Mummies share your money saving tips please :)

LittleTinker

Try to avoid all baby foods in jars and packets and make your own instead. Its much healthier and cheaper too. They all need to be 'messed about' with in order to make them in bulk and have a decent shelf life.....avoid them like the plague!

Mashed banana and stewed apple are brilliant for breakfasts and desserts. You can make these up in bulk and freeze in small amounts in small tubs. (add a little milk to the banana to freeze)

If you make up some porridge for breakfast, for example, you can tip the tub of apple or banana straight into it and it will defrost as it cools the porridge.

(I say porridge....NOT readybrek. Readybrek is expensive in comparrison and not nutritionally good for babies)

Puree your own dinners....and remember to make an extra dinner for baby to freeze to give them on the days you have Pizza.

Most food is ok for baby......even curry.....make sure it isnt too hot though and puree with plenty of rice.

CarBoot Sales have to be the best invention since slice bread! Find a good one and you are in heaven! I cannot tell you the amounts of baby clothes, toys, equipment and essentail that you can pick up for pennies!

I have seen cots with all the bedding and mobile, pillows and covers virtually untouched for £40.
We bought a listening system for £2, a Mama's and Papa's pram for £10!!!! Amazing value!!
And I have lost count of clothes for 10p, 20p, 50p

Using Terry Nappies cost about £30 for 12.....You will need 2 packs and these will last from baby to toddler and will last for all your babies. You dont need to buy fancy nappy systems.
Youll also need a few waterproofs and some pins. Thats about it.
They dont need fancy washing powder.....in fact the cheapest washing powder but a tiny amount is fine.

Adding in the cost of (perhaps needing) a new washing machine, terries nappies should save you about £700 - £1000 per child....depending on the disposable nappies you used.

Breastfeed if you can....the amount of money saved is staggering and much healthier too.

So many more.......I shall have to rest though now! lol

lolababy

alwaysonthego wrote: »

I would only recommend this if you were going for the same style of Clarks shoe. There is more to fitting a shoe than measuring the foot. A good fitter feels the shoe on the foot and observes the child walking in them. Some shoes do not fit the same and may not be suitable. Clark discount outlets are a good way of getting cheaper Clark shoes but still getting the foot properly measured.

I agree with getting the childs feet measured properly which is why I said get them measured in Clarks. Clarks do have there own unique mesures so buy only clarks.. If your going to buy other makes then you may not get the right fit. Always go by what the assistant says ie narrow/broad fit. Best to find out if your child has a high in step as some shoes are not suitable. Taking all that into account you should have little problem with purchasing off ebay.:D

alwaysonthego_2

lolababy wrote: »

I agree with getting the childs feet measured properly which is why I said get them measured in Clarks. Clarks do have there own unique mesures so buy only clarks.. If your going to buy other makes then you may not get the right fit. Always go by what the assistant says ie narrow/broad fit. Best to find out if your child has a high in step as some shoes are not suitable. Taking all that into account you should have little problem with purchasing off ebay.:D

only buy new shoes off ebay and not second hand. Shoes mould to the feet and would be unsuitable for a new pair of feet. Feet need to last you a lifetime, secondhand clothes, yep, secondhand shoes, no way!

shirlgirl2004

RE: The baby food then try baby led weaning. There's no mashing etc involved just go straight to proper food. I did this with my daughter and after the initial month when it was very messy (lots of throwing food on the floor) it has been brilliant. It means when we eat the baby can eat too rather than baby having to be fed before or after everyone else. It also encourages you to eat more healthily as you know bubs is going to be eating the same. I save any leftovers and freeze them for if we fancy a curry that bubs can't have.

I agree toys are for the most part a waste of time when really young as wooden spoons and the like can give just as much fun. Even my nearly 2 year old loves nothing more than spooning dried pasta from one bowl to another or putting it into little jars and screwing on the lids.

Agree charity shop are great for toys. I've taken loads of new/nearly new toys there that we haven't wanted/needed.

Use a sling not a pushchair. If you buy a new sling for £50 it will last until the child is 3 or 4 and then can be sold and you'll probably get £20 back.

Breastfeeding is almost free (need some sort of pads unless you make your own) and so much easier after the initial effort to get it established.

Use the library and visit often. They often have story/singalong times. Giving a child a love of books has to be the best gift a parent can give.

purplegirluk1

Shirlgirl 2004 - I was just about to post about Baby Led Weaning! I have done/am doing this with my little one, he will be 11 months next week. Basically you give your baby solid food from the start, no need for mashing, purees, baby rice etc. It is something that has been studied by Gill Rapely, she released a really good book at the end of last year http://www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-led-Weaning-Helping-Your-Baby/dp/0091923808/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234095950&sr=8-1. Its a great book and tells you everything you need to know.

I cannot over express how great it has been for my and my son. We have had no battles with food, he trys everything I give him and eat a much more varied diet than most other babies we know. He got his first teeth at 10 months but was able to bite and chew very well at 7 months. He has never choked. I can feed him wherever we are, no need for baby food or jars. I can eat my dinner while he eats his, mine isn't left to get cold while I spoon feed him. He can use a spoon himself at 10 months. Honestly it is money saving but also it is a more natural way of weaning your baby and sets then up with healthy attitudes towards food, mealtimes and eating.

fernliebee

Would definitely agree with the BLW, although my LO was getting frustrated that she couldn't get it in quick enough! So currently (she is 7m) we do a mix of spoon feeding, her spoon feeding herself which she is just getting the hang of, and her feeding herself 'real' food! This works well for us, she eat's what we eat as we have a fairly healthy diet, apart from occasionally (chips from chip shop! oops! ) I agree with the fact of them being able to feed themselves so you can get on with yours- so much easier!! As I said before though, I don't puree, the food which I spoon feed her, is the same stuff she is feeding herself but mashed onto a spoon!

Big thank you to the poster who said about baby food in home bargains! I just went and bought them out of apple and blueberry fruit pots!! 29p instead of £1.50! You couldn't buy the fruit for that! Thanks.

lolababy

I agree with alwaysonthego about not buying second hand shoes. Iv always bought new. Not like my cousin whos mum would buy second hand even if they were a size bigger. She used to stuff the toe area with newspaper until she grew into them.

Raksha

Why the hang ups with second hand shoes? As adults we are told to vary the height of the heels we wear, so why shoudln't children have a variety of forms for their feet? So long as they fit properly ofcourse.......

alwaysonthego_2

Raksha wrote: »

Why the hang ups with second hand shoes? As adults we are told to vary the height of the heels we wear, so why shoudln't children have a variety of forms for their feet? So long as they fit properly ofcourse.......

Childrens feet are very delicate and the bones do not fully develop until they are 18. Leather shoes mould to feet so they should never be passed down. If an adult chooses to wear second hand shoes then that is their choice. Children should be given brand new, well fitting shoes to support their feet.

It is a small price to pay to protect their feet.

You can google it if you want further info, but I have included a link for you

http://www.shoe-shop.org.uk/growing.html

Nicki

lolababy wrote: »

I agree with getting the childs feet measured properly which is why I said get them measured in Clarks. Clarks do have there own unique mesures so buy only clarks.. If your going to buy other makes then you may not get the right fit. Always go by what the assistant says ie narrow/broad fit. Best to find out if your child has a high in step as some shoes are not suitable. Taking all that into account you should have little problem with purchasing off ebay.:D

I agree with alwaysonthego. I always buy my kids shoes in Clarks and always have their feet measured there. Often they will try on half a dozen pairs and take a slightly different size in each, depending on the style, and sometimes the style I have chosen is not right for them because none of the sizes give a good fit. The measurement is as I understand it just a guide for the fitter, and the real skill is in knowing when the shoes are on the foot whether they are the right size and give the right support for your child's foot and gait. I just don't think that can be replicated by buying shoes in the measured size on the internet, without a chance to try them on.

I've also made the mistake of buying shoes for myself in my normal size without trying them on and been unable to wear them as they don't fit correctly, so its not just children this doesn't work for!