your money back because you can’t find the receipts.
When you’re trying to save money, every little bit that you save adds up. A few dollars on this item, 20% off another item, and before you know it you’ve saved thousands of dollars. You don’t have to live without things either. It’s all a matter of prioritizing and then being smart about how you buy and what you buy. You can purchase nice, high quality items for your baby and save at the same time. For fun, try keeping track of what you save and put that money aside into a 529 plan for college and a much needed vacation!
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Or spend about $200 on basic cloth diapers and the same amount washing them (or so) for the life of the diaper-days.
Those are some great saving tips which I apply to some. Another saving tip would be to limit your cash and credit. Put less money on your wallet so you would have to think before buying. Limit your credit cards or credit so you can’t overspend. Limit yourself to be creative and resourceful when it comes to spending and you shall have less debt in due time.
Buying quality baby clothes on sale is a good start. There are a lot of newborn and children’s clothes that hold up. Try http://www.Sandboxcouture.com!
I think my best ever savings came from buying and selling a lot of stuff using Craigslist.com And even when I bought brand new materials, I was able to sell them successfully in the second-hand market.
I was somewhat surprised when I discovered that women were willing and eager to buy second-hand pumps. I suppose just as long as you buy your own bottles and filters, it should be fine. Pumping kits can be very pricey at a base price of $220. Maybe I was wrong in assuming that manufacturer’s recommendations suggest the purchase of these pumps as new (for health and hygienic reasons)?
I think the biggest tip on this I can offer (2 kids) is that for the most part, there’s very little you actually have to buy–most other families we are friends with still had tons of baby-everything and were more than happy to part with it. Once our youngest gets a little older we’ll be passing it down the chain as well. No baby couture here but we’ll take money in the bank any day.
An article close to my heart! Great tips on online shopping and coupon codes–I used the interned almost exclusively when buying for the new baby. After I found everything my little heart desired, I could quickly shop around for used items, coupon codes, and free shipping to get the best for less! Do keep in mind the resale value of your purchases–take care in cleaning and maintaining your baby gear and clothes and you can almost break even after baby outgrows the items.
I am all for sharing. Our homeschool group has lots of boys all a different ages and sizes – we are constantly passing clothes around.
Also, don’t forget the baby shower. If someone offers to throw you one then be honest about what you need or want. And don’t buy anything yourself until AFTER the shower. And don’t be afraid to return multiples to the store.
Saving for a baby is very important however you will be surprised about how much help you will get from family and friends. Also remember your social life will be cut so plenty of money saved there!
Babies are a blessing, so don’t sweat it! Having a baby doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. Nobody will ever know if you buy “gently” used things. What matters most is the love, encouragement, nurturing, and stability you will give to your baby.
Great article! Good advice. I’m keeping it tabbed for future reference : ).
The article surely could help the new parents like me. Thanks!
received a gift certificate for a personalized birth certificate blanket. i love it! this actually will be a keepsake.
We’ve actually organized clothing swap days at the daycare our kiddos attend. It really worked out great for everyone as there is such a broad range of ages that go there. We got some really great stuff, AND got got clean out our closets without waste.
I’m expecting my first child. My partner and I together earn a comfortable wage but from the moment we found out we were expecting a child have made a rule when it comes to buying stuff for the baby: ‘Purchase nothing new unless necessary’.
I’m one of the last of my friends to have a baby so I’m putting the call out for second hand baby capsules, cots, baby seats, car seats etc. Second port of call is op-shops. I’m looking forward to go on an ‘op-shopping’ spree and finding some great clothing bargains. Providing everything is in good condition I don’t see the point of purchasing brand new for the sake of doing so.