How to Save Money When Welcoming New Baby
Friday, February 22, 2013, 2:00 AM | 2 Comments
A new baby can be expensive. You have to buy new furniture, new clothes, new toys, food, and more diapers than you know what to do with. You can expect to spend thousands of dollars in the first year of life alone.
But you don’t have to. There are many ways to save money when welcoming a new baby so that you only have to spend a fraction of that amount. It’s all about the choices you make.
Here are a few ways that you can save money when welcoming a new baby:
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Breastfeed
Formula can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars per year, depending on the brand you use. You can instantly reduce that amount to zero by doing one thing: Breastfeeding. Not only is breastfeeding free, but it is also better for your baby and helps to promote good health and to reduce illness in your baby’s first year of life. Fewer illnesses equal fewer medical bills, therefore saving you money.
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Use Cloth Diapers
What goes in must come out. You can use thousands of diapers in the first year alone, costing you quite a lot of money. You can reduce your budget considerably by using cloth diapers instead. While cloth diapers may cost you more to buy at first, they will last you for many years and don’t have to be replaced, therefore saving you quite a lot of money in the long run.
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Buy Second Hand
Everything you can buy for a baby is available second hand. From cribs to car seats to toys to clothes, you can buy it all at thrift stores, yard sales, and online auctions and can spend a fraction of the price. Just be careful to check that items have not expired or been recalled, as safety standards are frequently updated on baby items.
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Join a Daycare Co-Op
One of the biggest expenses for a new baby is daycare. You can spend well over $1,000 a month on child care, depending on where you live and what kind of arrangement you choose (you’ll spend much more on a personal nanny).
You can spend far less (and sometimes nothing at all) by joining a daycare co-op. In exchange for paying less (or nothing), you agree to provide a certain number of hours caring for other children in the co-op.
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Go to a Birth Center
A hospital birth can cost upwards of $10,000, depending on where you live and the circumstances of your labor and delivery. While some or all of this may be covered by your insurance, for many women, it is not. That’s a big hospital bill if you don’t have the right insurance.
You can save yourself a lot of money by going to a birth center instead. Here, you will be attended by midwives and can expect a bill that is a fraction of the price. Birth centers are also partnered with local hospitals in case of emergency, so you can rest assured that you will get the best care.
While welcoming a baby can be expensive, it doesn’t have to be. You can make different choices that will allow you to save a lot of money.
If you are planning to welcome a new baby, consider breastfeeding, cloth diapers, daycare co-ops, second-hand items and birth centers are options for saving money while also getting the things you need for your baby.
How did you save money when welcoming your new baby? Share your tips in the comments!
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Carmen Guzlas is a writer and manager for Movoto.com, where she has recently been researching Homes for Sale in boston, MA. In her spare time, Carmen enjoys gardening and making homemade soap.
2 Responses to “How to Save Money When Welcoming New Baby”
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