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Budgeting
for Baby |
by:
Mike
Collins |
If
you are expecting an addition to your family,
or just planning on having a baby in the
future, you need to start thinking about
how you are going to budget for your little
one.
Many first-time parents are shocked when
they realize how much having a baby can
cost. And I am not just talking about the
doctor bills. It's all the little things,
such as diapers, clothes, formula, baby
food, and toys, that add up to cost big
bucks!
When my wife and I had our first child,
we learned a lot about what we really needed
and what was a waste of money. So now that
we are seasoned veterans and expecting our
second baby, we feel confident that we can
avoid the same wasteful mistakes we made
the first time around.
Here is a list of 6 things that your baby
can live without, followed by 4 things that
we could not have lived without:
Baby Wipe Warmer - An unnecessary waste.
My daughter never fussed when we used baby
wipes that were room temperature. Baby wipe
warmers are just an attempt to get parents
to spend more money on something they really
do not need.
Expensive Clothes - You are going to find
that your little one will grow out of his
or her clothes incredibly fast. It's one
thing to spend a little extra for a nice
dress or outfit for a holiday or special
occasion. But it doesn't make sense to spend
a fortune on clothes that will be worn only
once or twice. Instead, choose the lower
priced items (as long as the quality is
satisfactory), especially for little onesies
and sleepers.
Another tip: don't remove the tags from
baby's clothes until they are ready to be
worn. We have outfits that my daughter grew
out of before she even had a chance to wear
them. Since we had already removed the tags
we were not able to exchange them for a
bigger size.
Brand Name Goods - Using generic items instead
of brand names can save you hundreds of
dollars per month. We used the brand name
baby formulas for the first few months and
then switched to the generic brand after
we realized it cost 60% less. Not only did
our little girl not mind the change, she
actually seemed to prefer it. The generic
brand seemed to give her less gas.
Toddler Foods - When our baby was first
learning to eat solid foods, we tried dozens
of different flavors of baby food. We thought
it was important for her to adjust to the
new foods and to try a variety of flavors.
But as soon as she got used to the new texture,
we started making our own baby food. Carrots
and sweet potatoes worked especially well
when mixed in the food processor.
And we never even bothered with the 'toddler
foods'. They are an expensive waste. Look
on the supermarket shelf and you will see
the jars of diced fruits and vegetables
'just for baby'. But you know what? You
can cut up a pear or a green bean yourself.
It will save you money and you will know
that the food is fresh.
Large and Expensive Toys - When my daughter
was born we spent several hundred dollars
on toys for her to play with, plus we received
many more as gifts. We got her all sorts
of giant stuffed animals and high tech toys
that danced or played music.
Do you know what her favorite toy is? A
squeaky bath toy shaped like a crab. It
cost $1.49. She regularly pushes aside all
of the fantastic toys we bought her for
that inexpensive little crab.
Now I'm certainly not telling you not to
buy your little one anything expensive or
fancy. Just keep in mind that she may just
push it out of her way so she can play with
the box.
Baby Walkers - You hardly see these in stores
anymore, but they can be found. Skip it.
They are dangerous. Stick a baby in one
of these and they can wheel themselves into
trouble before you know it. There have been
horrible incidents of children rolling down
a flight of stairs or running into a table
and knocking something down on top of themselves.
The 4 BEST purchases we made.
An ExerSaucer - An exersaucer looks very
similar to a walker with one major difference...it
doesn't move. The exersaucer stays firmly
planted on the ground and allows the baby
to 'stand' and play with all sorts of toys
that are attached to it, plus any other
toys you give to him.
My daughter absolutely loved being in her
exersaucer and it gave us a chance to get
something done around the house while she
was occupied. We knew she couldn't get into
any trouble and we constantly changed the
toys so she would not get bored.
But be warned. Once baby becomes mobile
he likely won't want to use it anymore.
He can have a lot more fun crawling around
getting into all sorts of trouble!
The Best Car Seat You Can Afford - Keeping
your baby safe is no joke. Having a quality
car seat is vital in case you get into an
accident. Be sure you read the manual and
secure baby tightly each time you take her
out.
Also, contact your local police station
and ask them if they offer free car seat
installations and inspections. Most towns
have a few officers who have received special
training on installing car seats. If your
town doesn't offer this service they can
get you in touch with a neighboring town
that does. Even the best car seat is useless
if it is not installed correctly.
Bundle Me - Unless you live in a climate
that is warm all year-round, a Bundle Me
is a great timesaver. It is basically a
cozy blanket that fits into a car seat or
stroller. Rather than bundling baby up in
a snowsuit and blankets, just place her
in the car seat and zip it up. You'll be
surprised how warm she stays.
It is especially handy when you have the
type of car seat in which the base stays
in the car and the seat pops out so you
can carry it around. You can have baby all
snuggled up inside rather than struggling
to do it in the cold.
Shopping Cart Cover - You've probably seen
them in the supermarket. It's just a cloth
or vinyl cover that goes over the top section
of a shopping cart. The baby sits in it
and it prevents her from touching the shopping
cart with her hands or mouth.
Many people will argue that this is unnecessary,
but I see it as a valuable safety device.
Countless numbers of hands have touched
those shopping carts and who knows what
kinds of germs they left behind. Keeping
my little girl healthy is more than worth
the $20 expense.
About the Author
Mike Collins is the author of the educational
eBook "Saving 101 - One Hundred One Proven
Techniques for Cutting Expenses, Increasing
Savings, and Getting Out of Debt" available
at http://www.saving-money-and-living-debt-free.com |
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