Your $10,000 Babyby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 26 Mar 2008 07:45 AM Did you know that the average family will spend approximately $10,000 for their baby before it even reaches two years old? This is what the studies say (the most recent one was conducted by MSN). Does it make you want to rethink parenthood? Probably not, since these precious children are worth much more. But, we can still drastically reduce that dollar amount in several ways. Here are some tips. Breastfeed if you can. Breastfeeding is free and healthy for both baby and mom. In fact, studies show that breastfed infants had a reduced healthcare cost of almost $1,500! The cost of formula for a year is between $4,000 and $5,000, depending on the brand and type of formula. If you can't breastfeed, consider generic formula and sign up for samples, formula checks and coupons. Ask your hospital and pediatrician for samples. This could knock off between $700 and $800 from your cost. Save $300 or more a year by using generic diapers and making your own baby wipes. Todays generic diapers are quite good. And making your own wipes is very easy to do. Cloth diapers can save you even more money. Beg, borrow and thrift shop for your babies clothes. Yes, it is hard to resist all of those new cute outfits that your child will only wear for a few weeks. Baby clothes are easy to find used and in excellent condition. Many garage sales sell clothing with the tags on for 50 cents to a dollar an item. Why spend $40 for the same amount. You can knock off anywhere from $400 to $1000 a year by borrowing clothes and buying them used. If you really want a new outfit, indulge in one, and only one for a special occasion and shop the off-season sales. Check back for part 2. 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: Cloth 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 jonesx6 (1606) 26 Mar 2008 09:02 AMSome women make their own baby formula!! I don't know if its cheaper than "regular" formula. Laura jonesx6 (1606) 26 Mar 2008 09:02 AMSome women make their own baby formula!! I don't know if its cheaper than "regular" formula. Laura  Mary Ann Romans (26876) 26 Mar 2008 09:07 AMI wouldn't advise doing this for the healthy and safety of your baby. Angie (20) 26 Mar 2008 12:38 PMYou can also look for free baby clothes, gear, and toys at sits like Freepeats.org, Freecycle.org and Craigslist. You can even pick up free formula on Freepeats from local moms that don't need the samples they received or bought too much. Folks post coupons and formula checks, too. We saved so much money buying used. The only no-nos? Crib mattresses and car seats. Too much of a safety hazard. Most of our stuff came from generous friends, consignment shops, consignment sales ('tis the season!), and garage sales. jonesx6 (1606) 27 Mar 2008 04:59 AMMary Ann, There are wonderful recipes for homemade formula in a book I have called Nourshing Traditions. It explains how to make it, etc. Laura  Valorie Delp (49340) 14 Aug 2008 02:10 PMI agree with Mary Ann. I think making your own baby formula is dangerous. Formula in and of itself is not that great for babies--regardless of whether or not you make it yourself or buy it from the store. Aside from the risk of bacterial infection. . .the stuff that goes into it is great for a life time of tummy troubles. I am familiar with this book and read their website but something they fail to mention about these "traditional cultures" is that their mortality rate in infancy is pretty stinkin' high. Community Tags baby, child, frugal, pregnancy, thrifty Discuss this article
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