Good Parenting

So you have just found out your are pregnant, or maybe you have a baby already and you are panicking about money. Here are some tips to save a bit of money throughout your pregnancy and your baby’s growth.

1: You want to give your baby the best. You want to give your baby everything in the world it wants and could ever possibly need. That is natural, we all feel like that, but what do you actually need right now? Ask your midwife or look on the internet for a basic essentials list, there are many around. Once you have this list, go through it a few times and write your own. Some peoples idea of essentials, are not actually essential. So once you have your own basic essentials list of items you need right now, you know what you have to work towards. You will find your list very helpful too when you get to point 6.

2: Don’t be fooled in thinking that because something has a snazzy brand name, it has to be the best. Supermarket own brand baby wipes are just as good as brand name ones. The same with nappies, baby cream, breast pads etc. Yes brand name products are portrayed as being ‘The number 1 product’ however this is simply because they receive more commercial advertising time, which at the end of the day, they pay for!

3: Remember, you are going to grow! You are going to grow at a fast rate. First your breasts will grow, then your bump, then both together. So rather than buying a new maternity wardrobe every week, always buy one size bigger than you need. This will then last you right through until birth and even for a few days after birth. Stick to comfortable and lightweight material as most women get hotter, quicker, when pregnant.

4: Buy good supportive maternity underwear. This maybe more expensive than regular underwear and not as sexy, however, you will soon reap the benefit when your bump and breast are sore and achey! Also a small investment now means buying less underwear in the long run as you will not have to continue buying undies a size bigger each week!

5: Remember, your baby is going to grow! Just like you, once your baby is born, your baby will grow very quickly. Don’t go and buy a massive amount of ‘newborn’ size baby clothes, your baby will not be in these very long! Some babies, like both of my children for instance, went straight into 0-3 month size clothes, newborn size just didn’t fit. So be warned.

6: Shop around for products and items. Most larger baby shops offer ‘baby registeries’ or ‘baby wish lists’, these are a good idea so that you do not forget everything (remember your basic essentials list you made right at point 1? Use this!), HOWEVER it does mean you, your family and friends have to buy all the items from the same shop, which can work out very expensive. So, just as you would with your food shopping, shop around! Look for offers, deals, items on sale etc. You can save yourselves literally hundreds of pounds if you shop around.

7: Another very important point to remember is, there is nothing wrong with secondhand! Ask your family, friends, neighbors and work colleagues if they have any baby items they don’t need any more. You may feel that you do not want your baby to have items that have been used by another. If this is how you feel, stop and think. 3-4 generations ago, every parent with more than one child would give the youngest ‘hand me downs’, it never did them any harm. As long as it is clean (and let’s face it, you can always wash it again!) then what is the problem? Let’s be sensible here, your baby is not going to need all this stuff for very long, so if you can get a pram from a friend for free, rather than paying £300 for it, doesn’t that just make good sense? Plus it then leaves that £300 free for something else. You can also ask your local Freecycle (www.freecycle.org) group for items too.

8: If you can afford it, buy yourself a blender. You may think “What is she talking about? She is meant to be saving me money, not making me spend it!” Ah, but this is a well worth investment and you can buy them for as little as £9 these days. A blender will serve you well throughout your pregnancy and for the first 6 months after your baby is born. When you are going through your morning sickness phase, you may not want to eat, this is where the blender comes in handy. You can whip yourself up a quick smoothie and just sip it. Use fresh fruit, honey to sweeten if desired and this will give you a nutritious and tasty drink that will help keep you going when you are feeling wobbly. When your baby is born, rather than buying pre-made jarred baby food, you will be able to use your blender to puree your own.

9: Buy a large cube size ice cube tray. A neat money saving and very healthy baby food trick. When using your blender to make and puree down your food for your baby, you will be doing it in large batches, fill up the ice cube tray with the food and freeze it. Then you will always have good home made baby food on hand.

10: Don’t panic. You may not have much money, but you are going to be a fantastic parent. Remember, money does not buy hugs, kisses, baby bath times, your baby’s first smile or that first time you hear the words ‘mamma’. You may not have much money, but you are rich in love!