Written by: Laurin Vroom , RN, MEd
Anticipating the arrival of a newborn can bring a flood of mixed emotions. While the main feelings are excitement, anticipation and an already growing love for the little life inside you, there are also concerns and fears that creep into the minds of every parent.
One of those concerns is finances.
We’ve all been told that having a child is very expensive. You can find estimates all over the internet telling you how many thousands of dollars having a child is going to cost you in the first year, up to their 18th year of life. It can be overwhelming, even crippling for some. Especially if you believe what you’re re reading without asking questions or seeking a different opinion.
If you find yourself in this boat, worried about how you will afford to bring a baby into this already expensive world, take heart, we have encouraging news for you! Raising children does not have to be expensive.
Saving money takes time.
What makes it expensive depends largely on you. What you value, your standards, your expectations and how you raise your child. For example, if you insist that your baby only be dressed in new clothes, or high-end brand names, you will incur exponentially higher costs in raising that child based on clothes alone than someone who doesn’t mind getting clothes second hand.
To save money, you will have to make sacrifices. There’s no way around that, but it will be worth it beyond words when you have your child in your arms. You might not go on vacation for a few years, you might have to put off buying a house until later, you might have to take a second job or find a side hustle to add to your main income. You may have to buy second hand, or accept donations, until you can responsibly buy items new, and that’s fine. Don’t be embarrassed, embrace it. At the end of the day, others may have more money, but you have your child/children. And as you age you will understand full well who is the rich one between you.
In this article, you will find several very practical ways to save hundreds to thousands of dollars as you prepare for the arrival of your newborn and in the first few years to follow. We hope this will encourage you, and help you see how feasible having a child is even during a time where the cost of living is so high compared to incomes, depending on where you live.
Tip #1: Save While Preparing for Baby’s Arrival
As much as we all dream of having a beautiful nursery like the moms on Instagram. The reality is that we don’t need it. It’s beautiful and dreamy but not absolutely necessary. And when you are determined to cut costs to manage having a child, “absolutely necessary” items is where you should start. Only move on from there if you can.
The necessities when preparing for baby’s arrival are:
Crib
Look on Facebook Marketplace, Craig’s List, or whatever other second hand selling platforms are used near you and buy one second hand. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just sturdy. Keep in mind a mini-crib will only fit your child for the first 6-8 months or until they’re able to pull themselves to standing. A full-sized crib can be used longer, so look for that instead. Even better is one that converts into a toddler bed by removing a side rail.
Changing Table
This is another item you do not need to buy new. Definitely go for second-hand here. Changing tables are great to keep all your items close and organized. And keep you from bending way over to change your child, which you will do numerous times a day. If you have a bad back, definitely consider a change table. Some people do however skip the changing table entirely and just change their baby on the bed or floor on a change mat.
Diapers
Whether you want to do cloth diapers or disposable ones, do your research ahead of time to see which is more financially economical for you. Also factor in time, energy, prep and care for whichever option you choose.
Keep in mind that many mothers have leftover diapers from when their baby grew out of them and are either done having children and don’t need them, or don’t plan on having another child anytime soon and don’t want to keep them. As in the mommy groups you’re a part of if anyone has diapers they don’t need anymore. Or if they’re selling them second hand, bargain for a low price.
Wipes
Wipes can be expensive, especially if you do not buy them in bulk. Some ways to cut costs are to use paper towel at home and wipes when you go out. Wet a couple rectangles of paper towel with warm water and pat dry after. Newborns’ skin are particularly sensitive so some suggest using cloths if you can in the first few weeks of life. If that doesn’t gross you out, use baby face cloths for diaper changes at home and just wash them in a bleach load.
Diaper Bag
Here’s an easy tip- use any backpack. We all think we need a specifically designated diaper bag when we have our first child. If you end up having two, three or more kids, you quickly realize that all you need is any bag at all that can carry diapers, wipes, butt cream, and a couple changes of clothes. Diaper bags are expensive. Whereas you probably have an old school bag lying around anyway that you can use just as easily.
Chair to Breastfeed or Bottle-Feed
You don’t need a rocking chair. You don’t need a fancy pull out, or lean-back loveseat. If you have a couch in your home, use that. Use pillows to prop yourself up in any way you need to breastfeed or give a bottle to your baby. If you really want a rocking chair, you can totally find one second hand, but the basic necessity is just somewhere to sit, preferably one that has an arm rest.
Tip #2: Breastfeed If You Can
Formula is very expensive. No matter what brand you’re probably looking at 100$+ a month. If you can manage to breastfeed, you will save yourself thousands of dollars in the first year of life alone. Yes you will eat more, but it won’t cost as much as formula if you eat smart (plan ahead, don’t buy takeout every time you’re hungry, etc.).
I am a registered nurse, specialized in labor and delivery with years of teaching on postpartum units. I’ve had three children that I breastfed and am involved in many mother groups and give support where I can for breastfeeding. Instagram and Facebook make breastfeeding look easy- breezy. Like a sweet dream, blissful. But the reality for most women is that it hurts a lot in the beginning. It takes time to get the hang of it, and for baby to grow a bit and be able to take in more of the areola (darker skin around the nipple) instead of just chomping on the nipple. I had every problem possible for 3 months with my first. But, finally the pain subsided as baby grew and I found ways to cope with the pain until then (pump, nipple guards, compresses, etc.).
Mentally Prepare Yourself To Breastfeed
Be mentally prepared for breastfeeding to hurt at the beginning. I was equipped with all the theory nursing school and professional experience could provide to help women breastfeed, but my perspective, understanding, and knowledge of issues and techniques changed after having children myself. I know reading up on complications of breastfeeding can be scary. But, if you can handle it, being mentally prepared for problems that can arise will help you understand the problem and deal with it more effectively.
Some women have zero issues, but most need some level of support. Even if you struggle at first, remember you can do it if you are determined to and ready mentally to have to try different things, and seek support as soon as possible. Once you get over the initial learning phase/hump, breastfeeding is so easy, so convenient, and so cheap. You always have food on you for your child that is free and easily accessible. You don’t have to buy formula, plan stops to get hot water and mix it, worry about packing bottles, etc.
Tip #3 Save When It Comes To Dressing Babies
Skip the Shoes
Honestly, skip the shoes in the first year of life. If your child is walking by the time summer rolls around, you will want a pair of sandals for less safe or comfortable environments. Other than that, bare feet is all they want. If you have playdates indoors, go barefoot as much as possible or use socks with sticky bottoms.
Most children don’t want shoes on. Or socks. If your child doesn’t even walk yet, all you need are socks or soft boot type socks/slippers for colder weather. Or use coats with legs that have the foot covering. Super convenient.
Buy Second Hand
Babies grow so fast.
That is why when the time comes to buy shoes, you should buy second hand as much as possible because they’re expensive, and your child will only wear them for 2-3 months anyway before they grow out of them. If you plan on having multiple children, it could be worth buying certain things new, like winter boots, so they are still good and don’t smell by the time the next kid come along. But for the most part, you can save a lot of money going second hand.
Every mother will tell you that their child only wore xyz outfit once or twice before it didn’t fit anymore. The biggest, most obvious way you can save hundreds of dollars per month is to buy a box of used clothes from another mom in your community with every new growth spurt your child goes through. Second hand clothing is key.
There are thrift stores you can check out, or you can join groups on Facebook or another social media platform where mothers sell or exchange child items. There are also websites where people sell second hand items and you can find other mothers selling boxes of all their child’s old clothing. This is the real jackpot you want to aim for.
Tip #4: Make Your Own Baby Food
When your child starts on purees, make the purees yourself. As tempting as it is to buy prepackaged baby food or baby pouches, it can add up quickly at a dollar or more a pop.
Use the blender you have (you don’t need a Baby Bullet) and blend a large amount of vegetables together, then freeze them in ice cube trays or small plastic containers that you can store in the freezer. When you need them, you can just pop them out into a bowl and microwave until desired temperature.
Tip #5: Plan Ahead For Feeding Yourself Postpartum
Believe it or not, feeding yourself is going to be so much harder after giving birth than it was before becoming pregnant. You will be so busy learning about your baby, how to feed and care for them, and coping with the healing phases after giving birth that cooking will be the last thing you want to do.
Meal-planning will become imperative here to save money. It will be tempting to eat or, or buy fast food, whatever is quick and easy. We all know that eating out becomes expensive very quickly. Food is a big area where you can save money in at least the first 6 months postpartum. As you settle into your new routine, you realize how much more you need to eat to keep your milk supply up if you’re breastfeeding.
Here are some ways you can prepare ahead of time to save money when your little one arrives:
Freeze Meals
Before you give birth, cook many big batches of food and freeze it in batches so that when you are too tired you just pull it out and microwave your supper. Spaghetti, soups and chili are easy meals to freeze and reheat at a later date.
Meal Prep
Pick a time or day where you do meal prep. For example, every morning as my kids play quietly in their rooms before it’s time to start the day, I take 15-20 minutes to chop the vegetables I will need for supper so that I can cook supper in a fraction of the time later that day.
Sometimes on Sunday afternoon, if I’m really motivated, I might chop vegetables for the week as I prep for two or three different meals. I’ll put all the diced vegetables and herbs, even sauces into Ziplock bags so that when the day comes where I need them, I can just dump them into the crockpot, instant pot, or hot frying pan. Wherever you can meal prep, do it.
When you don’t feel like cooking, it takes way less energy to pull out prepped vegetables and a protein and throw it together than it does having to decide what you want to eat, go get the groceries, prep then cook it. And you will save so much money by putting the extra thought and time into planning this way.
Shop Flyers, Use Coupons
Flyers and coupons are your friend. If you’re not used to using them, you will be amazed once you start planning your meals around what’s on sale. There is so much money to save, especially by buying meat on sale. Meat and dairy are more expensive than fresh produce. If you can manage to insert more vegetarian meals into your week, you will also save money there. You can replace the protein from meat with beans and nuts, for example, on those days.
Tip #6: Buy Gently Used Toys
It can be very tempting to buy toys for your new baby, especially as they go from one stage to another so quickly in that first year of life. Resist the temptation to buy new toys! Besides the fact that kids who can sit up or crawl are usually more interested in whatever you use on a daily basis than their own toys (your car keys, tv remote, Tupperware containers, spatulas, etc.) you will be grateful if you don’t have loads of toys filling every crevice of your home.
Second hand toys are awesome, especially if they’re wooden or well-made toys that you know will last years. Like blocks, cars and dolls.
Tip #7: Join Mama Groups
Moms love supporting moms. We have a capacity to create community in a way men can’t even fathom. Especially if you are a single mother, you need to know that other mothers (single or not) want to help you succeed. You would be amazed how women will rally to the cause of a single mother if she is willing to ask.
I am part of several Mom Groups on Facebook and when a single mother is looking for diapers, or used clothing, or a bike for her toddler, whatever it is, there are always dozens and dozens of moms that step up, willing to give away whatever they no longer need. Groups with other moms are the richest resource for everything- emotional support, physical support, social support, donations of items child-related or not. Moms are awesome.
I would argue that it’s crucial for every mom to join at least one Mommy Group in their local area, because other moms will help you find healthcare services, figure out what to do about your kid’s picky eating habits, meet up with you for a playdate, donate used items, you name it.
Tip # 8: Look Into Government and Community Support Programs
If you are eligible for government support programs that support single mothers, for instance, these are things you should look into. If you’re not sure if there’s anything available near you, reach out to other mothers in social media Mama Groups. You can do a Google Search and look for your local area for nonprofit organizations as well that may service new mothers requiring assistance if that’s you. In Florida there’s the Temporary Cash Assistance program available to eligible families. There are likely resources, whether
local or governmental, available in your area worth looking into.
Conclusion
First of all, congratulations on your pregnancy! Hopefully you are excited more than anything about the precious life growing inside of you. You can do this Mama. If you are worried about how you’re going to afford to raise a child, take heart. Where there is a will, there’s a way. And there is no greater will than that of a mother.
The first year after giving birth is an important time to be budget conscious because you’re welcoming the biggest change of your life and it can be tempting to spend on one thing after another. The tips in this article, along with a solid budget showing you exactly what you make, what your needs cost, and how much money you have to spend on the non-necessities should fill you with hope and a sense of empowerment as you raise your precious baby on whatever income you have.
You can do this!