Everyone knows that having a family means you’re going to have some extra costs coming in – nappies aren’t cheap, especially when you need about a million of them.
 
Don’t stress though – you won’t be eating beans for the next 18 years, you’re just going to have to budget. Here are some tips that will come in handy if you already have a baby, or if one is on the way.
 
Stock up
If you see some of the essentials on sale, such as nappies or wipes, stock up. You know they’re not going to go to waste, so you may as well make the most of the savings. You can also buy nappies in bulk online, which can often save money.
 
Hand-me-downs
While we’d all love to be able to buy everything brand new for our little ones, sometimes accepting hand-me-downs from friends and family is the best thing to do. Depending on who owned it before you, it might have a bit of sentimental value as well, which is always nice.
 
Babysitters
Not everyone has the luxury of having family around to help raise their child, but if you do, it can help your budget a lot. Just don’t take advantage of granny and granddad’s generosity or you might end up having to pay for a babysitter more often.
 
Get crafty
If you can knit or sew, use this to your advantage by making some of your baby’s clothes or bedding yourself. Or if you’re handy with a hammer, you could make your own changing table or dresser for their nursery.
 
Make your own baby food
When your little one gets to about 4-6 months and starts eating solids, you could consider making your own baby food by pureeing fruits and vegetables. Read more about how to do it here
 
Don’t give in to the gimmicks
There are lots of things people will try to sell you when you have a baby, but try to learn to decipher the gimmicks from the things you actually need. Things like bottle warmers (putting the bottle in a bowl of warm water does the same thing) and baby shoes (your little one won’t be needing shoes until they start walking at about nine to 18-months-old) all sound really great, but they’re not actually a necessity.

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