Saving Money with a Baby

In some ways, new babies do seem to eat money.  The good news is that babies don't really need much - a few grosuits, some nappies, a breast, a few homemade toys will do.  Of course, most of us aren't that frugal, and the temptation to buy loads of cute baby pieces can be strong.

Personally, I sat somewhere in the middle - I bought a fair amount of clothes (and was gifted lots), and I bought a fair few 'premium' products such as organic baby washes and creams, lovely organic bedlinen, a top-of-the-line car seat and pram, a number of excellent baby carriers, wraps and slings.

I also made a fair amount of stuff (all of the blankets are hand-knits, plus some coats, jackets and hats).

I completely avoided buying much baby 'stuff' - no fancy musical rocking chairs, walkers, jolly jumpers, no special baths, musical mobiles, baby monitors, special rocking feeding chair, infant swing, sleep positioners, wipe warmers, or lots of other stuff that some lists include as 'essentials'! Yes, all those things are common new baby items!  I think they would all add up to over a thousand dollars, easily, and we did without any of them.  Some are useful, for some people, but certainly I cannot imagine that any baby would need most of them.

Some things I bought as we needed them, rather than all at the beginning - this saves space (as you pack some things away, there is room for new things) and also spreads out the cost.  A playmat (with overhead toys and rails), some interactive toys, GroBags, these things waited until we needed them.

One area you can save loads of money is consumables - anything that you can buy disposible, you can buy reusable.  Reusable products save significant money, and are also generally much better for the environment (and often lower on chemicals, which is important to me for products against my and baby's skin).

• Cloth nappies instead of disposables.  Depending on where you buy them, good quality (non-leaking) disposable nappies can cost between 30c - 52c per nappy.  For a young baby, this can mean between $20 - $45 a week in nappies!  A set of top quality MCNs (modern cloth nappies) will cost you around $300 - $400, depending on whether you buy sized (e.g. small, medium and large) or one-size-fits-all.  OSFA nappies are more expensive to start, but will last the baby until it is toilet trained (up to 4 years).  We chose sized nappies - we started using MCNs when Tabitha was 4 months, and she went straight into Mediums.  Many slim babies toilet train straight out of Mediums.  So our entire nappy cost (from 4 months to maybe 3 years) might be only $380!  We do use disposables at night (around $110 a year) but many people use MCNs at night too.
  This really is a massive cost saving - if you're not convinced about MCNs, try buying one or two Itti Bitti d'Lish All-in-Ones.  I think you'll be sold!

• Cloth wipes - baby wipes are handy at times, but simple cloth wipes (cut up an old flannelette sheet or a couple of old towels) are soft, washable, and easy to use - either wet them with some warm water, or keep a spray bottle of water to spray on baby's bottom, then wipe.

• Reusable breast pads.  You can buy lovely, colourful, soft breastpads with a waterproof backing.  If you have a strong flow, like I do, you will need to continue to use breastpads well beyond the early days - I still can't go without, and Tabitha is 10 months old.

• Lunette cup instead of disposable tampons and pads.  Once you have passed the 6-week initial bleed, you can use a menstrual cup.  These pay for themselves after half a dozen periods, maximum, and are so much better for your body and the environment.

Of course, breastfeeding is a massive cost saver! Years of formula, bottles and teats, and steam steriliser units can add up to an enormous cost.  Spend $65 on an Australian Breastfeeding Association subscription (comes with the best breastfeeding book around, plus unlimited free breastfeeding counselling and support), and you could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars.  Having good support can be really crucial for breastfeeding - it can truly make the difference between being able to continue or giving up.  Breastfeeding is the ultimate eco-friendly, no-cost baby option.

It is certainly worthwhile buying a small collection of toys - some teethers, some baby rattles/moving/shaking objects, some blocks, some musical instruments.  Beyond this, however, you may find that joining your local Toy Library does the trick.  Most toy libraries are free or low-cost to join (many require you to volunteer just a couple of hours of your time in return) and you get access to LOADS of great toys - from puzzles and small block sets through to large things like slide sets and cubby houses.  I find Tabitha gets sick of most toys pretty quickly, so this is a great way to rotate the selection, and upgrade to age-appropriate toys regularly, with no cost outlay, and no need to store things!  Here is a link to the Victorian Toy Libraries, but similar things are found all over Australia and indeed the world.

Following that train of thought, the regular local library is brilliant.  I must admit that I am Library Obsessed!  I walk to our local library (5 minutes away) at least once a week - I have to walk, in order to limit the amount of books I can drag home!  Otherwise I end up with eight novels, three massive hardcover cookbooks, two oversized architecture books and a stack of DVDs and magazines...  I recommend the library for parenting books (they seem to all have great collections - and remember, if there is a book you want to read, and your local library does not have it, you can request for them to purchase it).  But most of all, the library is excellent for baby and children's books - there are hundreds and hundreds of great picture books, and my library has a few massive tubs of board books.  Each week, I borrow a few 'touch and feel' type books and a couple of other board books.

Baby Led Weaning is a cost saver.  No need for pre-made babyfood (almost every woman I know who feeds their baby purees uses some of the pre-made, fancy organic ones, even those who claim to prepare and blend everything themselves).  Those pre-made baby foods are expensive!  Even if you do make all your own purees, it must be a little time consuming.  Just feed the baby whatever you're eating, I say!

I don't like to use chemical-laden cleaning products.  They give me eczema, I hate the smells, and they leave a chemical residue all over your house - not great anyway, but with a baby who licks everything, even worse.  I use a combination of natural cleaners (bicarbonate of soda, boiling water, lemon juice and white vinegar) and Enjo products.  Enjo can cost a bit to start, but I find their products dramatically superior to the cheaper copies, and I find that they actually clean the house better than chemical products.  After the initial cost outlay with Enjo products, all you use is water, so you will certainly save money in the long term.  But even without Enjo, you can easily get by with just bicarb, vinegar and boiling water.

Try babywearing instead of the gym - it sounds a little trite, but I am slimmer and in better shape than I was before I had the baby.  With a good quality, well-fitting baby carrier (such as an Ergo or woven wrap), your back can comfortably support even a heavy baby or toddler.  I often walk 2 - 3 hours a day with my 10kg baby attached to me.  This means 2-3 hours of walking with a 10kg weight - great for fitness, legs and core muscles.  My arms get enough of a workout, lifting Tabitha up and down constantly during the day.

Although I spend a fair amount of money on food, I save money in some areas.  While I buy a lot of organic products, and things like imported bronze-extruded pasta, as well as Fair Trade ingredients, I save money by shopping in season (boring, I know, but true) and at Farmers' Markets.

More importantly, I have dozens of meals that I can cook large amounts, cheaply, then freeze.  I also have lots of meals that are quick and low-cost, feeding 2-4 people for well under $5 a serve, sometimes under $2.50 a serve.  Thick and rich lentil or bean soups, slow-cooked stews, meals made with cheaper (but tastier) cuts of meat like chicken thighs and drumsticks, chuck steak, and neck or shoulder of lamb.

Smart research will always save you money.  Jumping online to compare prices for nappies, toys, clothing, prams etc.  Buying on eBay.  Buying from overseas can save you loads of money, even considering international shipping costs!  THIS Dutch website sells Bugaboos, the accessories, and Tripp Trapp high chairs, for far lower prices than anywhere in Australia.  We bought our Tripp Trapp, its accessories, and a handful of accessories for our Bugaboo Cameleon (travel bag, sunshade, footmuff, sun canopy, cup holder, rain cover etc.), and even with international shipping of over $100, we saved over $300.  The saving would have been much more if we'd bought the actual pram from them as well (our pram was a gift from my parents).

Those are some of my tips.  I don't pretend to be a budget bargain queen (search out websites like Hillbilly Housewife for that!), but like most people, I like to save money where I can, so I can spend the money on fun things!