Babies require a lot of supplies. According to The Labor of Love, the average family may spend $9,000 to $11,000 during the baby’s first year. You will need many different baby supplies including diapers, wipes, baby food, bath products, bibs, burp cloths and more. WebMD estimates the cost of diapers to be $40 per box of 250 and wipes to be $10 for a box of 400, and you will need box after box for a few years. Fortunately, thrifty parents can save a lot of money with a few small measures.
Price compare
You will have many choices on where to buy your baby supplies. Of course, baby supply stores like BabiesRUs have a wide selection, however you may be able to get better deals at discount sources. Amazon offers a free service called Amazon Mom, which saves you even more on popular baby items such as diapers and wipes. The Internet allows you to easily search for the best prices. Discount stores such as Target and Costco also offer great deals.
Look for lower cost supplies
On many of the common baby supplies, you will find a number of choices including both name brand and store brand products. Oftentimes the difference in quality is negligible, and in some cases the store brand is exactly the same or even better than the name brand. Try Kirkland (Costco) wipes instead of Pampers, as well as the different quality items to see what would work for you.
Evaluate what you need
The baby supply companies will make you feel like you need every single baby supply out there, but other strategies may work. Instead of buying the diaper pail that requires specific filler bags, buy one that just uses regular garbage bags. You may be able to use inexpensive towels instead of burp cloths. Cloth diapers can save you a great deal over disposable ones.
Buy in bulk
In general you will pay less per item if you buy in larger packages. For instance, instead of buying small individual packages of wipes, buy one container and then refill packets in a large container. Buy the jumbo sizes of diapers instead of the smaller boxes.
Look for sales, coupons and specials
Stores run sales and offer coupons on baby supply items all the time. Look in the weekend ads to find out what deals are available. Clip coupons and use them. If you find a sale, then stock up on the item.
Maximize your savings by utilizing a variety of the measures above. For instance, you can save the most by going to a discount store such as Costco and buying their name brand wipes in the largest container. Remember that the prices on baby items change frequently so you should continuously evaluate your options to save the most money.