How to Save Money on Baby Supplies

When you first find out that you are pregnant, it's a good idea to start planning financially for baby. Babies are very expensive, especially when you factor in day care or the money you will lose if you quit your job to stay home full time with baby. There are several things you can do to help cut some costs, though.

The easiest way to start saving money is to buy stuff secondhand. Most baby items aren't used very long, so even if you buy them used, there is usually still plenty of use left in them. You can save so much money by shopping at yard sales and thrift stores. Ebay is another great place to find bargains. Many people practically give stuff away when all of their kids are done using it. If you have family and/or friends that have preschoolers or elementary aged children, they might have stuff they will let you have, too. Unless you are very close to the friend or family member, it might be rude to ask for the stuff, but if they offer, you wouldn't be at all rude to accept.

Another way to start saving money is to sign up for free coupons on things you think you might be using. Every company that I recommend in this article is easy to sign up for. They all have websites that are easy to find and register with. They also have phone numbers you can find and call if you feel more comfortable doing that.

Even if you plan on only breastfeeding, I would recommend signing up for free samples and formula checks and coupons while you are pregnant. Many moms that plan on breastfeeding exclusively end up needing to supplement with formula at some point during baby's first year. Enfamil, Similac and Good Start all offer checks and samples. You can save a lot of money by signing up for these free offers.

Also if you plan on using any disposable diapers, sign up with Huggies and Pampers. In addition to sending you coupons in the mail, they will also occasionally send sample diapers. If you watch for sales and use coupons, you can often get the brand name diapers cheaper than store brands. Recently Target had Pampers jumbo packs of diapers on sale for $7.99 each. If you bought 3 packs, you got a free $5.00 gift card to Target. We had three coupons for $1.50 off. We paid less than $20.00 for the three packs of diapers plus got a $5.00 gift card. The Target diapers are about $6.00 a pack, so we saved a couple of dollars by buying the Pampers diapers. Pampers products also have codes that you can redeem online for various products for your child. Some of the things available are Sesame Street books and DVD's, and Dora and Bob the Builder DVD's and toys.

Another great site to use to get free stuff is Gerber. Even if you plan on making all of your own baby food, Gerber offers coupons for breastfeeding supplies, bottles, feeding supplies, and other Gerber products, along with the food. Beechnut's website offers coupons for food and a free bib. When your baby is getting ready to start juice, juicy juice offers a free sippy cup along with coupons.

The main other way you can save money is to watch for sales and stock up. When we find a great deal on diapers, formula, or food, we stock up. If we think our son will be moving up in a diaper size soon, we just buy the next size up. If we get too many in one size, we save the rest for the next baby. If we weren't able to, or didn't want to have another baby we would sell them on ebay.

A little careful planning can save you several hundred dollars in your baby's first few years of life. If you have your finances in order, it's easier to enjoy your time with you precious little one.