Mommyhood on a dime

When my husband and I were considering expanding our family, the cost of raising a baby was something that we talked about. This past June the Huffington Post reported that cost of raising a child climbs to $235,000 for middle-income families which is a 3.5  percent increase from 2010! Yay, for me right?

The article goes on to say, "families that earn more can expect to spend more on their children." Okay, I can agree with that because I am totally there when it comes to my daughter; however, in the interest of not draining our bank account I have tried to save money on some of the items that Avery regularly uses.

Gerber Formula: I order gerber coupons off ebay. Yep, you heard right ebay. I use the manufacturer Q's and try and stack them with store or competitor coupons when there is a sale. Example: Publix price on a tub of formula is $23.99. I can use my $3/1 mfr Q with a publix store $5/1 and save $8 on that one formula purchase! CVS is also a good place to shop for formula because they do gerber sales and you can use an unlimited amount of ECBs in a transaction if you have them!

All Free and Clear Detergent: I use this type of detergent for the whole family. I was not about to start buying baby Dreft for $10 or more just for my daughter's clothes. So I did a little research and All Free and Clear was a great option. I can usually get it pretty cheap at CVS when it is on sale for $3.99. Every month and a half or so there is a $1/1 Q so I can end of getting the detergent for $2.99 OOP. Of course, if I have ECBs I will use them.

Make Your Own Baby Food: Now, I haven't tried this yet, but I do know people who have. You can blanch veggies and freeze them and use them when you need. Tip: Freeze them in a ice cube tray.  You can also use a food processor to puree your baby's nom-noms. Eventually, you might be comfortable just letting your baby eat what you eat when they are a little older and have some teeth.

Hand Me Downs: I grew up on hand-me-downs and I turned out okay. If you are lucky enough to know mom's who are willing to pass along new/gently used clothes you are made in the shade. Kids grow so fast that sometimes they only wear an outfit a couple times. One of the problems I encountered with my daughter's wardrobe is that she had super cute outfits, but this is Florida and more often than not it is hot. I was not about of get her all "dolled" up to hang out at the house so she wore a lot of onesies. She still does.

Anyway, those are a few of the tips I wanted to share. I hope that it helps save a little for you moms and dads out there. Saving is fun and parenting is lifelong. There are so many ways to do both!