Welcoming a new little bundle into the world soon? While the period before your child is born is always exciting, it can also be stressful. Between buying things for the nursery, diapers, and figuring out childcare, costs can really add up!
Thankfully, there are some simple ways to save money that will help a lot down the road. The first place to start is with product protection. When you subscribe to Mulberry Unlimited, you can get coverage for all your baby products under the same product protection plan. This means you won't have to worry about being left on the hook for expensive repair or replacement costs, and instead can focus on your newborn!
What are some money-saving hacks for new parents?
Let's take a look at some great ways you can save money as a new parent!
Start budgeting for a baby early
Everyone says it: Babies cost a lot of money. But new parents may not actually know just how much a baby can impact a budget. First and foremost, it's good to create a budget based on your current monthly net income, and subtract it from your monthly expenses. Remember to include groceries, gas, eating out, subscriptions like streaming services, and bills like credit card debt, mortgage/rent, utilities, etc. From here, you know whether you’re in a deficit or a surplus.
Now we can look at how a baby might impact this number. When budgeting for a baby, it’s important to look at all potential estimated costs, like diapers, wipes, formula, clothes, foods/purees, toys, soaps & lotions, and more. You may receive quite a few of these at your baby shower, but it’s important to remember that babies outgrow things quickly (especially clothing), so factoring in these costs for as they get older will help you understand how the cost of a child will impact you financially.
A money organizer can be a great way to keep you on budget. Take out all the cash you have for your groceries, gas, eating out, baby items, etc., and keep the cash in a money organizer separated into these specific categories. You can create your own money organizer out of ziplock bags with labels as long as you have one larger bag or central location for it all.
Ask for hand me downs
Like we mentioned, babies outgrow clothes so fast! An economic way to clothe your baby is to get hand me downs from friends and family members. Most kiddos only wear an item once or twice before they outgrow them. Capitalize on these nearly new clothes, because there’s no need to pay full price for a piece of clothing you’ll really only get a few wears out of.
Don’t have anyone close that can give you hand me downs? Check secondhand children’s stores, online marketplaces, or local garage sales for some great pieces at a great price.
Get a changing table with a dresser
You’re going to need a big dresser to store all those hand me downs, so why not have it be multi-purpose? A changing table with a dresser is a great use of space that you can use to store everything from clothes to diapers to diaper pail refill bags.
A changing table with a dresser can be extremely helpful in those early days. Keeping onesies, pajamas, and burp clothes within reach during a potential blowout or spit up moment is crucial, especially when you and your baby are home alone. A changing table with a dresser can be those spare hands you need to quickly change your baby in a crucial moment. And since it’s both a changing table and a dresser, you can use the piece well beyond your child’s diaper-wearing days, saving you from having to buy another piece of furniture down the line.
Mix vegetable puree into nearly everything
When your baby is ready to start eating solids, they likely won’t enjoy some foods as much as others. Vegetable purees can be especially challenging for some new parents, but we all know how crucial vegetables are. Mixing vegetable purees into your child’s favorites like apple puree or baby rice cereal gives them the added nutritional value, puts more bulk to their meal, and keeps the cost down for you as a parent.
Don’t listen to all the advice for new parents
Well, it's important to at least listen to all the advice for new parents you can, but it’s important to remember you don’t have to use it. Some of the advice you’ll hear just won’t work for your family, and that’s okay. That’s why there’s so much advice out there: Every baby is different.
This applies to anything from sleep training to buying high-tech gadgets for your new baby. You may not need a certain item just because it’s your friend's favorite for new parents. If it doesn’t make sense financially, there’s no need to have it.
Protect your purchases with Mulberry
Babies are such an exciting addition to a family, but they can have come with some financial strain. As long as you budget and keep in mind some of our other money-saving hacks, you will be able to stay ahead of any financial setbacks you might face.
Subscribe to Mulberry Unlimited to get the most out of your purchases for your new baby, and to save money at the same time. You'll have coverage for all your products under the same protection plan, ensuring you never have to pay extra for repairs or replacements.
