How do you save $ on baby items?

[nurseannette]

Sorry to keep blabbing but I just remember what I actually wanted to post
originally. For the baby shower, birthdays, Christmas ect. when family
ask what can they get for my children(they always ask, I never ever
suggest) I tell them what they need. For example socks, underwear
and my mom usually gets my daughter boots for Christmas.
I used to not tell them, just said anything was fine, and it was except
that the kids got a lot, I mean a lot of toys that they did not need/use.
So if someone is buying for my children and they ask what they need,
I always suggest something relatively inexpensive and practical.
I find that this helps with my "kid expense" too. I certainly return the
favor for their kids gifts too.

[Mama Bird]

I only checked coupons (of course!), breastfeed, and used equipment, but I should have also checked used clothes.

I don't buy my clothes at thrift shops (not that I'm against it, but I just have a hard time getting there), but since I have two boys, almost all of my youngest son's clothes are handed down from big brother. There are also a few families in my church that hand me down boy clothes that their sons have outgrown. I had a dear friend that sent me her son's entire baby wardrobe to borrow when I had my first little guy, so that hugely cut down on what I had to purchase. I hope to be able to do that someday for one of my friends (but they all keep having girls!).

I do buy some equipment and toys new, but generally we get most of those things as gifts or I get them at the consignment store. If I buy them new it's because I got a good deal on them, most likely thanks to someone posting about it here on HCW. :)

[loladooder99]

I noticed with some of my friends who didn't use coupons that they thought generic formula wasn't as good as the name brand. Well i used generic formula and name brand and my son loved both of them. i also make some of my sons baby food but when i got beechnut mini meals for 6 cents it was alot cheaper then making it. So I only make homemade applesauce for my son and all of his clothes and crib and all that were given too me by realtives brand new. Thank god. THe only thing I splurged on was his high chair 99 dollars and his car seat 189.

[coldpizza4breakfast]

It's pretty easy to save money on babies. Just don't buy all the stuff everyone says you have to have. lol
For my granddaughter, we do the diaper deals to get her stockpiled... she received formula from wic for the most part after she stopped nursing... stuff like that. We use coupons for M's food and she just mashes up or gives her more regular food now. Clothes they got from friends and relatives and we bought some for her from thrifts and stuff. She's had the walker and other things but really the baby didn't use them that long so they were kinda pointless.
Carseats - I saved my MyPoints, got Wmart gift cards and got her an awesome carseat.
Really... babies just don't need a bunch of stuff. Feed them and love them and they are good. lol.

[mom2lucas]

We shop a children's consignment sale each season. Most of the things we bought for winter were new with tags and were name brand items. We also use coupons for everything. I breastfed DS until he was 8 months old, and then we used our stockpile of baby formula until he was one. DD is breastfed as well. We use whatever diapers are cheapest. I made most of DS's baby food, ad DD just started solids. I had been stockpiling some babyfood for her, but we also make some food as well. Our ped really encourages making your own food to save money.
As far as equipment, our crib and mattresses were new from Walmart bought with giftcards from showers, and pretty much everything else came new or nearly new from consignment sales or yard sales or 75% off sales at Target. I got DS's carseat for $10 new and still in the box at a yardsale because the grandparents had purchased it and never used it. It was a higher-end seat and the box was still sealed. They had lost the receipt and couldn't return it. I also got a FP Aquarium swing that was nearly new for $5 at the same sale. Best shopping day ever.

[Spanelli8706]

I use coupons, coupons and more coupons. I signed up for mailing lists under our primary residence, our home we haven't sold (gets forwarded here), my mom's address and my mother-in-law's address. I usually have plenty of baby coupons. Unfortunately, my daughter didn't take to breastfeeding and I didn't produce enough milk...so we have been on formula since 2 months. And we tried several brands (generic and name) and the only one that agreed with her stomach is Enfamil Lipil. Luckily I have ample checks. I only buy it on sale and then stock up. Every doctor appointment she has, they stock me up as well...nurse says nobody ever wants it and she hates to throw it out. I buy diapers only on sale and stock up. Same thing for wipes. I haven't bought any used clothing for her. I'm not against used clothes, I buy them for myself. I just usually hit big time clearance deals and get GREAT prices. We have saved all of her clothing for future babies or hand-me-downs for friends. Luckily, my husbands parents bought her a bedroom suit for our shower. They also bought her swing, playpen, carseats and highchair. My husband comes from a wealthy family and he's an only child...and she's an only grandchild. They once bought her a $35 outfit (was too small), instead of exchanging it for a diff size, I used it and got her SEVERAL other outfits for the same $35! Anything we buy for her is, 90% of the time, on sale AND with a coupon. lol. I'm always looking for sales and clearance baby stuff.

Oh, and all of the stuff his parents bought us for our daughter, we picked out neutral colors...so we can use it for future baby number two! :)

[jhall1977]

I didn't really start couponing until my 2nd, now I don't buy anything without a coupon. Breastfed all 3, in fact still nursing my 17 mo old. My little brother is 11 mos older than my ds, so we get tons of hand-me-downs still. My sister & I use each others toys/swings/high chairs, etc. Like a previous poster said, hit your ped up for samples. You'd be amazed at the stuff they hand out.

I think starting out is expensive, but any other kids after that, it's just the bare essentials.

[talk2ham.1]

I let the kids play with real kitchen utensils and bowls, rice, clothespins, string, ribbon, scratch paper, scrap material, etc. in order to keep them occupied rather than spending lots of money on craft gimmicks for kids. Kids get tired of stuff when they know it is only an imitation of the real thing. They want to do stuff like the grown ups anyway.

[murphycoupons]

I breastfeed but not to save money but because I love it Not the easiest thing to do working out of the home full time, but I made it exclusively 10 months with my first even though I started traveling at 6 months. I no longer travel, so I am hoping to last more than a year!!!

I was also lucky to have a BF who gave me so much of her daughters clothes and items. I held on to all of it and am using it for my second DD and everything she has outgrown I am handing down to a neighbors co-worker.

I also made all my first DD's food. It was easy and cheaper and I knew exactly what was in it. I hope I have the energy to do that for the second, but I am not so sure

[tinabohio]

I breastfeed (down to once a day with #2), with #2 she has a problem with cow's milk so nursing past 2 saves me money on rice milk. She gets the milk problems from mommy.
We have gotten tons of hand me downs and I buy clearance super cheap and at resale shops. I made her food, which was good because she really did not like the icky baby mush. She started to eat closer to one really, once she could eat REAL food (as my 5 year old calls it).
I use cloth, prefolds and covers and even with coupons and deals I saved a ton compared to even doing it the HCW way. I'm not afraid of pins and my high quality prefolds and flats should last through more than just the next baby we have. I also use cloth wipes (I made many) and they are great for this potty learning time, the TP really just doesn't cut it for her!
I use coupons when there is one for what I need. I plan on getting her another potty adapter and hope to find a coupon for it soon.
I look at the 'baby aisles' in the stores and see that most of what is there I never needed!