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Our Favourite Tips On Saving a Bit of Money Before and After Baby Arrives
All parents know children are expensive, but if you start planning early there are plenty of ways to get all you need for your new baby and still have money left over
Planning to have a baby involves researching all sorts of things - how to get pregnant, how to keep healthy while pregnant, birth options and what to expect when the baby comes home for the first time. There can be a lot of pressure to buy all sorts of baby equipment, especially when you are a first-time parent, some of which is not always necessary!
We asked the team at KidStart for their advice on saving a few pounds both before and after your baby is born. KidStart specialise in looking for ways to help parents save for their baby's future, or simply offering some home grown advice on what you really need. Here are a few simple tips to help you save in those early days.
Before baby is born
Reach out to friends and family
Knowing other families with children can be helpful in many ways - in addition to advice, they can offer lots of secondhand baby equipment. You can always give it back to them if they need it again. And it can be weight off the giver's mind when they can rid their house of mountains of pregnancy and baby related stuff. Many people are happy to share.
Explore your local charity shop
Babies grow fast and new clothes and toys are often barely used before they grow out of them. Charity shops often sell barely used newborn baby equipment. very cheaply, and larger shops may even stock bigger items such as prams, cots and high chairs. It could be worth going out of your way to find a good charity shop outside of your area if your local shop doesn't have enough to choose from or if the quality is lower than you would like.
Buy online
Check out auction and give-away sites such as Ebay, Gumtree and Freecycle to see whether they have any offers on equipment that you are looking to buy. You can buy big bundles of clothing for as little as £4 - the selection may be a bit hit and miss but your child will always need play clothes for getting mucky in.
Buy in bulk
Newborns will get through 75 nappies and, if you're bottle feeding, several boxes of formula a month, so buy online mega packs (from Amazon etc.) and don't forget to shop around. This will save you money and it will also save you from having to run to the shops for nappies every two days. The number of outfits a baby can get through in a day will amaze you, so buying multipacks of the basics like bodysuits and leggings could also help save on costs.
Find cashback opportunities online
When you're buying new stuff, sign up to KidStart to earn money back. When you buy things for your baby online and you go through KidStart, the site will offer you a percentage of the money you spend with the retailers back, which will go into a savings account dedicated to your child. Turn the essential costs into a nest-egg for your child's future even before they are born.
After baby is born
Food
Cooking is something you and your partner might not have the time or the inclination to do in those first weeks after your baby arrives, so in your second trimester when you have a bit more energy, get cooking and stock your freezer with easy meals such as pies and casseroles that you can pop in the oven with no effort - it will save the cost of expensive delivery food. Also if anyone asks you "Is there anything you need?" say "Yes please, a home-cooked meal!" - it's the best gift!
Babysitters
As any seasoned parent will tell you, one of the biggest expenses when you have a date night as a parent can often be childcare! When you feel more confident and baby is settled in a routine, rope your friends and family into babysitting - the earlier you trust them and set the precedent the easier it will be to ask again in the future and save on the cost of childcare when all you want to do is go to the cinema... failing that your local childcare provider will sort you out!
Baby classes
While doing different classes with baby can be fun, it can also become very pricey. Have a look to see whether your local library offer any free classes like story time and mum and baby yoga, and have a look online for local NCT classes near you.
You understood our vision so perfectly and did such an incredible job; we just can't thank you enough. Without exception, the parents were just blown away by how easily you engaged the children from the minute you arrived and continued to do so throughout the day. The team were so lovely that the children just gravitated towards them instantly!
The measure of this was that Lottie (my bridesmaid and best friend's daughter who normally refuses to leave her Mum's hip if she's anywhere within a 2 mile radius!) actually went off with you! Please don't underestimate what an incredible achievement that was! I know you're all professionals and are therefore really good at knowing how to win the little ones over but Lottie is a particularly difficult customer.
I just want to thank you all so much.