10 Ways To Save Thousands During Your Baby’s First Year

by Karly Wood May 22, 2015

by Karly Wood 530 views

7. Find Out Your Baby’s Gender

As silly as it sounds, knowing if you are having a boy or girl can save you in the first year of your child’s life. You don’t have to worry about buying only white, green or yellow clothing and won’t have to rush out in desperation once you’re home from the hospital to buy gender specific clothes. You can take your time and shop sales and borrow clothes from friends.

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8. Consider Staying At Home

For some women, going back to work is not an option. But if we are talking about a variety of ways to save money, then this is a valid idea to consider. The cost of childcare alone can be a determining factor on whether or not it’s financially “worth it” to return to work. In my situation, childcare was going to cost about half of my take home pay. While I was considering switching to a job that was a huge pay decrease, it allowed me to work from home and actually saved us money in the long run. In addition to childcare, you also have to consider the costs of gas and work clothes, all things that will decrease if you end up staying home. Just some food for thought!

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9. Immunizations

Most health insurance companies will cover vital immunizations, but depending on your plan, your copay may increase your costs. Some people find that visiting their local pharmacy or clinic ends up saving them money, because they pay a small flat fee like $10 per immunization, instead of a potential $30 copay. While this is not the forum to discuss whether you should be in favor of immunizations, it does go without saying that if your child is vaccinated, they are at less risk of contracting illnesses, which will save you medical costs down the road.

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10. Make Your Own Baby Food

This is an easy and fairly obvious way to save money, because the same principle applies by comparing eating out to cooking a meal at home. You can buy a bag of carrots for $1, and it can make upwards of 10 servings of baby food, while a pre-made package costs $2 and lasts for only 4 meals. It’s even more cost-effective that buying the food pouches which are extremely popular right now. It takes a little more time then just popping open a jar of peas, but like most ways to save money, it’s worth it in the end.

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Karly Wood

Editor at Red Tricycle

I'm a born and bred Southern California native and currently the managing editor at Red Tri. I get to share my life with my husband of 13 years and our beautiful, 5-year old daughter. In my free time you'll catch me cheering for the Dodgers, cooking, baking, reading, crafting and probably watching a little HGTV!