Raising Baby on a Tight Budget

Babies are a wonderful gift from above. Lock your eyes with them and they will immediately transport your soul to sweet innocence and serenity of one’s life.

Many people say that babies are expensive and unfortunately some of them dread about this fact and become overly cautious before having any. Well, on the one hand, yes, it is important to plan things out well ahead of the time to make sure, the couple has set things in order before the little one comes along. However, on the other hand, one can always change the common misconception of ‘are expensive’ to ‘can be expensive’.

You see, babies can be expensive rather than the ‘are expensive’; so, the point here is that when it can be expensive, then it can also be made less expensive.

Human ancestors for generations have raised children without all the benefits that are now taken for granted. So, it is evident how there is a high probability of raising our babies, grow healthy and strong without crashing our account necessarily?

Let’s look into some of the aspects of the basic amenities one would need for their newborn. And also, how much they can be estimated for roughly about a year:

  • Diapers: this can like take up a lot of costs; let’s say roughly about $1,000 – $2,000.
  • Formula and baby food: for an annual expense of additional formula and baby food, it can go about $1,500. And, mind you that this estimate is only in one year.
  • Nursery set: well, this may be around, say, $2000.
  • Car seats: one will be fishing out $170-$185 for this.
  • Health insurance, clothing accessories and childcare: will cost one roughly about $17,000. Phew!
  • Okay, also let’s not forget about the Delivery itself: this comes about $3,000 (which may depend on the hospital and after insurance).

Right, that is kind of expensive. And this is only going to cost you for about a year. But fret not dear new-to-be parents, you are not alone. With a few tricks up the sleeve, one can always manage any situation or process. And this article here presents a few cheap tips of raising a child on a tight budget, which anyone can apply and master.

How to Have a Baby on a Tight Budget

Let’s start with:

Diapers:

Yes! What could one have done without them? Okay, before going any further, it is highly recommended for a tight budget parenting parents to PLAN EARLY!

Once it’s safe to say that a couple is expecting then it is best advised to start buying every time you go to the mart to shop. Make use of all the sales, coupons, and promos to get it cheaper. Little by little, one can fill up their stock of diapers by the time the baby arrives. This way, one won’t need to worry about how to budget diapers, which often consumes most of the cost, every other week for a long while.

Another way to stock on diapers is to tell your friends and family, if they ask you, to gift you in your baby shower with diapers and other necessities like pacifiers, toys for teething stages, blankets and kerchiefs. Don’t hesitate to tell them. They want to shower their love on you and your baby and it would be a great comfort for them to know what you would want for your baby.

Formula and Baby Food:

First off, let’s clear something important here, feeding the baby with breast milk is more nutritious and nourishing for the young one than formula or other baby foods, which are heavily available in the market.

So, breastfeeding is not only cheaper but is also a hundred times more valuable than other means of nourishment.

There are, in the market, these days a pump where you can pump out breast milk into the feeding bottle for your baby. This comes in handy, especially for the ones who have a very demanding job or are in a hurry often.

Breastfeeding is free and the best food for your baby.

If in any case, breastfeeding isn’t an option, then one can check with your hospital personnel’s/nurses/doctors about any scheme for free formula and baby foods. Usually, a lot of the baby product manufacturers and institutions give away free formula and baby food to hospitals for newborn children as a promo. So, ask your hospital for such benefits.

Also, if one is interested, they can sign up for memberships with baby product manufacturers and retailers. Once you are a member, they often send new mothers with tons of free gifts and baby showers, which are quite a lifesaver.

Nursery Set:

Well, this isn’t quite a basic amenity. But if one would like to keep it all prepared for their baby, then it is highly proposed for one to ask for hand-me-downs. Nursery sets aren’t something that your baby would need for a long time, probably for like two years. So, why bother expending so much for something as temporary as this.

One could always ask their siblings, friends, or relatives if one can borrow their children’s nursery sets. They would be more than happy to lend you for your baby instead of just keeping them locked up in the attic.

On a tight budget, one can always skip the nursery room. It would cut the cost of constructing, designing, the need for baby cameras and other accessories that go into putting up the room. Also, not having nursery rooms will save and give one relief from constantly checking on their baby when they start crying in the dead of night or in early mornings when one is truly feeling like being on their bed.

Keep the crib with your baby in your bedroom. This not only solves the burden of huge costs but also of getting up and walking all the way to the baby’s room. Not to forget how much better it is for you to keep your baby close to you in the night. Of course, it isn’t that they will not wake you up from your sleep at untimely hours but at least all you might need to do some days is to peep into the crib and cradle the crib while just sleeping on your bed.

It’s just here in the western world where babies are given a separate nursery room, but if you see in Asian and Latin families they keep, especially a newborn, always by their side. It is also interesting to see that they do not even buy a nursery crib or sets. They let the baby sleep along with them on the same bed. So, even if you are keen on saving some few extra bucks for other important things, then you could also try letting your baby sleep on the same bed with you. Don’t worry about crushing your baby accidentally. It isn’t the case. People are still doing the same and have been doing so for generations. It isn’t a new scary concept.

Car Seats:

This dilemma too, can easily be signed off by asking for hand-me-downs. After all, children are going to grow so, friends and family may have the perfect size for one to buy at a much better discount price or one might even get it for free. It doesn’t hurt to ask around.

If one doesn’t get the size they need for a hand-me-down car seat, then look around for sale, or one could also, from the first tip, ask for one as a baby shower gift.

When buying online, try buying on coupons and promos. Many online sites give heavy discounts on baby items for new mothers, so make use of all the benefits you can. The few extra bucks you save will go a long way. Also, look up at reviews and ask other parents around on suggestion for what best type or which brand is better to get a car seat from for your baby. It isn’t necessary for you to blindly purchase a brand new one only to find that it isn’t what your baby needs. This will not only waste your money but will also require you to fish out extra bucks to buy a new one again.

Day Care:

It isn’t always necessary to put your baby in a day-care, especially on a tight budget. What one can do is work on alternative day-cares with other mothers in the locality. You can initiate with other tight budget mothers/fathers who need a day-care session themselves, to work out on a convenient schedule for taking turns to watch each other’s babies. They might hopefully not be that hesitant about it since even it is what they desperately need to save on the huge costs of a day-care center.

If you are uncomfortable about leaving your baby with others, then there is always an option of leaving them with your family members who aren’t that busy and are willing to look after your baby while you are away. Especially grandparents come to play an integral part in this aspect. They love their grandkids, as much as you do, and would love to do this favor for you readily. So, don’t miss out on giving the grandparents-grandkids their quality time while you also solve the burden of the day-care expenses.

On an End Note:

These are some of the ways this article has put at work to help new parents with their tight budgets. Every year the market is becoming expensive with the cost of education and raising a baby/child increasing steadily.

Being on a tight budget isn’t going to deprive your new baby of a good and healthy life. No. This is going to only help you save the money for other important parts of your children’s life.

If you can squeeze in the money by buying only what is needed rather than what is wanted by the society or modern-day norms and trends, then you are doing what is right for your kid now and also for their future. And not only is this going to help you but will also be an example for your kids to learn the value of responsibility and money as they are growing up in a world now with superficial influences everywhere.

So, don’t hesitate or be skeptical to try these various ways of raising babies on a tight budget. Go, Mom and Dad!

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