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!
