Guest Post!!! Baby Advice

This is a great guest post from Hope Smith. It was so great, I
wanted to share it. I think she should start a blog, she is
so awesome at it. Hopefully we will be hearing again from her
soon!

General Baby Advice


1. Sign up for all the baby clubs-Enfamil, Similac, Huggies, Pampers, Publix, etc. They will send you coupons and samples that you can use, or even sell or trade on Craigslist or Ebay.

2. Check Craigslist and/or yard sales for baby gear; however, be careful on strollers, pack-n-plays, toys with small parts, and especially car seats. There may be recalls on these items due to safety hazards.

3. Car seats are NOT a good bet to buy used because there is no way to tell if they have been in an accident before, and according to the law (at least in Florida) if a car seat has been in an accident, even if there is no visible damage to the seat, it is no longer considered safe. Car seats have expiration dates (5 years from the manufactured date stamped on the bottom), and additionally, a used car seat may be missing critical installation components. However, there is no reason you must spend several hundred dollars on a car seat--Cosco Scenera car seat has consistently received a high score on Consumer Reports over the years, accommodates children up to 40lbs, is available in multiple fabrics and at multiple retailers, and costs an average of $50!

4. Few babies need their clothes washed in Dreft or any of the other baby detergent, which can be twice the cost of regular detergent. If your baby’s skin is that sensitive, you would also need to wash the whole family’s clothes in Dreft because you are holding him/her against your clothes.

5. Resist the urge to feel badly about saving money on baby stuff! There is something psychological about this, where you may even worry that other people think you are a bad parent because you are buying store brands or using multiple coupons. Every parent wants what is best for their baby…do it the smart way!



Diapering

1. Buy whatever diapers are on sale and try everything, store brands and all. Bring your calculator so you can figure out if it is a “good” sale or not. As of Sept. ’09 I consider a good price 17 cents per diaper-and that’s for Pampers or Huggies. Generally speaking, you’ll get the most savings by buying the biggest boxes.

2. As previously mentioned on Deal Frenzy, CVS is good so check their online ad every week, as well as Walgreens. These two basically alternate weeks having diapers on sale, and grocery stores frequently have sales as well. Combine their sales with the manufacturers coupons you get from the baby clubs and newspaper to maximize savings.

3. Consider cloth diapers- if diaper pins come to mind, you haven’t seen today’s cloth diapers. They are in all different colors with snaps and liners and all kinds of nifty things. You can save a ton, and it really ISN’T as bad as you’re thinking! Do an internet search and you will be amazed at all the cloth diaper resources out there.

4. For wipes, skip the fancy additives and even the sensitive types, unless your child really needs it. Try the store brand wipes, they get the job done and are a lot cheaper. For even bigger savings, making your own wipes is very quick and easy! Here is just one link that will tell you how to do it: http://babyparenting.about.com/cs/diapering/ht/wipes.htm

5. Potty train as soon as your child is ready…and many children may be ready even before their 2nd birthday! Visit www.3daypottytraining.com and learn how to potty train in only 3 days! (this really does work, I’ve seen proof!) You can save hundreds of dollars by doing this as early as you can.



Feeding

1. Formula prices for the big brand names (Enfamil, Similac and Nestle/Goodstart) are generally fixed and average $1 per ounce. However, you can save a ton of money by purchasing formula on ebay from people who have ordered in bulk and find that their child needs another formula or they cannot return it for whatever reason.

a. Ebay tips—make sure the listing specifies that the formula is factory sealed/new/never opened, etc. Also be sure to verify expiration dates, and that it is the particular kind of formula you want. Check the seller’s feedback ratings; you may want to stick with “power sellers” or those who only have 100% positive feedback. Remember to factor in shipping costs (if any) when placing a bid.


2. Try the store brands of formula; they are literally 25%-50% less expensive than the big brands. The nutritional content is identical, (thanks to the Infant Formula Act which standardized and regulated infant formulas), so the only difference is the particular filler used. Most babies don’t even seem to notice a difference but as always, ask your pediatrician if you have any concerns.