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How To Save Money When Finding Out Your Pregnant - How To Spend Less Money On Baby Items
Updated: Jan 25, 2022
Finding out your pregnant, whether this baby was unexpected, unplanned, or you have been trying for months.. When It finally sets in, the thought can be stressful!
I mean no matter how much money you make, you can always use more it seems like when you have that baby.
Not Including all the diapers, wipes, and formula they go through each week, you are always needing something else or
more of something.
Babies can be super expensive, and these big companies know you have to buy certain items, so they make it even harder.
I mean coming from experience, we would spend minimum $300 on formula a month, and that was with some cans given to us each month. And that’s just formula we are
talking about.
This is why this article is here, to take some of that financial burden off, so you can relax and enjoy this pregnancy and your baby.
State Programs
Let me say this loud and proud. There is no shame in getting help. It is not about your pride anymore, it is about your health and your baby’s health. Always remember that.
Your state has many programs to help you when you have children. All you have to do is go to your local states benefits website and you can find all kinds of information.
Every state is different, but you should have: Pregnancy Medicaid, WIC, and SNAP.
Now these programs all have different income requirements and you have to drop below the scale. And don’t always take the websites word for the income requirements. Many states don’t up their stats every year when there is a minimum wage increase.
So find out the real number by calling.
Pregnancy medicaid is wonderful, and a real important step if you meet the income. You will save so much money by not having to pay out of pocket for your OB appointments, because most insurance wont cover a lot. Every appointment, ultrasound, test, or shots they want to do will be free. Including your hospital stay when you deliver, and we all know that can be thousands and thousands of dollars.
Also another bonus, if you are on medicaid, they will almost immediately apply your baby to be on medicaid after they are born, which saves so much more money. Because believe me, babies get sick no matter how
protective we are.
WIC is another really important wonderful state benefit to have if you meet the requirements.
WIC is there to give nutritional foods to the mother while the baby is in the tummy, up to 6 months old. After 6 months old, they will provide only nutrition for your baby. This will last until your child is five years old!
They will supply formula, baby food, and oatmeal until the baby turns a year old then they will come back to about the same food you were able to get during pregnancy.
SNAP is another good option to look into. I believe the SNAP income is a little bit lower than the rest of the benefits but it is great if you meet the requirements.
Do you remember hearing food stamps
growing up? Well that’s exactly what SNAP
is now.
You get a card to keep just like WIC to use each month, only SNAP is in amount form. It’s usually around $400 a month give or take. So this can help save you and your family
tons of money!
Breast Pumps
During pregnancy, it is a big decision to make if you are going to want to try and commit to breastfeeding or if you want to go
straight to formula.
No matter what option you pick, that is the best option for you and the baby. Don’t let anyone tell you different.
If you would like tips, insights, and items you will need for breastfeeding go to this article here.
One of the biggest challenges is finding a breast pump you will like, so do as much research as you see fit.
However, if you cant afford a breast pump from one of the big box stores there are programs that will help!
One of these programs are your local heath department. If you are going back to school or work after you have your baby, your county will supply you with a free breast pump!
If you are not going back to school or work there is a program called Areo Flow Breast Pumps.
This company is super easy to work with!
All you have to do is fill out the form, plug in your insurance, look for an email when approved, pick out what pump you would like, and they will send that pump to you directly
in the mail!
We used this company when I was pregnant with my son, and the process is super
hassle free!
Department Stores
What is a department store?
It is basically a store that sells second hand items but all items are like brand new.
These stores are so essential when you are looking to save money!
The best department stores for babies are Goodwill, Once Upon A Child, and TJMaxx.
A good rule of thumb is if you have to buy expensive or big items, always look at these places before hand, before ordering a brand new expensive item.
My favorites are Once Upon A Child and TJMaxx, because they make a point to
stock baby items.
TJMaxx is good for:
Girl Clothes
Books
Socks
Bibs
Bottles
Play Mats
Toddler Coats
Boy Toddler Clothes
Toddler Toys
Teething Toys
Newborn to 0-3 Clothes
Once Upon A Child is good for:
Strollers
Bassinets
Jumpers
Walkers
Books
Toys
So Many Clothes!
Coats
Sit Me Up Seats
Highchairs
Teething Toys
Toddler Beds
These stores are essential when buying any baby items anywhere you can look to save money, be sure to do it!
Another good option is to look at your Facebook marketplace for specific items
you may need! You can find great deals!
Dollar Stores
When buying items for your nursery, especially storage, make sure to scout out your local dollar stores before moving on to your big box stores, like Walmart.
One example of this is if you need bins to store things like diapers, wipes, small toys, medicine, baby shoes, or even swaddles make sure to look at these stores first.
We saved a lot of money buying storage items from these stores.
Another tip is to buy baby hangers and washcloths from these stores! They have packs of hangers and washcloths for $1, rather than Walmart selling these items for $3 sometimes. And they are the same quality, I promise!
Friends
One item on this checklist is to not be afraid to reach out to friends that have recently had a baby!
If your friends will give you or sell you baby items at a discounted price,
be sure to use that!
Because to be completely honest, I’m sure they are dying to get rid of some of these items!
There is no shame in it at all on either ends.
We got tons of baby items given and sold to us like: swings, newborn clothes, baby seats,
and toys.
Newborn and 0-3 clothing are a big thing to try and save money on. Because honestly, your baby will not stay in these clothes for long at all, or they might even come out to big for size newborns!
I do not regret not spending a lot of money on this size clothing, just because he wasn’t in these sizes for long at all, these months practically flew by!
Baby Shower
A big part of saving money when having a baby is having a baby shower.
One thing I remember when I was pregnant was feeling bad for having a baby shower.
I felt like "Why do these people have to feel responsible to buy me stuff when I was the one
that gotten pregnant?"
Please do not feel this way, the people around you want to give you a baby shower, and they want to spoil that baby!
If it wasn’t for our baby shower, we most likely would not have had the money to buy everything our son needed for the months to come.
Use this fun advantage of getting pregnant, and let the people around you spoil you!
Give them a few ideas and let them have fun planning all of it, if that is what they want to do!
One fun thing I did for my baby shower, and I would do it again is: Instead of having everyone bring cards for the presents, let them bring secondhand or small books and have them write a note in it
for the baby!
When your babe gets older, they will look at these thoughtful notes and remember them each time they read a story with you!
It is such a thoughtful and great idea for the baby and you!
Diaper & Formula Clubs
One thing that I do not regret doing, and I will continue doing for the future is signing up for diaper and formula clubs.
I never heard of it until I got pregnant either, so don’t worry.
What you do is you can download the Enfamil Family Beginnings App and Pampers Club App and you will be directed to make an account.
What these apps do will save you money
down the road!
Enfamil Family Beginnings:
This app will actually send you FREE formula cans and items in the mail! This is great because you never know your baby will react to one specific formula, you might need several options to have on hand just in case.
This app will also give you 10 points per $1 spent on formula, you just upload your receipt.
After you earn so much, you can receive coupons and FREE formula!
Pampers Club:
Pampers is a great app to use to earn money each time you buy diapers and wipes!
Yes you heard it correct. Every time you buy diapers or wipes, you will scan or enter the code on the package, after money will be added to your account!
After you earn so much, you can select from coupons, free diapers, or so many options of gift cards!
Free Baby Gift Box
One fun thing to do is to create a baby registry with Walmart, Target, and Babylist.
These places offer a special present once you create a registry or buy 1 item off your registry, and they will send you a FREE baby gift box!
These boxes have things like sample diapers, wipes, lotions, shampoos, breast pads, coupons, onesies, bottles, pacifier, etc.
This is a really fun thing to do when you are just starting out in your pregnancy and don’t want to buy to much till you figure out the gender of your baby! You can save money and get to receive FREE baby and mom items!