They might only be small, but babies are hugely expensive. They need a lot of ‘stuff’, and it often comes as a surprise to parents-to-be when they discover just how much it’s all going to cost. Plus, you’ll need to take some time off work, so it could be that you’re earning less, and if you factor in the cost of childcare for if and when you go back to work, it can be eye-wateringly expensive.
This is why it’s important to save as much money as possible when you’re expecting a baby, and ideally before you even get pregnant. Doing an at-home gender test will help you buy what you’ll need over a longer period of time. It’s not always easy, but it will take away some of the stress if you have money already put aside. Read on for some tips on how to do it.
Accept Hand Me Downs
Many parents prefer the idea of buying brand-new toys and clothes for their babies, but there’s definitely something to be said for hand-me-downs. Babies grow so quickly that they can often outgrow a whole age range of outfits seemingly overnight, and if you had spent a lot of money on these clothes, you’ll soon start to regret it.
With hand-me-downs, you won’t be spending any money, so it doesn’t matter if your child grows quickly. You can also pass these clothes to someone else who might need them when you’re done with them. If you’re not sure about the gender of your baby, it can be a good idea to take a home gender test from Juno Diagnostics. This way, you’ll know whether male or female hand-me-downs are going to suit you best.
Make Your Own Baby Food
When your baby gets older and moves from milk to solid foods, things can start to get a lot more expensive. Whether you were breastfeeding or using formula before, it would have been relatively inexpensive (and free in the case of breastmilk), but once you start to add in ‘real’ food, the cost will obviously shoot up.
To stop this from being such an issue, you can make your own baby food. The beauty of this is that you can bulk buy ingredients and batch cook the food before freezing what you don’t need right away. Having a baby is time-consuming as well as expensive, so if you do have time to cook a lot of meals at once, you should take the opportunity as it will help you later. Another benefit is that you’ll know exactly what has gone into each meal, ensuring you can keep your baby as healthy as possible.
Look For Coupons And Sales
Sign up to as many baby item websites as you can and make sure you check the local magazines and papers around your hometown too. Why? Because in this way, you’ll be the first to hear about special offers that could save you a lot of money, and you’ll be able to cut coupons that can save you cash at the checkout.
This is the perfect way to spend some time when you’re trying to get your baby to settle or when they’re sleeping and you need to relax. You might find some great bargains that mean you can buy things you didn’t think you would be able to before.
