6 Easy ways to save on a new baby * Moms and Crafters

Having a baby can be pricey, but there are some simple ways you can save on a new baby. I’m not going to go into statistics – we all know just how much diapers can ring up, never mind baby formula (if you use that), baby gear, and even the occasional splurge on a cute outfit. I want to share my personal experiences with managing a new baby on a tight budget.

My son was born shortly before a huge overseas move, between jobs, and in general at a challenging time financially. My second baby will be born in middle of our first home purchase, also a challenging time financially.

Nickling and diming your way through such a hard period can be tough, so finding a way to save on a new baby more painlessly can definitely help. All the pennies DO add up, but clipping through piles of coupons is unrealistic for most of us.

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.

Here are six easier ways to save on a new baby and the expenses that come with the blessings, from my own personal experiences.

6 Tricks to help you save on a new baby:

1. Register.

While at first you might be hesitant with the idea of “picking your gifts” it can truly help you save. You’ll find that you’ll need to buy much less if you register than if you just accept whatever others decide to buy you. Most registries also offer “completion discounts” to help you buy essentials that others haven’t bought for you.

If you’re looking for budget-friendly, keep in mind that many of your gift-buyers will be going with a specific budget in mind. So if you register for the most economical options (within your favorite picks, of course), you might get more of what you need.

It’s not just IF you register, but also where and how. I put together a separate guide to help get you going, but if your focus is saving. I find both Amazon and Target to be the best for registries that focus on savings, and the most convenient for others to buy from.

2. Shop cash back.

I tend to buy many items online for a number of reasons:

It’s easier to scan/compare sale prices
It’s easier and quicker to find and clip online coupons and codes
Most places have free shipping on large enough orders (which diaper orders usually are.)
I save on gas when I make use of the free shipping.
Time is money.
I browse less, especially since I buy my diapers at Target mostly, which is danger zone #1.

So where does cash back come in? Many times when you click through from a cash back site, you can get a small online rebate. The cash back site is simply an affiliate of that brand, and forwards a bit of the earnings to you. It doesn’t cost you more to shop through an affiliate – you just need to remember! Get into the habit of doing so, and the pennies will almost painlessly add up.

My favorite cash back website (the only one I really use regularly) is Ebates. They have regularly updated coupon codes too, so I just check in there and click through from there. You get a free gift (cash or a gift card) for signing up, when you make your first purchase from them.

Note: some websites do exclude essentials like diapers from the list, but I have received rebates on many other things – baby clothing, sippy cups, etc. that I needed to buy anyway. You can always double check and compare.

3. Buy second hand:

I confess – I’m not the BEST at thrifting, but it can be simpler than you think. Scour local buy, sell, trade groups on Facebook, community email lists, and if you’re not intimidated by it (I am) Craigslist.

Two things you should get new:

Your car seat – unless it’s from someone you fully trust. You want to make sure it wasn’t in any accidents and that it’s still within the expiration date.
Your mattress – again, unless it’s from someone you’re close with.

With baby gear, be aware also of recalls and new safety standards, and go rather for lightly used than vintage.

My top items to thrift are clothing and furniture. My top online thrift store (for clothing) is Schoola. You can actually get a free $20 credit (subject to change) and they usually have no minimum on free shipping so it’s an automatic win.

This brings me to the next point…

4. DIY.

Okay, not everyone is going to build a dresser from scratch, or sew adorable overalls. But when it comes to making the most of the above points, DIY does come in. When you find a curbside freebie that seems unusable, such as an adorable dresser, consider a few new screws, a coat of paint, and possibly replacing drawers with pretty bins.

I actually turned a simple red hand-me-down tee into one of my toddler’s favorite Elmo shirt ever with a bit of glue and felt! I have also bought solid tees on clearance and spruced them up similarly.

5. Snag those samples and freebies.

Two small diapers might not seem like much, but that’s an easy 25-50 cents right there (depending on how thrifty you are…)! I put together a list of freebies for moms to get you started. You can order diaper samples as a means of trying new brands and figuring out which you love (instead of endign up with full packages you don’t want to continue with), or order items you really want but can’t pay for.

One example for me was a breastfeeding pillow – I had such trouble breastfeeding and really wanted one. The shipping costs on this freebie (use code ENBABY) was a fraction of what buying a pillow in the store would have cost me. It’s a small investment into breastfeeding (which, aside from health benefits, is wallet-friendly too!)

When you register, you should get samples too (that’s how we figured out which bottles and pacifiers worked for us – without buying 2o brands).

6. Borrow before you buy.

On a similar note as the previous point, you can try before you buy by borrowing from a friend. This is worth it both for smaller items (like pacifiers – sterilize them before and after) and larger items like a stroller. You can do this for items in your registry too!

[convertkit form=5126235]

The bottom line of how to save on a new baby:

Live with the balanced attitude of “every penny counts” mixed with “time is money”. Try to save without going crazy (you’ll find yourself abandoning your frugal aspirations of you overdo it.)

Sometimes, if you can afford it, allowing yourself the occasional splurge can help. I dress my son in plenty of hand-me-downs, but like to inject my own personality. So I invested in that single adorable fedora that turned a full year’s worth of outfits into a snazzy getup. I bought a six dollar pair of suspenders that converted a white bodysuit paired with hand-me-down pants into the perfect outfit – and fit him for two years and counting!

But most of all, keep things into perspective. While I think it’s great for a new mom to be “pampered” a bit, and even have nice, new things for the baby, it’s the baby that’s the true blessing. So give your little one a hug and save away!