Frugal Baby Care Tips
For A Happy Family Life

Frugal baby care, as an ideal, would make some advertisers of this world shiver with freight. After all they spend all their time trying to convince expectant mothers that to provide the best care for their babies they must buy the most expensive items as they are the best.

Not true at all, remember they are trying to make money, they are not worrying about your finances.

Unfortunately we now live in a world where convenience is king. It has to be quicker, easier and effortless. But to achieve this so called convenience will cost you lots and lots of money.

Previous generations provided frugal baby care without even knowing it; they just got on with the job in hand. They would use reusable diapers, cook their own baby food and often make most of their baby clothes too.

Even if we went back to doing it their way it still wouldn't take us as long or be as hard with all our modern day equipment. So why not save yourself a small fortune and do things the frugal way.

Don't worry and don't let the advertisers make you feel bad, you will not be a bad mother if you don't buy all the latest baby items, in fact you will more than likely be providing your baby with better care as you will have spent more time actually thinking about your babies needs.

Many generations have grown up with frugal baby care and we all turned out just fine.

There are lots of ways you can save money and be frugal whilst still providing your baby with the best care possible.

The frugal baby way

Bringing baby home

In the UK all new mothers are supplied with a baby pack to take home with them when they leave hospital. However in the US you will have to pay for this kit, which could cost over a $100.

To save money request that you do not receive this kit and make your own up before you go into hospital. The kit contains newborn diapers, wipes, child thermometer, baby shampoo and some other cleaning supplies.

They may also contain some items for the mother like sanitary pads, nipple pads and disposable panties. You will have to buy all these items anyway so you might as well buy in bulk and save lots of money in the long run.

Diapers and Nappies

Diapers can be one of the most expensive items on your shopping list and when you consider that it is estimated that a baby will get through about 3,800 diapers until it is toilet trained at around 2.5 years old, that is a lot of cash.

Compare that to between 25 and 30 reusable diapers for the same period, plus the ability to use them for future babies and these become the frugal baby care option with all the savings they offer.

There are also many other benefits besides saving money of using reusable diapers:

• In the UK alone around 3 billion disposable nappies are thrown away every year, filling up our already overstretched landfill sites.
• Reusable cloth diapers are naturally absorbent and so do not rely on chemical gels to absorb liquid.
• They keep the skin cooler and allow the skin to breath, reducing rashes.
• They hinder the baby's mobility less and help to correctly support the baby's hips.
• In studies babies using reusable diapers are potty trained at least 6 moths to a year earlier.
• They are easy to wash and can either be boiled and hand washed or washed in a machine at 60c.
• Biodegradable liners can be used to catch solid and are easily flushed down the toilet.

The choice of reusable diapers has greatly increased over the years, so you are not restricted to just the plain cloth ones. The choice is now:

Flat clothes ones - these are like the old terry clothes used by our mothers. They have to be folded and pinned but are probably the cheapest option, especially if you wash them yourself.

If you do not feel like washing the diapers yourself there are laundry services which supply a pre-folded nappy similar to the flat cloth diaper, which is inserted inside a wrap. Of course the laundry service will cost more but if you shop around it is possible to find ones that are quite reasonable.

 

Shaped - These are reusable diapers that come in different sizes and are easy to use. A waterproof cover is fitted over the top of them to add extra protection.

Birth to potty Diapers - these are similar to shaped diapers but can be adjusted to size with Velcro's and or poppers, so there is no need to purchase different sizes and therefore can be used for the whole diaper period.

Frugal Baby food

Breast feeding - this must be the ultimate frugal baby food and cheapest option. If you can breast feed your baby (or you could express your milk), you will be providing your child with a great start in life and protecting it from developing allergies in the future, whilst saving money on all that baby formula we are told is so good for our children.

If you need any advice about breast-feeding contact your local doctor or check out the La Leche League ( http://www.lallecheleague ) online.

Home Cooked baby food - take a look at the ingredients on any jar of baby food and you will find nothing more exotic than the usual vegetables and meats that you prepare for your family every day.

Save your money and make up simple batches of food like cooked potatoes and peas or bananas and custard, blend into a puree and then freeze them in small individual portions. Then all you have to do is thaw them and warm slightly and there you will have a perfectly healthy frugal baby meal. See http://wholesomebabyfood.com for some great baby food recipes.

Pre-made food - If you want to buy your baby food then make sure you buy the largest jar available and use if for several meals. When you buy the individual jars, you are mainly paying for the packaging. Remember not to feed directly from the large jar as you may contaminate the food for later use.

Frugal baby Clothing

We all know babies grow fast and this can mean lots of clothes being discarded after a very short period of time. This also means that most of the clothes hardly get worn and so are practically brand new.

My sister has a wardrobe full of babies clothes all that look as if they have never been worn. A great tip for new mothers who want to dress up their new bouncing baby is not to go and pay through the nose for new clothes but to check out:

• Local charity or pawnshops
• Join a local mothers and babies group where baby clothes can be swapped.
• Garage sales are also great for baby clothes, so ok they may not be hanging on rails covered in plastic but you will still find gorgeous clothes at a fraction of the cost.
• Ebay (see our baby mall) is another place that many people are now selling their nearly new baby clothes, this has the advantage of being able to shop from the comfort of your own home and still being able to buy frugal baby wear.

Keep in mind that baby will grow quickly so when rummaging around, buy sizes that are too big for them now but will fit perfectly in a few months time.

That way you will not be caught out and have to buy something quickly to fit. Being prepared and forward planning will be something that you will learn to become very good at as you become more frugal everyday.

Accessories and Safety

When buying second hand equipment like cribs, high chairs and strollers always check to see if they meet the current safety legislation. The last thing you want to do is to put your child in any sort of danger. Thoroughly test the equipment your self and don't be afraid to pull it about a bit, any good parents will understand your need for safety.

Car seats should never be bought second hand, the risks are far to great. However there is usually a frugal baby alternative to buying a new one yourself. Check with your car insurance company to see if they can provide you with one free along with your policy. Some hospitals give free car seats to new mothers.

If you do have an old car seat take it along to a specialist garage that can check the safety of the car seat.

Changing Tables can be an expensive item that really is not needed. There are far more frugal baby changing options that will fit the purpose. Changing pads are a great alternative and are not only less expensive but are far more portable and versatile.

The basic ones can be used on the floor without the fear of the baby rolling off. Slightly more expensive changing mats come with straps to secure them to the tops of dressers and tables and have higher sides for safety. Of course the most frugal option is to use a towel on the floor or a plastic table cloth, both will do the job adequately and have the added bonus of being able to be folded and carried in a shoulder back when out visiting friends.

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