31 Days of Baby Saving Tips: Day 10 - Buy Toys Used

 Howard only has a handful of new toys, all bought by the grandparents.  Every toy we've bought him has been used.  In great shape, and easily sterilized, but used.  Kids don't need a lot of toys, and they definitely don't need them to be new.  Howard's favorite toy right now is the stacking rings pictured above.  They cost me 75 cents and a little time to soak them in bleach water, and he LOVES them!  I can't wait until he can play with the $2 blocks, $1 puzzle, and 50 cent little people pictured below.  So, save yourself a LOT of money, and buy your kids used (in good condition and easily cleaned) toys!

Weekly Spending Report: 10/05-11-2014

This week we did some major stocking up at Giant and ALDI.  Lots of good deals, and healthy items!  Here's what we ended up with...

• Tuesday's CVS Trip: $11.71 oop, Earned $6 ECB's

• Tuesday's Giant Trip: $36.47 oop

• Tuesday's ALDI Trip: $24.05 oop

• Tuesday's Staples Trip (just 1 ream paper): $2.97 oop, Earned $2.80 Easy Rebate

Total OOP: $75.20
Total Earned: $8.80
Total Remaining for October: $159.48

Weekly Spending Report: 09/28-10/04/2014

This week we didn't need a whole lot, so I just picked up the couple things we did, and spent my money on some deals at CVS and ALDI.  Here's what we ended up with...

• Monday's Giant Trip (just 2 boxes of Tea Bags): $2.50 oop
• Wednesday's Giant Trip (just Chips and marked down bread): $3.49 oop
• Wednesday's CVS Trip: $32.91 oop, Earned $5 ECB's

• Wednesday's ALDI Trip: $26.42 oop

• Earned 2 - $5 Amazon Gift Cards from Swagbucks

Total OOP: $65.32

Total Earned: $15

Total Remaining for October: $234.68

31 Days of Baby Saving Tips: Day 9 - Stock-pile Baby Food

Do NOT go clear shelves of baby food, and stock years worth in bins in your basement!  Just buy what you think you'll need (on sale and with coupons), or a little more or less.  If you end up with a few extras of something your baby hates, you can always donate it to someone who needs it.  If your baby loves something you only have 3 jars of.  You can always buy more, you've still saved money by buying what you did ahead of time on sale and with a coupon.  I plan to make most of Howard's baby food, but I wanted the convenience of ready-made organic baby food for when we were out running errands or going out for dinner.  So, after he was born, I knew he'd be six month in October, which is when most breast-fed babies begin baby food.  So I started shopping for free or cheap baby food utilizing sales and coupons, and being careful to check expiration dates, so I knew the food would get eaten and not wasted.  I probably have a dozen or so pouches/jars of various types of organic baby food that I paid no more than $0.50 for, most were free or a quarter.  I continue to shop sales and use coupons to acquire more baby food, since we run errands once a week, I know I'll use at least one pouch/jar a week.  This has saved me a boat-load of money, since most pouches are about $2.30 ea, and I've only paid about a quarter a piece -- that's a 89% savings!
So, follow the sales, and use coupons to buy-ahead on your baby's food, and save money!

31 Days of Baby Saving Tips: Day 8 - Re-use Containers for Baby Cereal On-the-go

When we started feeding Howard cereal, I hadn't bought the nice baby bowls with the lids yet.  We had been at home, so it didn't matter, I just mixed his cereal up in a regular bowl, and fed him with a baby spoon (which I had bought).  So, the first day we went out to run errands during his lunch time, I knew I'd have to feed him cereal in a restaurant.  Enter the butter dish.  I save butter dishes mostly to send leftovers home when we have company for dinner, that way I don't have to worry about them being returned.  But, as I surveyed my cupboards for a cereal carrying vessel, they seemed perfect.  They would...

1. Easily hold 3 tablespoons of cereal.
2. Allow me to mix the cereal and feed Howard all with 1 container.
3. I could pitch/recycle it at the restaurant and not have to bring it home to be washed (unless I wanted to).  And thus not have to worry about it leaking all over the diaper bag.  

And best of all, it was FREE!

31 Days of Baby Saving Tips: Day 7 - Save Your Baby Items for the Next One

If you plan to have more than one child, or even if you think you might, SAVE your baby items.  Now, obviously you don't need to save everything, but definitely save the items you used, and the outfits you find adorable!  My guideline is, if I used it, or I loved it, I keep it.  If I used it because I had to, but I hated it, I donated it.  Easy as that!  By re-using your baby items (not just clothing, but swings, car seats, carriers, bumbos, you name it), you are getting twice the mileage out of each item you purchased or even better, were given.  Think about how much the items you used for your first baby cost, that's about how much you would have to spend on each child you had if you bought all new things.  That's a HUGE savings, and all you have to do is store them in a corner of your attic/basement/guest room closet.  Totally worth it in my opinion, and that's saying something, since I'm a Type-A, OCD, Clutter-phobe ;-)
So, save your baby stuff and reuse it to save some MAJOR moo-lah!

31 Days of Baby Saving Tips: Day 6 - Buy Ahead on Clothes

Shop at the thrift stores, consignment stores, yard sales, and clearance racks around you.  Buy at least two sizes ahead, and store them until you need them.  Babies will always need onsies, pants, and sleepers, no matter what the season.  We would sometimes put Howard in a long sleeve onsie during the day and a fuzzy sleeper at night, in AUGUST because the air conditioning made it too cold for him to be in anything less.  Also, it's pretty easy to gauge two sizes ahead if you want to buy things like swim trunks and shorts.  I try to have a couple of each item listed below, and then we are ready regardless of the season.  My goal price is $0.50- $1 per item, with sometimes spending a little more on things like winter coats and heavy sweat shirts. 
Items to consider:

• Short Sleeve Onsies/Pull-over Shirts
• Long Sleeve Onsies/Pull-over Shirts
• Jeans/Khakis/Sweat Pants (we use sweats at home, and a pair of jeans for going out)
• Shorts
• Cotton Sleepers
• Fuzzy Sleepers
• Sweat Shirts/Sweaters
• Rain Jacket/Heavy Coat
• Dresses/Jumpers (for the ladies)
• Overalls (optional, but super cute!)
• Swim Trunks (also optional)
• Socks
• Bibs

I've been able to buy all of these things used at my goal prices, mostly from yard sales, Good Will, and the Community Aid thrift store.  Some things with the tags still on them!  I did have to purchase some new bibs, but that's because I couldn't find enough nice ones used.  Howard is in 6 months clothes, and he is set on clothing up through 18 months for the most part.
 So buy ahead, and save money!

31 Days of Baby Saving Tips: Day 5 - Accept ALL Hand-me-downs

You should accept all the hand-me-downs you can get, they're FREE!  Even if you end up with things that you don't need, you can always pick out what you do, and pass on the other unneeded items to someone you know who could use them, or to Good Will.  When I found out I was pregnant, and started telling people, a LOT of people wanted to give me boxes and bags of stuff to 'clean out' their attic/garage/etc.  It was a win-win situation, I got to go through FREE stuff and pick out cute things for my baby, and they got rid of stuff that was cluttering up their attic and garage.

31 Days of Baby Saving Tips: Day 4 - Stock-up on Wipes

Joe and I decided that for convenience we were going to cloth diaper at home, but use disposables while we were out and about.  Since we were using disposable diapers out, I knew I'd need wipes too.  We've already discussed stock-piling diapers, but don't forget about the wipes too!  I've been able to get name brand Pampers and Huggies wipes for $0.99 a tub/pkg (or less) at Giant.  When they go on sale, I buy as many as I have coupons for, and bring them home and stack them up until we need them.  Don't worry about them going dry, you will go through them a LOT faster than you think you will.  Most poopy diapers are not a 1 wipe job, some take 2 or 3, and blow-outs take even more.  Plus wipes are handy to clean hands and faces, especially when you start baby food.  So, do yourself a favor, and stock-pile wipes when they are on sale, and you have coupons.  Not only will you get the best price, but you'll have them on hand when you need them!

31 Days of Baby Saving Tips: Day 3 - Use Baby Wash Rags as Cloth Wipes

We were given two baby showers before Howard was born, and both yielded a large quantity of baby wash cloths.  Now, I will say that since we have started rice cereal we use a lot more than we had for the past 5 1/2 months, but still no where near the amount that we have.  We have also been cloth diapering, so it made sense to use cloth wipes as well.  I could wash them with the diapers, since they take up almost no room at all in the machine.  I had saved my Peri bottle from the hospital, and filled it with water and a little baby soap, gave it a shake.  I store it next to our diapers and changing pad, along with a basket full of baby wash rags.  When it comes time to change a diaper, I just wet a wash rag with the soap/water mixture, and I'm ready to go.  You can also use receiving blankets cut into squares, or purchase some really cute ones online, but I highly suggest you give it a try.  Not only is this saving me money, but I have noticed a decrease in diaper rash as well.