31 Days of Baby Saving Tips: Day 28 - Use your Cell as a Portable White Noise Machine

Instead of spending your money on a portable white noise machine, just use your cell phone.  My husband downloaded music we have saved on our computer (mostly classic country) onto the card in his phone, for FREE, and Howard LOVES it!  Howard hated the lullaby music that came with his swing, so one night when he was fussy and wouldn't sleep Joe played him the Statler Brothers on his phone, instant quiet, and moments later he was sound asleep!  This has also worked when we are in the car, or out running errands.  He gets fussy, Joe pulls out his phone, picks one of Howard's 'playlists,' lowers the volume, and tucks it in beside him in his carseat -- and it works everytime!  You could easily get a lullaby CD to put on your computer and then onto your phone if your little one prefers it, there is probably even a cheap app for that!  So save some cash, and use the music on your cell to quiet your little one, plus it's one less thing to carry around!

31 Days of Baby Saving Tips: Day 27 Use Doggie Bags for Diapers

Our portable diaper changing pad, has a little pouch for dirty diaper bags.  These are totally AWESOME, as you can forget about a really nasty diaper that you have tied up and tossed into your trunk for at least 3 weeks, and it won't smell!  Don't ask me how I know that ;-)  Anyway, those little bags are expensive to replace, even if you buy them at Wal-mart.  So, one week while strolling the aisles of our Dollar Tree, I noticed these doggie bags -- same size, different color, and just as durable, and smell-containing!  These do come with carriers, which you could hook onto your diaper bag if you don't have a changing pad that has a built-in pouch.  But three rolls for a $1 is a third of the price that Wal-mart wanted for the name brand ones -- definitely money saved!

31 Days of Baby Saving Tips: Day 26 - Make your Own

Pictured above is a sling-type carrier I bought (using a promo code of course), it is also one that had I looked online I could have found a tutorial and made for even less!  The internet is a magical place filled to the brim with all sorts of diy's projects, including carriers, clothing, quilts, blankets, sheets, curtains, mobiles, diaper bags, and changing pad covers.  If you are 'crafty,' even just a little bit, you should be able to make some of these items CUSTOM to you and your little one for CHEAP!  Even if you only make one thing, you've saved money!

31 Days of Baby Saving Tips: Day 25 - Wait to go Shopping until AFTER your showers

After you've built that killer registry, and had an awesome shower(s), then it's time to use those gift cards and cash you received as shower gifts to make the purchases that you still need, but that no one got you.  I held onto those things in an envelope in my purse, and waited until I was 36 weeks pregnant to go shopping.  Some might say that is crazy, but I recommend it for 2 reasons, 1 - you make sure all your showers are over, so you won't end up with duplicates of things you don't need 2 of, and 2 - you have something to do while those last 4 weeks (or more) creep by.  I don't know about everyone else, but by that point I was just ready to be done with pregnancy and hold my new little one in my arms instead of my stomach.  Making returns, shopping for needed items, and finding surprising cute items on sale gave me something to look forward to, and kept my mind off the wait-game.  You save money by not receiving something you've prematurely bought, and you stay sane while you wait for your bundle of joy to (finally) make his/her appearance!