Pregnancy Pointers

Legacy_user

Hi

First time on THIS board and I am looking for ways to save money concerning pregnancy and beyond. Is this the forum?

Cheers

Lenny

debsley_pig

Hi

I'm 7 months pregnant with first baby and am trying to save as much money as possible.

Our main way of saving has been to accept loads of handouts from relatives and friends. We have been given so much second hand baby stuff, we have hardly had to spend anything as yet.

If not, there are charity shops, ebay, national childbirth trust sales, local paper for second hand stuff. I would particularly recommend ebay for buying lots of clothing. Most of them work out at about 50p per item. I also saved a lot of money buying maternity clothes from ebay.

You can also get various freebies through Bounty etc.

The main thing is not to get sucked in to getting everything perfect and having all the latest accessories. Our nursery will be a real mish mash of furniture we've been given and none of it matches-but does baby care?? I think not.

Then the way you raise the child can help save money. Breastfeeding instead of bottles. Re-usable nappies and wipes instead of disposables. Make your own food instead of all those jars.

Babies really do not have to be expensive. I think it's when they get a bit older that they start to cost more! You can spend an absolute fortune, but it really doesn't have to be that way. Remember that when the baby comes along, you will get child benefit and hopefully child tax credit, so you can put this money to one side and use it to pay for the child's needs.

Best of luck with it all!!!!!

cheekymole

I bought things from the local car boot and local paper, pram, high chair etc.

I don't know where you live but there are cheaper shops to buy from i.e. Home Bargains, Wilkinsons etc

megan050903

Hi, congratulations!

Few tips for you:

Get a Boots advantage card - I collected over £100 in the first year my daughter was born. Also, join their parenting club as you will be sent lots of vouchers for money off.

Register at Pampers, again for money off vouchers.

Stock up on essentials now (nappies, wipes etc) they are always on BOGOF or special offer somewhere!

I spend a lot of money on a travel system but wouldn't do it again. Only used it for a few months and then got a buggy.

Don't be tempted to buy everything new, get second hand or from family and friends if you can. The same goes for clothes, as tempting as all the cute outfits areyou will find that its easier to keep them in sleep suits for the first few weeks and more!

Hope this helps!

System

Thanks for the advice. I have registered with pampers and the vouchers are inbound.

Cheers

Lenny

cha97michelle

also register with huggies as they send you £4 of money off vouchers too.

don't listen to what people telly you that you need. My friend is also pregnant and i could get very stressed at under the mattress movement sensors and lots of other things that she thinks are essential.

Let friends/family know that you are looking for their hand me downs. Some people will assume that you won't want it for your first baby. So far i have been given a cot, travel cot, moses basket and first car seat (which i know is not damaged) from my two sisters. Also a lot of maternity clothes.

I've joined cashback websites and pigsback to save up cash/free vouchers to use for things for the baby.

My baby is due in late october, so i am putting off buying some things like a high chair until christmas, and then asking the rellies to get them as xmas presents. Well i won't need them until after then, and it saves themspending a fortune on too many toys that will just clutter the house and spoil the kid.

the only other thing i can think of is don't buy many newborn clothes. DIvide up the age groups if people want to buy you an outfit. E.g. your parents and relatives, 0-3 months, your OH's parents and relatives, 3-6 months, your friends, 6 months plus.

hope some of that helps.

Michelle

Crispy_Ambulance

Remember that people have been having babies since the start of time and today's babies don't need any more than Mr and mrs Caveman's babies! They need milk, clean bums and to be warm and most of all loved. that's it!

randy_4

Join your local freecycle mailing list. https://www.freecycle.org to collect baby stuff that people are throwing out for free.
Use reusable nappies - check with your local borough and hospital, they might have cash incentives and freebies.
Breastfeed - it is free!
Cut down on all extra expenses, change elec/gas/phone suppliers and put the savings into a baby account.

choccyface2006

Congratulations!

If I were you I would also register with Tesco baby club, they will send you vouchers to use against baby products/clothes & food, my daughter is nearly 7 and we still get regular fun packs for her and occasional vouchers through their older children club.

http://www.tesco.com/clubcard/btc/

Sarah

Karnam

also dont buy more than one pack of nappies before birth. my 2nd cousin bought loads of pampers only to find huggies fitted baby better. lots of fuss trying to get sainsbury's to exchange!

i wore a lot of OH's clothes when pregnant. def BF if you can, so cheap and easy.

we dont need many clothes as i do laundry every two days, but think bout how many clothes you need and how often you'll wash/have some clean lying around. we have about 5 bodysuits which are on rotation and they're all tatty and faded from being washed every few days but i dont need anymore. dont be fooled by false economies like bulk buying nappies and wetwipes.

my little one kept getting nappy rash from the white johnsons and johnsons wipes, we switched to thier 'extracare' green ones and its all gone.

also dont buy that huge johnsons and johnsons box, think about when you wash baby. will you really put bubble bath in, soap her, shampoo her, condition her hair, use a softwash and then moistorise, talc and put on nappy cream? we stick with 4 keys, bubble bath, softwash, shampoo and talc. also you need hardly any nappy cream, we have a tube which has lasted since birth as you only need it when there is actually nappy rashand if you're careful it'll only last 2-3 days.

i have a travel system though and love it, def think v v carefully about when you'll go out with baby, where you'll go out too, what you'll be doing etc. etc. i researched super carefully and my travelsystem has lasted since birth and ive not needed 5+ pushchairs or anything.

ribenagirl

Hello and congratulations! I'm 27 weeks myself, done a mixture of 'moneysaving' and splashing out but it's the moneysaving really that's enabled me to do the splashing out!

Here are my top tips:

- Join your local Freecycle. I've picked up a birth to potty set of reusable nappies, high chair, and stair gate all for free

- Next, look at Ebay. We bought our cot, changing unit, mattress (new), and various other pregnancy items all at substantially reduced prices. For example, my brand new mattress which we got for £18 (RRP £110) off Ebay was merely shop soiled (although there's not a mark on it!) The only things you shouldn't really buy 2nd hand are breast pumps, which are hard to totally sterilise, car seats, and cot mattresses.

- For the more expensive items, do your research. For example, we (well, me ) wanted a Bugaboo Cameleon, and I saved £70 by buying it direct from a department store in Holland, where they manufacture it. (If anyone wants to know where from, it's https://www.hartkampforkids.nl).

- Pick up bits and pieces 'as you go along'. We were wary about buying early on, but agreed that we'd pick things up out of the reduced bins etc. if we saw them. Got all my baby bedding, some disposable nappies, soothers, breast pads, baby wipes, and other essentials like basic white babygros half price or less this way.

- Scrounge all the freebies you can. Sign up to everyone that will send you money off vouchers, free samples etc. I already have 2 carrier bags full of freebie nappies, lotions, washing powder and tablets, and mum-to-be pampering creams, none of which I've had to pay for

Last, but by no means least, check out these earlier posts:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=71893
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=76633
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=24249&highlight=pregnancy+baby

all of which I've found invaluable

Good luck and look after yourself! xx