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As a mom of three kids under the age of 6, I am very familiar with the fact that having a baby costs money!
From the baby gear to the hospital bills, all of those little expenses add up fast.
I’m so excited to introduce Saima from A Supertired Mom, to help discover some excellent ways to save money after having a baby.
The two red lines on a pregnancy strip bring a wave of emotion to the mother.
It is an amazing feeling but also brings a sudden sense of responsibility.
Despite the physical changes, it brings other changes as well, and cutting down your expenses is one of the important things.
I have learned a lot from my personal experience and here I’m going to share ways of saving money after having a baby.
Let’s dig in!
Differentiate Between Needs and Wants
This is by far the simplest rule.
Buy what you need and don’t fall victim to impulse buying.
When you become a parent for the first time, you want to have lots of baby stuff lying around.
You are attracted to the cute little things hanging in the baby shops.
But the question arises, “Do you need it”?
It is important to have a set budget when buying things for a baby.
Related: How to budget for beginners
Mothers are emotional and they want to hoard things just in the name of love, fear, anxiety, hope, protectiveness, satisfaction, sense of belonging, pride, and trends.
Many women buy products just to show off their shopping spree to their friends.
Before you start spending money on baby products, consider the cost of the product and why you are buying it.
- Are you sure your baby needs it? Or are you buying the product ‘just in case’ it might be useful.
- Are you buying the toy to provide fun opportunities to your child or are you buying it for the sake of satisfaction to yourself?
- Are you buying it just because other mothers are buying it? Is it a fear of not being able to win the race?
- Are you sure that this item will help or is it because of the anxiety you are facing due to the unsupportive behavior of your spouse?
- Are you throwing your hard-earned income away on irrelevant things just to show pride? Or is it the need of the hour?
The above-mentioned points are struggles that all moms face. Try to curb your expenses and decide wisely when going out for shopping.
Related: How to cut down on family expenses
Meal Planning and Creating a Shopping List
Planning always comes handy when you want to shop smart.
Prioritizing your needs eliminates the risk of spending cash purposelessly.
Plan a weekly meal menu and only step out to supermarkets when you run out of necessary food items.
Listing what you have and what you want is an easy way to cut back your expenses.
Don’t go aimlessly to the market, otherwise you will end up buying a lot of things that you don’t really need.
It’s important to plan smart, stay organized, and manage your finances intentionally, in order to save money after having a baby.
Related: Meal Planning Ideas on a Budget
Get Diapers In Seasonal Sale
One of the most important items, when your baby arrives, is diapers.
Your baby needs this, so you cannot overlook its usefulness. Unfortunately, diapers can also be one of the most expensive items.
Look out for sales and buy the diapers in bulk to have peace of mind.
You are not destined to pay heavy prices for an emergency diaper box from the nearest store.
Try to take full advantage of massive sales on such necessary items.
Another money-saving tip is to compare prices of different brands.
Buy the ones that are relatively cheap and affordable.
Cook Everything From Scratch
Cooking seems hardest when you are already sleep-deprived and managing a baby on your hip.
If you have a written weekly meal menu pinned on the wall, it saves a lot of time and energy.
It comes handy in preparing food quickly and leaves you without the additional burden of thinking about what to cook.
I try to reduce costs in the following ways:
- Replace fresh veggies with frozen ones.
- Using leftovers and introducing a new dish to the children.
- Buying meat or chicken at discount prices.
- Sign up for coupon offers and vouchers for baby food.
- Watch out for easy food recipes and try to make them at home.
- Double recipes, and save the batch for the next use.
Related: How to Stick to Your Grocery Budget
Opt for Sensible Grocery Shopping
The more you delay the shopping spree, the more costly it will become.
For a small family, going to a shop every five days is more suitable.
By the seventh day, all your fresh food items will be out of stock, and you will be stuck feeding your children frozen food, which is isn’t always the healthiest option.
Also, don’t opt for mindless shopping and cluttering your freezer with unnecessary items.
Shop at weekly and you will reduce the time of shopping in each trip.
Related: How to Save Money on Groceries (without coupons)
Sell Unwanted Items
Re-selling those items, that are hardly used or worn, is the best way to save money after having a baby.
Don’t pull off the price tags and labels that come on the new clothes. Newborns grow up fast so most of the clothes are hardly worn. Also, don’t throw away the toy boxes.
When items are new with tags (NWT) or in the original packaging, you can have a better reselling price.
Sometimes you have plenty of gifts lying around that are never used, touched, opened, or are duplicates.
Some of them are even still wrapped!
Why not re-sell those things to get the money back and use it for other future needs?
Make sure that these items will not be useful in the coming years. If you think you will need them soon, keep them in a safe place!
Related: How to Make Money Selling Used Clothing on Poshmark
Are you planning to trim your expenses after having a baby?
Then, cutting down your food expenses is a great place to start!
Try to know the worth of things you are buying and avoid impulse buying from supermarkets.
Differentiate between needs and wants.
Limit your food bills by cooking at home from scratch. It makes a big difference. Also, it is affordable and does not require emptying your wallet.
Go for healthier choices rather than fancy cooking. Why not give yourself a healthy start now?
Keep in mind these guidelines when you spend money to avoid useless buying after having a baby. Give them a go, set a budget, and stick to it!
About the author:
Saima is a mom of two cute boys. She blogs full time at A Supertired Mom and shares relatable experiences, tips and tricks to joys and challenges of pregnancy, motherhood and raising kids. When not writing, she is eating pizza and sipping strong tea. She loves glitter and celebrations and beaches.
hi! I'm shannon
I’m a wife, mom of three, doctor, and blogger! In 2018, I decided to turn my mom blog, into a personal finance blog so others could follow along on our journey to pay off over HALF a MILLION dollars in student loan and practice start up debt. I hope you enjoy following along, and maybe even find some inspiration along the way.
