Save Money on Baby Foodby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 06 Apr 2008 11:46 AM
The first thing to know about saving money on baby food is to not overbuy. It is easy to get caught up in selecting a large variety of those little jars. start out slowly at first. Once your baby is used to baby food and you learn your baby's favorites, then you can start purchasing the food in bulk. With my first child, I wound up giving away boxes and boxes of baby cereal and jars and jars of baby food. Keep a price book on baby food, so you know where the best deals are. Not the brand of food, the size of the jar (not all stage one jars are the same size or weight) and the flavor or type of food. Comparing prices among stores will help you get the most for your money. And if you come across a sale or want to buy the food in bulk, you'll know exactly what price per jar is a deal. Use coupons and don't be brand loyal. You can sign up for baby food coupons on the manufacturer's websites, find coupons in baby magazines and get more coupons from the store when you buy competing brands. You can even purchase blocks of baby food coupons in Ebay. Forego the commercial food and make your own baby food. Check out a book from the library or borrow one from a friend. It is very easy to make an apple puree or mashed peas, for example. Freeze leftovers in ice cube trays and warm them up in the microwave or stovetop. Forget the fancy baby food grinder. A new coffee grinder is cheaper, or use a food processor. Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here. Related Articles: The Frugal Baby: Disposable Diapers and Brands Two More Ways to Save on Diapers Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments  Sara Denomme (1063) 06 Apr 2008 02:27 PMTo save money, we delayed solids until baby was truly interested (for baby 2 this was a lovely 10 months old or so!) and then made our own, in very large quantities, to freeze in one ounce servings. Now that she is 18 months old, she eats with the family. With baby 1, we bought some jarred food but made most - however, since she started solids at your typical 5 months old, we spent lots of time and energy on making/freezing food. I don't regret it at all though! With baby 2, I'm happy to say I have not spent a dime on jarred food, nor expended hours and hours making food. Delayed was the way to go this time around, although every babe is different. I must admit, for a baby that starts solids at the typical age, attends daycare or is out of the house often, certainly jarred food is convenient. Thanks for the tips! ~Sara  cutupmama |
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Let's face it. Feeding a tiny baby can be expensive. Those little jars of food certainly add up quickly. If you are ready to start your baby on solid food, read these tips to help you save money, as much as 50 percent or more on baby food.
