There are many reasons that you may not be financially where you think you ought to be with a new baby on the way. But baby’s are what I would agree is the greatest blessing of life! And you can still make your finances work without feeling so pinched. My baby was born before we had “our ducks in a row”. It’s been a wild ride but letting go of old ideas I have still been able to live well on little money with a new baby.
In this post, I outline the key things that have helped to make my life easier. It’s ok if you cannot afford the things you want for your new baby. You’ll find that babies do not require much, and a little creativity can be very rewarding.
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buy preloved and get creative
Babies don’t really know what they are wearing, playing in, playing with or reading. So getting used clothes, toys, gear, books, etc can actually come out to zero spending.
I enjoyed having my new baby close to me at all times. Well, most of the time. I wanted to baby wear, but I had an extremely large child and insane weight gain. So I could not physically support her for long.
I opted to thoroughly clean a baby bouncer I had been given. I placed it on the kitchen island. That way, I could talk to her through my activities whenever she was awake. It also helped me to get more done.
Since my child has become a toddler, I have been able to get a carrier that works for my poor back. I found a high end one for a fraction of the price on Mercari. It enables me to contain her better when she’s being fussy because she’s sleepy and I need to get some work done.
Get items that are double duty
I could not afford the stationary high chair that I wanted. So Instead, I opted to buy a traveling high chair. We use this at home and we are also able to take it to places where a high chair is needed but not available. Getting one used on a site like Mercari can save you up to 70%. Another upside is that you end up having less baby gear. Which to me, equals peace of mind. Am I the only one who hates stuff everywhere?
However, sometime you may be in a crunch! You’re not able to find a specific item from a friend or used. But, did you know that you can buy used on Amazon. For example, I needed a travel stroller for an incoming trip with my toddler.
I was able to find it on amazon used for about 20% off the original price. All the parts where intact and it actually works perfectly with our car seat. So I would encourage you to buy things that are double duty to live well and spend less with a new baby! If it’s in your plans to travel, just get a travel stroller that works with your car seat!
Announce your good news to EVERYONE
Use your gift registry to your advantage and send it out so people . This way people will know what you actually need. It will lessen the chance of them giving just whatever works for them.
Also put big ticket items on your registry that can be group gifted to increase your chances of getting NEW items that you cannot afford on your own.
Do you live far away from a lot of people you love? Send them a message announcing your pregnancy and send a link of your registry. They will love to know the good news and will want to pitch in to support the new life you’re bringing into the world.
find deals on diapers and wipes
Find the cheapest diapers and wipes. However, if you have a child with extremely sensitive skin you may need to wait until close to his/her first birthday to pull this off. Water wipes are excellent to start with, but after a while your baby’s skin will get less sensitive and it won’t be such an issue anymore to switch to a cheaper brand.
I had that problem but have since moved on to Aldi wipes which go an even longer way than water wipes and cost much less. Using items like this will help you see that you have extra money left for other things at the end of the month.
Are there other ways you’ve save money and still kept up a comfortable life with your new bundle of joy? Please comment below!