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Having Babies on the Cheap

March 13th, 2007 at 11:04 pm

Well..not really, but attempting to save as much money as possible while having kids!

Im due in May, and really, we dont have that much more that we NEED for the baby.

We're cloth diapering, so that's some money at the outset. So far, though, through ebay, I think Ive gotten some pretty good deals. We're using Kissaluvs and bum!Genius diapers initially - and while we still need a few more of both, we have 12 b!G and 13 kissaluvs, as well as 7 diaper covers, which is at least enough to get us started. All of that, including shipping, was about $285, and we can use those throughout diapering.

We're very lucky that both sides of the family are RIDICULOUSLY excited, as this is the very first grandchild for both, so they have gone a bit overboard with clothes and supplies. We've been given a crib, bouncy seat, car seat and stroller, baby bath..all kinds of things.

We still need a pack and play for the kiddo to sleep in while in Anchorage and then Georgia, and we still need fun exciting things like a breast pump. Bleh.

But, overall, we really havent had to spend much out of pocket at all - except for medical bills and little things we just wanted to buy for the fun of it..

I think this baby thing might just work! Smile

Posted in Alaska Budget, Tadpole | 6 Comments »

6 Responses to “Having Babies on the Cheap”

  1. frugalmomof1 Says:
    March 13th, 2007 at 11:18 pm 1173827918
    1173827918

    *Just a tip---before buying a breast pump, check with your health insurance company to see if they will pay for a rental from the hospital. Mine did not, but one nurse at the hospital said that many will! I used one while in the hospital and I liked it much better than the Medela for $300 that has excellent ratings.

  2. yummy64 Says:
    March 14th, 2007 at 12:09 am 1173830965
    1173830965

    The one thing I've heard suggested is that if you don't have medical insurance is to save up $2K or $3K and approach a few hospitals and see how much it will cost you to prepay for the birth. Amazingly if you it this way they can come down by 1/2 to 1/3 of their "book" price.

    Oh and sign up with every baby company for coupons and freebies. Quite often they have some great packages for new mothers.

  3. monkeymama Says:
    March 14th, 2007 at 02:05 pm 1173881110
    1173881110

    I got my breast pump off ebay, NEW, for about $150 (vs. $300). Also, I Waited until the baby was born and a few weeks old to make sure I would really need and use it. YEs, there is a possibility you may need one sooner. So I don't know if that is the best advice - people with trouble breastfeeding sometimes us a pump to get things going. But for the most part you can rent one if you NEED one right away - wait and see how it goes. I know too many people who just couldn't breastfeed to buy a pump too soon. But I loved that thing. I breastfeed my first solely for 1 year though I worked full-time - best invention ever. Wink & if you don't work, well buys you freedom anyway!

    Good Luck!

  4. AtomicMelanie Says:
    March 14th, 2007 at 10:20 pm 1173910856
    1173910856

    If there's a La Leche League in your area, join up with them! They have LOADS of resources for economical and ecological ways to raise a family. At least in my area, they have been able to help some families in breast pump rental and lots of other things. With my first child, I was able to do just fine with a manual breast pump from Wal-Mart. With my second, who was born premature, I had to have a mechanical one from the hospital.

    Either way, best of luck to you. You're going to have so much fun!

  5. LuckyRobin Says:
    March 15th, 2007 at 12:30 am 1173918648
    1173918648

    It cost us very little to rent a pump from our hospital. It was $20 a month, though granted that was 7 years ago. Something to look into, anyway. Then all you have to do is by the tubing and receptacle, which is fairly cheap.

    You may want to have some disposable diapers on hand for going out or for leaving the baby with a sitter, even if you use cloth the majority of the time. You will probably get some from the hospital to start.

  6. frugalmomof1 Says:
    March 15th, 2007 at 02:17 am 1173925050
    1173925050

    I don't think the rental price has gone up too much...It might have been $8 or $9 per week in my area...that was in 2005.

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