People can spend thousands of dollars on baby supplies. According to The Bump, people spend more than $6,000 on clothes, diapers, baby gear, and nursery setup when preparing for baby – and that’s before labor and delivery! But there is a way to prepare for a baby on a budget without breaking the bank. I know because I spent less than $800 TOTAL preparing for my first born. Here’s how.
In Google Search for a baby essential items list, you will get over 400,000,000 search results. No I am not kidding. Try it yourself. And that is just Google. This does not include Pinterest.
To be honest, you won’t know what the baby essentials are for your needs and your baby until after your baby arrives! Some swear by a changing table while others like the convenience of a transportable changing pad.
The true essentials on any list will be a baby crib, carseat, diapers, clothes, bottles or nursing supplies. An essential item on my list was a chair in the nursery for those late nights. I swear by the Mikayla Swivel Glider Recliner chair, especially because it reclines! It makes those long nights bearable if you have to sleep in a chair.
Buy the essentials and wait to buy everything else. Trust me. You will know the items you need, not the products Google or Pinterest tell you that you need.
Don't Underestimate The Benefits Of Baby Showers
Gifts
I had four, yes four, baby showers for my first child. One from the neighborhood where I grew up, one from my current neighborhood, and two separate ones for each side of my family.
So when it came time for the last baby shower, I had pretty much acquired all the clothing and baby supplies I needed.
The host of my baby shower was kind enough to ask if I wanted those invited to have the option of a group gift. This was an account made that allowed people to contribute money they would use on a gift to a fund that the mom-to-be can use to buy the remaining needed items.
I had never heard of this but the idea is genius. As much as people like to get you the cute onesies and bowties, they also like to get you what you need. The group gift provides the opportunity for those that don’t have the time to run to the store or wrap a gift to contribute to the group gift.
Those that want to buy a personalized gift are not required to contribute to the group gift and can give the gift they want instead.
Diaper And Wipe Party
This is becoming a more and more popular occurrence for moms expecting their second, third or fourth child. Usually by the time you have multiple children you don’t need any of the baby essentials that you needed for your first child.
But you always need diapers and wipes. Consider having a friend host a diaper and wipe party! My friend got enough diapers and wipes to last her an entire year. That’s some major savings! So it never hurts to ask!
Stock Up On Diapers And Wipes
Speaking of diapers and wipes, it seems you can never have enough of them on hand so don’t be afraid to stock up. But you can save a lot on baby supplies if you consider the following:
Consider Generic Brands
Don’t bypass generic brands for the name brand alternative. Buying a generic brand of formula and diapers easily saved us hundreds of dollars. I would try the generic brand first, and then try name brand if for some reason the generic doesn’t work for you or your baby.
Subscribe And Save
Amazon offers discounts when you select subscribe and save for products you buy regularly. If you choose to subscribe and save on diapers, you can save up to 15% on your order! It’s free to sign up with no obligations so you can cancel at any time. It saves you time, money, and eliminates those last minute diaper runs.
DIY Supplies
Cloth diapering is a great way to save on the cost of diapers! It is great for baby, the environment, and your wallet. Read more about cloth diapering. If cloth diapering is not for you but you still want to save money, look into making your own baby wipes! I can’t believe how simple it is. I didn’t do this for my first but will definitely be doing it for my next baby because we use wipes for everything. Learn more about making your own baby wipes.
Formula
Generic Formula
Just like generic diapers and wipes, you can save lots of money on generic brands of formula if breastfeeding isn’t an option. I was hesitant to switch to generic formula since my baby needed formula for a sensitive stomach. However, I made the switch and my daughter didn’t have any problem! So try it and see how it goes.
Save On Name Brand Formula
If your baby can’t tolerate generic formulas, don’t panic. There are still ways to save! Consider jointing discount clubs like Similac’s Strong Moms Club or Enfamil’s Family Beginnings. Both discount clubs offer hundreds of dollars in coupons when you sign up!
Clothing
Take A Load Off
Clothes accumulate very quickly. No more is this true than for families with multiple kids. Don’t be afraid to ask friends/family if they have kids’ clothing they are wanting to get rid of! Oftentimes they prefer to give them to friends/family rather than donating them. Even more, offer to donate what you don’t use! They will appreciate you taking the sorting and donating off of their hands!
Buy Gently Used Clothing
Buying clothing new can easily get expensive – but it doesn’t have to be! There are so many options when it comes to finding name brand clothes at a great price! Read more about saving money on children’s clothing.
If you prefer not to buy used, shop for sales on kid’s clothes. You can find clothing for steep discounts depending on where and when you shop.
Buy Big-Ticket Items
If you still have to buy the remaining big-ticket items like a crib or carseat, never buy at full price. There are always sales happening for big-ticket items. However, it can be difficult to know when an item is at its lowest price.
That is why online shopping is so great. You can shop from the comfort of your own home, and you can let the internet do the comparison shopping for you! There are even ways to anticipate sales and see the lowest price a product has been offered based on the price history. Read more on how to track product prices to ensure you are getting the best deal.
Use FREE Gift Cards
Instead of paying cash for items, use up those gift cards you have been collecting! If you prefer to use those for special occasions, get FREE gift cards from cashback apps like Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. Check out my blog post for more ways to get free gift cards. If you already have cashback apps, learn how to maximize your cashback from rebates.
Ask For FREE Baby Stuff
- Ask for Free Samples – Ask your doctor’s office for free samples and free name brand formula!
- Don’t Leave the Hospital Without Supplies – Oftentimes the hospital throws away the items in your room that you don’t use so take them home! If you are afraid of any extra charges just ask
- Ask Insurance – See what your insurance will cover. You might be surprised what is covered!
- Join Buy Nothing Groups – Search for your nearest Buy Nothing Group on Facebook where people offer things for free!
Sign Up For FREE Baby Stuff
Many companies offer free stuff for simply signing up with your email address! The following list is companies that offer baby stuff when you provide an email address at sign up.
- Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – Sign up and receive a free age-appropriate book for each month from birth to age 5 if you are in a qualifying location
- Free Breast Pump – See if you qualify for a free breast pump at HealthCare.gov
- GoodNites Discounts – Earn free samples from brands like Pull-Ups and Huggies
- Huggies Rewards – Upload your receipts for any Huggies product purchased and accumulate points to redeem for free diapers coupons
- IKEA Family Member Program – Join and get coupons and food offers
- MyGerber Account – Receive discounts and free products
- National Diaper Bank Network – Get diapers when you qualify for support
- Nature’s One – Register and get a free full-size product for the cost of shipping
- Pampers Rewards – With the Pampers Rewards program, you can earn rewards for your purchases
- Seventh Generation Rewards – Sign up to receive coupons and offers
Check For Registry Bonuses
Most companies offer a bonus like a free baby welcome box if you create a registry through their company website. Common Registry offers include:
- Amazon Baby Registry Welcome Box for Amazon Prime members
- Buy Buy Baby Registry Goodie Bag
- Target Baby Registry Gift Bag
- Walmart Baby Box
- Amazon provides 10% off of select items on your registry and 15% off if you’re a member of Amazon Family. Purchasing certain items within 30 days of your due date will also save you 10% or 15% if you’re an Amazon Family member. Read about more Amazon Hacks.
- If you deliver in six weeks or less, Target will give you a 15% off coupon for items not yet purchased from your registry. An added bonus of using the Target registry is it provides a platform for group gifting!
- Buy Buy Baby gives you a completion discount between 10-15%.
- Babylist is a registry that allows you to add items from any store to your registry. You will receive a free Hello Baby Box and a 10% registry discount two months before your due date to use on items not purchase
- Walmart offers a price-match guarantee on registry items with free returns on everything
Do Your Research
- Attend a Baby Fair – Checkout baby fairs near you to see the latest and greatest products, and get free samples while you are there!
- Read Reviews – There is nothing more frustrating than wasting your hard-earned money on a baby product that is poor quality, so do your research. Read the positive and negative reviews on every product you intend to buy
- Ask Your Friends – You can count on an honest review from your friends when it comes to baby products they have tried and liked
- Try Before You Buy – If you are getting conflicting advice on a particular product, see if you can borrow the product from a friend. I knew I wanted a baby carrier, but I had no idea which one I wanted. I watched so many YouTube videos and ended up more confused over the pros and cons of each. Instead of reading other reviews, I decided I needed my own review. I borrowed my friend’s Lillebaby carrier and someone else’s Ergo Carrier and realized almost immediately that one was going to work better for the hip support I needed. It saved me money trying one myself before buying, and buying it secondhand saved me even more!
When it comes to preparing for a baby on a budget, there are so many ways to save. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars if you don’t want to. So rest assured knowing that you can save a lot of money on baby items.
Comment below with the ways you save on your baby items!
