I just welcomed my second daughter into the world a month ago, and I am amazed once again at how something so small and sweet can disrupt our money.
Newborns bring about a state of sleeplessness and disorganization, which makes it hard to stick to a budget and resist impromptu buys. If you’re experiencing the same thing, here are some budget-savvy tips to help you save money after baby arrives.
1. Just Say No to Fast Food
Fast food is a big temptation after the baby comes home. It seems so quick and easy, yet the coffee runs and quick trips to get food add up way too quickly.
We’ve been able to avoid the fast food temptation by having a meal train set up for us by friends, and I also prepared and froze over 40 meals when I was seven months pregnant. I also try to stick with easy-to-prepare meals, such as roasting frozen chicken with vegetables.
2. Ask Friends to Borrow Equipment
As a second time mom, I knew which baby items I wanted and which items were unnecessary. I jumped at a sale on a mamaRoo swing, thinking it would be even better than the swing I had with my first child.
Of course, my new daughter is not a huge fan of the swing, and now I wish I had borrowed one to try out before spending $120. Seek out friends who recently had babies and ask to borrow newborn equipment to see if your child likes it, before investing too much money.
3. Try Thrift Stores for Transitional Clothing
If you’re like me after pregnancy, you have two sets of clothing in your closet — maternity clothes and pre-baby clothes. Even though I lost all of my pregnancy weight quickly this time around, I’m finding there’s still a need for transitional clothes.
However, I know within a few months I will be able to wear my old wardrobe again. I know I’m not the only woman who refuses to wear her maternity clothes a day longer, yet doesn’t quite look fit into her old clothes yet. The frugal solution for this is to shop the thrift store.
For $20-30, you can buy 2-3 pairs of bigger sized of jeans and some flowy shirts to help you as your body slowly gets back to pre-baby size.
4. Save on Birth Announcements
While birth announcements are not necessary, they are a sweet sentiment that many parents won’t want to pass up. I am a huge fan of Shutterfly. Mostly because they are so simple to use and there are so many discount codes that can be stacked on top of another.
If you registered with Target or signed up for some formula companies’ coupons, then you should have received free Shutterfly $20 off codes. You can also order a birth announcement download for about $7-15 on Etsy and print them yourself.
As your new baby arrives, you want to spend money where it counts and be conscious of the budget. But you also don’t want to spend time obsessing over where your money’s going. Use these tips to be budget-savvy and still have time to enjoy your new little one.
After you had a newborn, was it hard to stick to a budget? What are some tips you use to save money after baby?
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Thanks for this advice! We’re planning on having kids soon and I’m trying to gather all the tips I can for saving money on the whole experience :). I’ve been fortunate to receive quite a few hand-me-downs of baby stuff from friends already and I’m hoping I’ll be able to find the rest used on Craigslist or at thrift stores.