How do you save $ on baby items?

[Michar]

I agree with a lot of what is posted... the only thing I would add is I don't agree with the cloth diapering being cheaper.
I did a lot of research ( in fact hours and hours over several weeks) on CD and when I compared the cost of buying new CD, with the cost of our energy bills, with the added increase it would take for our water bill, and added in 1 hour per week of "extra laundry" time ( I think I "paid" us 5 dollars for each week of work time) verus money spent on diapers with coupons ( average prices) we ended up with a grand "savings" of 27 dollars for the first year. Also when I compared the green aspect of the CD with the offset of more water/energy use, cleaning supplies, and delivery it was " a wash" so to speak. For us with the true green aspect not really being green and with the fact we would only save 27 the convience factor was worth the 27 dollars for us. I do agree with people that say CD tends to pay more for additional children because you don't have to pay for any of the diapers. In fact if you read up on it some states now recommend against the CD movement saying it's anti-green in states with severe water issues because the impact on the enviroment is worse due to the added water /energy usage and the planet impact vrs the impact on the rate of breakdown for posies.. I think Colorado was one such state but am trying to remember research from like 2 years ago that I was reading :)

[Dengineer]

I always heard how babies are expensive too, but I kept up with EVERY penny we spent on our first baby, and it was less than $1000 for the first year. That included EVERYTHING--furnishings, car seat, toys, clothing, formula (three cans--I breastfeed mostly), baby food, doctor visits and EVERYTHING baby-related. And this was even in my pre-couponing days--it would probably be a lot less now that I know what I'm doing!

[peetred]

I breastfeed, so my babies have never had formula.
We use hand-me downs and used clothing as much as possible.
Coupons of course! I always buy the cheapest diapers or wipes, whether that be with coupons or generic.

[Beana913]

I breastfed till my milk suddenly dried up at 6mo. then switched to generic formula, we liked it better than brand name! We made all of our own baby food. We used all free detergent instead of expensive baby detergent, got lots of stuff off consignment and clearance. Got hand me downs until my son got bigger than the boys giving him clothes (big boy, hehe) Signed up for every mailing list I could find, even if it was for stuff we didn't use and bartered it for stuff we did. And of course lots of coupons!!!!

[mamawhit322]

I breastfed, very very rarely giving DS formula, for a full year. (his last "sip" was on his birthday) The formula I did use was five cans of Enfamil Lipil that my cousin gave me from her WIC (they switched her son for no reason for a month from Similac to Enfamil and she didn't want him to have the Enfamil!)

I got a GREAT deal at a yard sale on several big items. I got the crib, pack n play, stroller, cradle swing, and basinett for $170. I bought 400 jars of baby food when Target had the $1/2 gerber products. (we still have about 20 jars left and I bought them 1.5 years ago!)

I stockpile big time. I use hand me down clothes and toys.

I don't know how much we've spent on "baby" items in the past 16 months (well, 25, if you count the 9 months of pregnancy), but I'd say it's less than $2000, including all of the doctor bills! (and my insurance deductable is $1,000.)

I've got a diaper stockpile already for a baby that isn't even conceived yet!

[tmsmalley]

I recommend buying multi-purpose items that can be used for as many stages of your child as possible, then of course, hanging on to them if you might even possibly have more children. Also, only get what you really need. No one needs a quarter of the stuff on on the lists that the stores put out (of course they list everything, they're in sales)!

Tess

[wildhorses302]

I buy my daughters clothes at the Thrift Store. And then when Im done with them I pass them on to a girl that I work with. As far as diapers, I always have diaper q's....always. I try to buy them only when they are on sale. Then I stock up with 2 or 3 boxes.

[jenrose]

Ok, I wish I would have gotten into couponing earlier. But I always bought my diapers at costco (just this week started really trying to match MQ's with sales on them). I have 2 boys so my youngest has almost entirely hand me downs with a few clearance and gifts mixed in. With my first he got almost everything new although DH's grandma bought him a crib at a g-sale that he used for a few months until I went and bought a new one because he was sooooo active that the old crib just wasn't sturdy enough. (I bought a nice solid oak one new for $199 and just sold it 4 years later for $120). I used friends basinetts since you only use them for a couple months.

I sell all my big items when we are done with them on criagslist and usually come out close to what I paid for it in return. All my cloths now goes to my sister who has 2 girls and now her first boy so she likes having my boys to give her cloths. (although he may catch my younges since her 6 month old is already 21 lbs.)

I tried to Breast feed but couldn't produce enough milk to keep them full so I used Costco brand formula and with DS#2 also mixed in some name brand kind that I got from the Dr (Costco brand makes them a little more gassy). All in all though I don't think I have done too bad.

[reflect23]

I had 3 kids in 26 months-1 boy and 2 girls. We were far from rich and moving every 6 months it seemed. My DH kept switching jobs but we survived and our babies did not go without. This was pre-couponing for me so we just used the cheapest brand of diapers at the store and got used items from friends, neighbors and relatives. We were given a lot of the clothing and a LOT of diapers as baby shower gifts. I got a new stroller and toys from the health department for free for going to all my appointments and stuff, I also won a new carseat in a drawing they had. I got another free carseat from the Fire department (they have a grant program there in NC). Wow! I think the only thing I may have spent money on was a nice swing and my son didn't even like it (but my girls did). I also saved my gift cards to Toys R Us to get some bigger items as well.
Garage sales and freecycle can be your best friends!

[Sculpture Widow]

-breastfeed
-cloth diapers (do use disposable for traveling long term, and then buy generics or use coupons for good deal)
-my kids would never eat pre-packaged baby food, so that was never an expense...had to wing it.
-lots of recycled, hand-me-down clothes & toys. most of the stuff I've gotten looked brand new or in decent shape.

what I learned with my first baby is that we had tons of stuff we never used (even of the second-hand stuff). so with the second baby, the only thing new I got was a new sling, which was worth every penny (is wasn't expensive anyhow).