Several Money-Saving Tips

by Michael K.
(Illinois)

I have a lot of little ideas from my years as a father.

It's a really smart idea to breastfeed your baby. The equipment such as the pump will cost a lot less overall than all the formula you would otherwise buy. Natural breast milk is better for the baby anyway. If you want, you can still have a little formula on hand for emergencies.

After your baby moves on from breast milk, you still don't need to buy baby food from the grocery store. Just put some fruit or veggies in a mixer with milk or water and make a fruit smoothie! You may need to try several different fruits before you find one the baby likes, but you can eat the undesired fruit yourself!

Even then, your baby's tastes may change, so after a few months you can try giving him or her those fruits or veggies again. The first time my daughter tried ground-up green beans she was absolutely disgusted by them, but a year later she was having two servings a day.

Also, you could look into using cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers. Your baby may not like them, and they're very messy to clean, so they aren't for everyone, but disposable diapers can easily cost $50/month.

When choosing books to read to your child, consider your local public library. Most libraries have a children's section you can borrow from, so you'll have access to a possibly large selection of books to read. However, if your child is a toddler, be sure to keep the books somewhere safe to prevent him or her from tearing the pages out.

Keep your eyes out for things you don't need that can be converted into toys. You could fill a sock with rice and sew it shut to make a beanbag, or put beads inside a soda can and wrap it with painter's tape to make a rattle. If that fails, there's always the ever-popular cardboard box.

You can also save a lot of money when buying clothes for your little one. You can shop at thrift stores like Goodwill without compromising on quality; just pick out the less-worn items. Even regular retail stores like Target will have clearance sales on off-season articles of clothing. You can pick up summer wear in the fall for half price or less, but be sure to plan ahead for the size he or she will be next year!