Monthly Archives: July 2011

Money-Saving Tips for Moms: Baby Gear

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Not all of my tips will fit into your way of doing things, but I hope you’ll find at least one thing over the next few days that will help you save a little money!


Baby Gear

At the beginning of this series, I mentioned all the stuff available for parents these days. It only takes one trip to Babies R Us to figure out that not all baby gear is necessary. That store is o.v.e.r.w.h.e.l.m.i.n.g the first (and second and third) time you go there after learning you’re expecting.

I have three big tips for saving money on baby gear….

  • Don’t believe you need everything you see.
  • If someone offers to loan baby gear to you, consider taking them up on it! Some things should be purchased new for safety’s sake (like car seats), but there’s lots of useful baby gear in storage out there.
  • If you think there’s even the slightest possibility that you’ll have a second baby one day, buy/register for the big-ticket items in neutral colors. In most cases, you’ll only get one shower. Use it wisely.

The trouble with giving advice on what baby gear to pass on is that every family (and baby) is different. We didn’t register for some items just because there’s no room in our house for it! Other things, like the Boppy, just didn’t make much sense to me since mother’s have breastfed from the beginning of time without a special pillow.

Here’s a pretty good rule of thumb: If you have to ask why you would need an item, you probably don’t. That said, it’s also a good idea to get a list of your close friends’ and family members’ “must haves” because if you’re anything like me, you’re clueless about this motherhood thing!


Potential Savings

This list of potential savings is based on the Babies R Us “Must Haves” list and the items my family has deemed unnecessary. You can save big bucks on this one. Here’s the breakdown.

Bassinet/cradle $100
Our rationale: The baby already has a place to sleep. His or Her crib. Bonus! If he or she sleeps there from day one, there’s no need for any anxiety-ridden transition down the road.

Travel System Up to $100
Our rationale: We didn’t need an elaborate travel system for our winter babies. A car seat and snap ‘n go stroller (just a frame the seat fits into) ended up being perfect for us for the few times we used it. Plus, I’m (almost) 5’2” and lifting an awkward, heavy travel system into my trunk was not on my wish list. I highly suggest going to the store and testing all your options before making a decision on strollers.

Walker/Jumper $50
Our rationale: For starters, we have no door frames to hook a jumper to. Then there’s all that talk about walkers hindering babies actual walking. No worries, theBABY learned to walk AND jump without either of these.

Full-size Swing $75 if you go w/ a travel swing, $150 if you skip it totally
Our rationale: There’s no room in our house for this. It was truly that simple. That said, we registered for a travel swing that could easily be stored when it wasn’t being used. Some babies don’t dig swings, so if you know someone with a swing in storage, you may want to test the waters with a borrowed one!

Full-size High Chair Up to $120 if you purchase a space-saver instead
Our rationale: Again, room is tight at our house, so we decided to go with a space-saving seat that fits right on top of a kitchen chair. It’s worked like a charm from 4 months – present (20 months).

Total Potential Savings $520

Think of the diapers that could buy!! Or don’t, because really, it’ll only buy a year’s worth and who ever thought they’d be spending that much on waste management?

Speaking of the cost of diapers, coming up Monday: quick, money-saving tips for purchasing disposable diapers!

Money-Saving Tips for Moms: Maternity Clothes

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Not all of my tips will fit into your way of doing things, but I hope to share at least one thing over the next few days that will help you save a little money!

Today’s topic is maternity clothes. I have a hard time getting excited about buying clothes that I’ll be wearing for less than nine months. Usually when I go shopping while pregnant, I’m drawn to shoes, purses and other accessories that aren’t affected by the size of my waist. But I’m already off topic… 

Shopping for new clothes when you’re pregnant can be tricky. If you try to build your maternity wardrobe too early, you’ll spend a long time staring into dressing room mirrors trying to imagine what you’ll look like in the outfit with a bigger belly. If you wait too long, you’ll end up so desperate that you buy the first thing that fits and could regret it later.

Here are a few tips for shopping smart and saving money on new clothes during your pregnancy.

  1. Consider investing in The Tummy Sleeve. This little piece of fabric can extend the life of your regular pants for weeks! In fact, during my first pregnancy I was in regular clothing until well into my second trimester thanks to my Tummy Sleeves! Then, when I transitioned to maternity clothes, the Tummy Sleeve helped keep my slightly-big-in-the-belly maternity pants from dropping below my knees.
  2. Buy staple pieces and build your wardrobe gradually. You may go through a couple of sizes by the end of the journey so buying a ton of stuff at once may end up backfiring.
  3. Give eBay a chance. Search “maternity” plus your size, plus “NWT” (new with tags). You can score great deals on brand new maternity clothes from women who didn’t build their wardrobes gradually (see tip number two).
  4. Borrow from friends your size! Maternity clothes are not the best quality, but you don’t wear them year after year so if someone offers to let you borrow them, do it! Just make sure they have their name on the tags if they want them back. Your memory is not the same after you become a mom. Oh, and be sure to let your friends borrow your collection when the time comes.
  5. Don’t rule out “normal” clothes. Some of my favorite maternity clothes are items that aren’t maternity clothes at all! My maternity jeans are my low-rise “fat” jeans that I’ve had for years. My maternity bathing suit is a stretchy, comfortable-as-all-get-out tankini from Target. It doesn’t have to be maternity to fit your pregnant self!
  6. Finally, and I’m not doctor so talk to yours about what’s appropriate for you, but my advice is to eat healthy and keep up your exercise routine to gain the right amount of weight slowly over your pregnancy. You’ll be glad you did when your pre-pregnancy jeans fit before your baby is sleeping through the night! Plus, nobody wants to spend money buying yet another size wardrobe.

Potential Savings
I can’t even guess how much you’ll save by following these tips, but I can tell you that spending too much money on too many clothes that won’t even fit you next season is no way to spend your precious funds. Splurge on your dress for the baby shower, then save your pennies for a killer post-pregnancy pick-me-up outfit. You’ll be glad you did.

Money-Saving Tips for Moms (and dads, too!)

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These days, marketers are doing a great job at convincing new parents that they need ALL THIS STUFF in order to have a happy, healthy baby.

Not so!

That’s why I put together my top five tips for saving money as a new mom! Not all of my tips will fit into your way of doing things, but I hope to share at least one thing over the next few days that will help you save a little money!

 

Let’s start at the very beginning, shall we? 

Pregnancy Tests
Whether you’re toying with the idea of trying to get pregnant or truly trying to get that way, you may be tempted to clear your local drug store’s shelf of pregnancy tests.

If you want to start this baby adventure off on the right money-saving foot, don’t do it! Here’s what to do instead.

1)      Purchase ONE pregnancy test from your local dollar store. Chances are good that you’ll only need one to tell you that you’re pregnant if you follow step number two.  

2)      Wait (at least) until the day you’re supposed to start your period to take the test. If you find yourself getting anxious to take it sooner, remember, you’ll be pregnant for an eternity (in non-pregnant minds that means nine months). There’s no need to make it an eternity plus 2 days. And, by waiting to take it, you’ll reduce the chance of a false negative. Besides, if you take it early and it’s negative, you know you’ll end up going back to the store to buy another test to take on the day you actually should have in the first place.

3)      If your test is negative, wait a few more days before driving back to the dollar store for another test. Chances are your monthly friend will show up later that day!

This may seem like a silly tip, but let’s see how the savings can add up…

Brand name pregnancy test                                                       $12.99
2nd brand name test (because you took the 1st one early)        $12.99

Total                                                                                         $25.98 plus tax

VS.

Dollar store pregnancy test                                                       $  1.00

Potential  Savings                                                                  $24.98

Now consider that the average couple takes three months to get pregnant. That means you could save up to $75 by going to the dollar store. That $75 will come in handy when you realize you don’t fit into your clothes anymore, which leads me to Wednesday’s money-saving topic…maternity clothes!

New Series: Money-Saving Tips for Moms (and dads, too!)

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I started Girl Grows Up a few months before theBABY was born in late 2009. Since then, the purpose of this blog has been to share my journey to become the best wife, mom, daughter and friend I can be – hopefully providing some useful tidbits along the way. This has taken many forms over the last two years (product reviews, book recommendations, general ramblings), but for the next couple of weeks I’ll be focusing on parenthood.

Specifically, the cost of becoming a mom (or dad) for the first time and what you can do to save money – big time.

So, as I introduce a new series that focuses on money-saving tips for parents-to-be, I hope those of you with no interest in the topic will tell others who might have an interest to stop by and check it out.

If you know someone expecting their first baby soon, a new mom or even someone who wants to become a mom (or dad!) one day, will you share my site with them? I thank you bunches!

Stay tuned for Tip #1 coming up Monday! In the meantime, try out this nifty calculator to estimate the cost of baby’s first year.

Have You Seen Newton Fruit Thins?

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Seems to be an influx of “thin” snacks on the market.  Nature Valley Granola Thins (the peanut butter ones happen to be delicious) and Newton Fruit Thins, for instance.

I picked up a package of the Chocolate Raspberry Newton Fruit Thins at the store last weekend. They’re OK and would probably go nicely with my morning coffee, but as a stand alone dessert? Nahhhhh.

One look at the shape of the cookie, though, and theBOY and I had the exact same idea – ice cream sandwiches!! These are the perfect cookies to use to make your own. I picked up a pint of ice cream at the local ice cream stand and got to assembling! 

Hint: Place the ice cream sandwiches in a zip lock bag and store in the freezer for at least 24 hours. This helps soften the cookie. The Newtons didn’t get as soft as I would have liked, but they were good nonetheless!

Another way to make a delicious, low-calorie ice cream treat at home is to use chocolate graham crackers and cool whip. After a day in the freezer, these are fantastic!!

Do you have any yummy ice cream tips?! Share the love!

The Stomach Flu

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theBABY puked her first “big girl” puke last night around midnight.

Think creamed corn.

You’re welcome for that visual.

She really was such a big girl about the whole thing, and she agreed with me that all that corn was super silly.

Of course, we had no idea that she was puking because she has the stomach flu. Nor did we know that you shouldn’t give a 19-month old anything to drink after they throw up.

The after-hours nurse did, though. Thank goodness for those people who work in the middle of the night to answer a clueless mom’s questions about her sick baby girl.

At first, I’ll admit, I thought the nurse was dead wrong. Not the stomach flu. No way.

Then theBABY started to cry while I was on the phone, and the (very knowledgable) nurse said, “It sounds like she’s going to vomit again.”

She was right, and I stopped doubting her.

After the second episode, theBABY settled down and slept the rest of the night thank goodness. And now theBOY and I have made it through another first as parents, though it wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as the first trip to the park last weekend….

Speaking of parenting, I’m working on a new series of posts for first-time moms and dads (and those who think they may want to be parents one day)! It’s all about saving money, so stay tuned!