Babies aren't expensive, parents are!!! (Preparing for Birth On a Budget)

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Product:	Preparing for Birth On a Budget
Date:	09/11/08 (98 review reads)
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I used to always say that if I'd waited until I could afford a baby, I'd never have gotten pregnant. I'm sure this sounds familiar to a lot of people. However, having a baby needn't be nearly as expensive as people would have you think. In fact, you needn't spend much money at all.

I have to admit, I've changed a lot since I was pregnant with my first child 7 years ago. Back then, I wanted to get all the latest must haves. When my son was born just under 2 years later we did reuse a lot of items, but again bought some new. Looking back, we realised how much of a waste it all was. We've become a lot more frugal since then. Where I would've splashed out and spontaneously bought that new pair of shoes to go with that new outfit, I now only buy something if we NEED it and even then I'll search online for discount codes and cashback sites before I part with any money.

So, when we had our youngest daughter last year, we only bought the very least amount of items possible. Here are 10 tips on preparing for a baby on a budget. Enjoy, and I hope you find them useful.


1) Breastfeeding - Do it if possible. This is absolutely free, is the best food for your baby and is all they will need for the first 6 months. If you have no need to express, don't bother even buying bottles, sterilisers and pumps and what not.

2) Cloth Nappies - Obviously not everyones cup of tea, but it really isn't as bad as you may think. I was expecting lots of folding, safety pins and scrubbing to get them clean. However, nappies have evolved so much. There are velcro fastening, popper fastening, all in one's to name a very few. The paper liners mean everything goes on there (most of the time anyway) and goes straight down the toilet. You can pick cloth nappies up pretty cheap. I got a full set of Motherease One Size (birth to potty) nappies, which included absolutely everything I needed for £150 on ebay brand new (worth over £300). If you really are pushed for cash, keep your eye on your local freecycle site and get second hand ones for free. I spent around £10 per week on nappies for my older 2 children. Do this for 2 years and you're almost literally throwing £1040 down the toilet. Despite what some will have you believe, there really isn't that much extra washing involved - about 2 loads a week. Speaking as someone who's actually doing it, there's no way I'm spending the £890 I'm saving on extra washing!

Cloth nappies don't lose much of their value either, so once you're done you can make a big percentage of your initial outlay back by selling them on.

3) Freecycle - This has been mentioned in number 2. For those not in the know, freecycle is an internet based group. There is one in most areas around the UK and the aim is to keep things out of landfill by giving them to other people. When I first found out about freecycle, my dad stated "it'll all be a load of old tat!". Well, maybe some, but certainly not all, and you know what they say "One man's junk is another mans treasure" and freecycle can be a goldmine. However, please don't abuse it! The idea is that you offer as well as ask. Anyway, I see items like moses baskets, cots, baby baths, prams etc on my local one all the time. Not to mention clothes and toys. I've given away and received a lot of our baby stuff on here and it's almost always good quality stuff.

4) Ebay - For what you can't get on freecycle, head to ebay. From my experience it's similar quality though, so I'd always check freecycle first.

5) Friends and Family - Everyone always wants to buy stuff when they find out there's a new baby on the way and more often than not you'll end up with several of the same items of clothes. Work this to your advantage and if they ask what you need be honest and tell them nappies, wipes, bedding etc. For grandparents who want to get something a little bigger ask for a nappy starter set or a cot. One thing you will almost certainly need to buy is a car seat, so if you have everything you need why not suggest this as these should NEVER be second hand.

6) Don't waste money on a pram and a pushchair and a buggy. Use a sling/carrier/papouse. Your baby will be happier, you don't need to worry about maneuvering and they are so much cheaper (or free if you're lucky enough to be gifted one on freecycle). If you really need something, why not look at a travel system. They usually come with a car seat, are suitable from birth for as long as they will need a buggy and are very good value for money.

7) When it comes to weaning, don't go buying jars etc. Apart from being expensive, they're not particularly good for your baby when compared to fresh home cooked food. It's as easy as putting an extra potato on when you make your dinner at night.

Babies don't need juice, in fact they're better off without it. Cooled boiled water will do the job, save you money and form good habits.

8) Join parenting clubs like Tesco and Boots. These shops send you out vouchers for money off/extra points etc every so often. Even if you don't need half the stuff, there will almost always be something of use and it's free so you've nothing to lose. Also join as many parenting clubs online as you can. I know Cow and Gate send out a free cuddly toy and HiPP send out free weaning spoons and a bib, but there are lots of others out there.

9) Pretty obvious, but charity shops, NCT sales and car boot sales. We all know there are bargains to be had here. The added bonus of car boots sales are that you can haggle. Go near the end of the day as the sellers don't want to take it all back home with them, so they're more likely to accept your offers than they would be first thing in the morning when a better offer could come later on in the afternoon.

10) Borrow things where possible. I borrowed a TENS machine from someone I met on freecycle, but I believe some hospitals will loan them. Borrow bouncy chairs etc if you have friends with kids already. Borrow books from your library instead of buying them. Anything that you are able to borrow instead of buying.


And there you have it! My 10 tips. If all of these worked you may even get away with not spending a penny, but if only one or two work it'll be money saved. Some of these are very obvious, but I hope that for everyone that reads this, there is at least one or two things that they wouldn't have previously thought about.

In summary - Babies don't ask for anything! They don't need a cross-country pram with dual suspension and a brand name on the side. They don't need and certainly wont appreciate designer clothes. Babies aren't expensive, it's the parents!! If you're struggling now, imagine what it will be like when they're demanding the latest toy and designer clothes that they've become accustomed to. Save your money while it's still an option!

Summary: Save your money!