August 15, 2011. Bill Szydlowski
credit: Lomo-CamEvery new parent experiences that sudden increase in expenses. A newborn brings a whole new set of expenses that you did not have before.
This can be a shock to the budget for many. Providing for newborns demands a lot of responsibilities that are completely new. If you have more than one child then these expenses only increase. There are things that you just can’t do without, even when times are tight. Your child needs to eat, be clothed and have diapers. The costs of these things alone can add up quickly. The following are some ideas to help you save some money in these areas.
1. You can save on diapers — This is one of those essential items that you cannot cut from your budget. All babies need diapers and they need them for quite a while. This means a pretty substantial cost. What you need to do is pay a little less each time and you will realize a big savings over the long term. How do you do this? Their are two main things that you can do that are simple. First, shop at discount stores like Walmart. These stores have much lower prices than your local grocery store. The second thing is to consistently use coupons. You can find them in many places. Some brands offer coupons online. You can find Huggies printable coupons, for example.
2. You can save on formula — Unless you are fortunate enough to be able to breast feed you can’t do without this expense. This is ongoing as well, just like diapers. I have the same advice here too. Don’t buy your formula at the grocery store. Stores like Costco will save you a lot. Coupons are great here as well. Enfamil coupons can be found online as well as some other brands.
3. You can save on clothing — You won’t find coupons for clothing as readily as you will for diapers and formula. You can find them but your best bet is once again to shop at the right stores. Do not shop at the mall. These prices are much higher than you will find at a Walmart or Target.
As you can see, there are two major things you can do to save money. Shop at the right stores and be consistent with your coupons. If you do these things you will save a lot of money over time. You will easily pay thousands of dollars on these three items alone. Imagine saving 10-20% or more! It really adds up to some good savings.
Updated August 15, 2011. Published April 25, 2011. Bill Szydlowski
