Having a baby is not for the feint hearted or light pocketbook! There are many costs that go into raising a child. Thanks to partnering with Member’s Mark® Advantage® Infant Formula on this sponsored article, we are able to bring you amazing tips on how to save money on baby supplies to help take some of the stress out of parenting. We hope you will be able to find some ways to save money that will be useful to your family!
Having a new baby, is the most rewarding thing a parent will ever do. But it is far from cheap! First, you have all the doctor bills while pregnant. Then the doctor bills from the birth. And then you have to buy the crib, clothes, blankets, diapers, wipes, etc! The list just keeps growing and growing!
And then to add insult to injury, the child grows! And you have to purchase all new clothes AGAIN! It never ends!
So when it comes to parenting there are a few tips you will want to learn quickly to help you save on baby supplies and make your limited funds stretch farther!
Easy Ways to Save Money on Baby Supplies
Shop 2nd hand!
Baby gear is like a car. It’s beautiful brand new. But as soon as you drive it out of the store, it dramatically decreases in value! Instead, if you are frugal and savvy you can find like new items for a fraction of the cost of buying it brand new!
Watch yard sales, thrift stores and even family/friends who are cleaning out their baby gear. Inspect for any damage in gear, stains, rips, tears, etc. But if all is in great condition, you just scored huge savings!
When we shopped for Miss Jade 8 years ago, I often found large bags full of baby girl clothes for only $20/bag at yard sales. Most of the clothes in the bags were worn maybe once, and looked brand new. A large number of the clothes were brand new and still had tags on them! I totally rocked getting all the clothes for Miss Jade from 0-12 months for only $125 for a full years worth of clothes! And these were name brand clothing that normally retails for $35/dress!
Buy multi-function Gear.
When shopping, look for baby gear that can solve multiple functions or can transition as your baby grows older. Such as a crib that goes from bassinet to toddler bed. Or a wide Dresser that is wide enough to create a diaper changing station on top (see our tutorial).
Plus a dresser like that can also grow up with the baby as they get older. Instead of a changing table that you will get rid of once baby potty trains.
Shop Small Quantities
There are some items that you don’t want to buy a large quantity right away. Such as Binkies, bottles, and teethers. Babies are picky. And what worked for baby #1 may not work for baby #2. So for these items only buy one item at a time and test to ensure your baby likes it before you go out and buy multiples.
Stick to Essentials.
There are so many amazing gadgets out there for babies now. And while they may be very cool. Most of it, you don’t need. I thought for certain I HAD to have a wipes warmer. You know how much that got used this last time? Maybe twice!
So stick to the essentials. Things you know baby needs. Like a place to sleep, clothes, diapers, wipes, car seat, blankets, feeding supplies, etc. Leave the nonessential shopping for after your baby arrives and you have a better idea if you will actually use it or not before you purchase.
Store it!
If your little one outgrows an item like clothing or baby gear and you plan to have more children, save it! It may be a little inconvenient to store baby gear, but in the long run, it will save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars in the long run.
I kept all of Miss Jade’s clothes, so when we were surprised with Miss Rose, I breathed a sigh of relief because we have all the clothes she needs for the next 6 years already in our storage room! 6 years of clothes I no longer have to go out and buy! Talk about big savings!
Watch the sales.
A few times throughout the year items go on sale. But did you know that Black Friday is also a great time to stock up on baby essentials like diapers and wipes? No joke! Many places put the diapers and wipes on sale in the spring and autumn months. You can plan ahead and purchase in bulk and they will last you until the next big sale! Just make sure you purchase a variety of sizes that your little one will need in the coming months.
Babies tend to outgrow Newborn – size 2 diapers quickly. They tend to stay in size 3-5 much longer. So plan accordingly. Don’t over purchase sizes newborn-2. Get a few but concentrate mostly on stocking size 3-5.
Buy in Bulk
Speaking of buying in bulk. When there aren’t sales, there is always a great way to save every week. Buy in bulk. Specifically, shop for your baby essentials at Sam’s Club!
When we need more diapers in between the big yearly sales, I always grab them at Sam’s Club. Usually, there are tons of savings to be had. But do you want to know the one baby item that has the biggest savings when you purchase from Sam’s Club?
Baby Formula!
No kidding. Baby formula is one of the most expensive baby essentials. Because you can’t just buy it once and be done. You have to keep buying it over and over again.
And unlike baby gear, you can’t sell it to recoup some of your money once you are finished with it!
When Miss Rose switched to formula I was shocked at the amount we were going through. I was concerned about the cost of the name brand formulas. So I asked her Pediatrician about the different formulas and if there was any difference between name brand and others. And you know what he told me?
He told me the secret! There isn’t a significant difference between the super expensive name brand formula and the more affordable name brand such as Member’s Mark® from Sam’s Club!
Member’s Mark® Sensitivity Infant Formula still offers complete nutrition for baby’s first year. It’s specially formulated for babies who are prone to fussiness and gas due to lactose sensitivity.
Plus, Member’s Mark® Sensitivity Infant Formula has a unique blend of DHA, lutein, and vitamin E, which supports growth and development of your baby’s brain and eyes.
My Pediatrician actually recommended that we purchase Member’s Mark® Infant Formula varieties to save money! Even better, Miss Rose can’t tell a difference in the taste at all! So why not switch and save?
Just how much can you save?
Well, a regular carton of Similac Sensitive Infant Formula at my local store is $24.48 for 1.41 lbs. Which translates to $1.05 / oz.
Member’s Mark® Sensitivity Infant Formula at my local Sam’s Club is only $22.98 for 48 oz! Which translates to $0.47 / oz.
That is more than DOUBLE the amount of infant formal for LESS money!
Can you see how much money is saved? And that is just one carton.
Now think about how much formula you have to purchase in a given month.
I usually have to purchase about 8 – 9 Cartons of Similac Sensitive Infant Formula for a month’s supply. For math’s sake, we’ll say 8. That would be roughly $220.32 I would have to spend on Formula alone in a given month.
Buying Member’s Mark® Sensitivity Infant Formula I only need about 4 cartons a month. That translates into $91.92 a month for formula.
That is a savings of $128.40 in just one month! That’s $1540.8 a year for our family that I can save simply by purchasing Member’s Mark® Sensitivity Infant Formula at Sam’s Club.
If you already purchase your name brand formula at Sam’s Club you are already saving money on your formula purchases since Sam’s Club offers the name brand formulas at a better price per ounce than a regular grocery store.
But why not see how much you can save? Use the Savings Calculator to find out based on the variety of formula you like to purchase how much you can save by switching to Member’s Mark Infant Formula.
You can also use the Formula Finder to determine the right formula for your little one.
How much Money can you save by switching to Member’s Mark Infant Formula?
How do you save money on baby supplies?
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Member’s Mark® Advantage® Infant Formula. All opinions are our own.
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