fbpx
Save On Baby Stuff | Sleeping Baby

How I Brought Home Baby on a (Major) Budget

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more information.

I’m in the final countdown before baby and I think I finally have everything I need.

Some sites say you’ll spend $12K to $17K on a baby in the first year but since I already have enough diapers for the first year, I find that hard to believe.

After totaling up everything up I estimate I spent less than $500 on everything. I’ve decked out everything: he nursery, diapers, diapering supplies, car seats, stroller, etc. and I’m good to go.

So how’d I do it? It wasn’t hand-me downs from family and friends, I had to actively seek this stuff out. Luckily for me — and you — it wasn’t that hard.

9 Ways to Save on Baby Stuff

There weren’t a million arduous steps either. Just some simple steps that got me more clothes than he’ll ever wear, hundreds of diapers, and a ton of free things. And here they all are.

I Reached Out to my Buy Nothing Group

The first thing I did when I found out we were having a boy was post in my local Buy Nothing Group that I needed baby items. From that single post I got:

  • A ton of clothes from newborn to 12 months
  • 2 Diaper Genies
  • A bag of infant toys
  • Baby carrier
  • Baby bath
  • Crib sheets
  • A crib

All for FREE! All I had to do was private message the people who responded to my post and pick up the items from them at their homes. Since it’s a hyper-local group I never had to drive far.

I Found a Monthly Mom & Kids Swap

While searching Facebook I found a swap party for mothers and children at a nearby church on the third Monday of the month.

You bring gently used kids or women’s items and can take whatever you want. Then a donation truck picks up whatever’s left at the end. From there I got:

  • More clothes
  • Diapers
  • Bath soap and lotion
  • Kids books

Again ALL FOR FREE. And that’s where I brought the clothes and other free items I didn’t see myself using. Hey, I’ll take anything free but I’m still a minimalist.

I Searched Facebook Marketplace

For the things I couldn’t find free, I searched Facebook Marketplace. It’s basically taken the place of Craigslist, OfferUp, and LetGo. From Marketplace I was able to find:

  • A Bumbo with tray for $15
  • Changing pad for $10
  • Glider & Ottoman for $45
  • Changing table for $10

I saved about $400 on these items by buying them used and helped other parents recoup their costs (just as I plan on doing with these items one day.)

I Shopped a Kids Consignment Event

Kids consignments sales are a new franchise craze that I can really get behind. They’re weeklong events staffed entirely by volunteers where parents consign all things kid related and keep 70%-80% of whatever they sell for. The incentive to volunteer is the opportunity to shop before the general public.

I went to three during my pregnancy and they are massive. My next post will be just a guide to shopping these things. Since I was pregnant I was able to shop early so I got a pretty full picture as to what’s available at the beginning and end of the week.

Why the end? Because the last one or two days, almost everything is half price. So, in the quest for sound research, I hit up one sale three times to keep tabs on how it was going and what I could expect to find.

I bought a few things at full price because I wasn’t sure they’d be there at the end of the week:

At half price I got:

And other gallon ziploc bags full of assorted rattles, toys, clothes, socks, shoes, teethers, etc that were $1.50 each. I spent $50 and I know I would’ve spent $150 alone on that car seat so I was super pleased with the half-price sale.

A note on the car seat: I only needed a spare for my husband’s car so I chose the cheapest one. It was also closest to it’s expiration date but they don’t sell car seats that have less than a year of use left and since I’ll only need it for a year I felt good buying it. I of course checked Amazon reviews before purchasing. 😉

I Frequented my Favorite Thrift Store

I hate Goodwill.

There, I said it. That feels really good. I don’t even much care for Salvation Army (mostly because I worked for them for three years.) Because I’m a thrift snob, it took me a while to find one I would go to more than once.

I found it in Sunshine Thrift Store. It’s a local chain with big stores and really good half-price sales. I go there every other week and browse the baby clothes, accessories, and maternity section.

It’s where I got some really cute baby clothes, pajamas, socks, shoes, and hats. Most are $0.50 cents because I only buy half price but even when I “splurge” I don’t spend more than $1.50.

I Registered For Things I Knew I’d Return

This sounds really bad but just bear with me for a minute. By the time my baby shower rolled around, I’d already received so much for free or cheap that all I really needed were big-ticket items.

I could just do a donation registry but people love bringing gifts, especially baby gifts. So I registered for things at a price point that my friends and family could afford and we had a great time watching me open a ton of gifts. 😉

Then the next week I took most of it all back to Target and got the expensive items I really needed, namely a video baby monitor for $170. Electronics are not something I support buying used because old tech is more hassle than it’s worth.

I Looked For Ways to Get Free Gift Cards

Of course, there were more things I knew I needed that I didn’t want, or expect, I could get free or used. Nursing bras, postpartum undies, and the biggest one, a jogging stroller, car seat, carrier combo.

Instead of waiting around, I looked for ways to get gift cards to supplement. I ended up getting a couple hundred dollars in gift cards and here are some of the ways I did it:

  • I shopped through and referred friends to Ebates, my favorite cash back site. (Friends get $10 bonus after making their first $25 purchase.)
  • For good quality secondhand maternity clothes, I referred friends to ThredUp for $10 each (the friends got $10 as well!)
  • I referred friends to Personal Capital, a free net worth and financial health tracker, for $20 Amazon gift cards (again, the friends get a $20 gift card as well.)
  • I watched videos on Swagbucks and referred friends for free Amazon, Target, and Walmart gift cards. (Friends get a $10 for signing up and making a purchase through the Swagbucks shop portal.)

As you can see, it’s not hard to get people to sign up through your referral link because they get something for free as well. I just made sure not to bombard people with everything at once.

I Did a Lot of Research

When Jill and I interviewed Liz Thames from Frugalwoods on the Frugal Friends Podcast, she had some great tips on saving money on a baby.

But I thought the best one was to prepare yourself with knowledge.

Many new parents overspend on things they don’t need at prices they can’t afford because they don’t know what they really need. Don’t rely on friends, family, or well-meaning bloggers to tell you all the things you need to keep your baby alive.

Liz recommended the book Heading Home with Your Newborn by the American Academy of Pediatrics and after reading it, I also can’t recommend it enough.

It’s easy to read and a complete guide to your newborn’s first year. It why I didn’t buy a lot of bath stuff, why I’m skipping cloth diapers — at least for now — and occupies my time at night where I might otherwise be scrolling Amazon looking for more newborn mittens (which they only wear for a few weeks, if at all.)

I’m Taking Everything From the Hospital Room

While I still have 12 days until my scheduled C-section, yep, still breech, I know that while I’m in the hospital, I’m going to take everything from the postpartum room.

This is the universal tip I’ve received from every parent because if you don’t take it, they throw it away.

Take the adult diapers, pads, and premixed formula. Check drawers for syringes, diapers, and wipes. And if there’s something you like, ask for extra. There are your insurance premium dollars at work.

My Favorite Ways to Save on Baby

After all is said and done, I don’t feel like accumulating all this stuff put a dent in my budget at all. It came down to starting early, not being picky, and becoming informed.

I think if you put a little effort in, your baby doesn’t have to break the bank.

Back To Top