Parenthood can be stressful. Especially when life happens and things are tight financially. From redundancy to illness, unexpected expenses or whatever the cause may be - being broke or almost broke when you are pregnant or have little ones counting on you can be incredibly stressful.
In my 11 years of being a parent, I've been at a few different points and had a few different titles: Teenage Mum, Single Mum, Broke Mum, Working Mum, Studying Mum to now Mum of 5 (including twins babies)!
All of which taught me a lot.
These are some BABY hacks that I live by. That helped me save money and got me through times when money was particularly tight:
Before Baby Arrives:
▪Know where to shop - yes there are some beautiful online stores that sell $80 baby t shirts and $150 baby shoes. That is insane. Especially if money is tight - it is completely unnecessary. Kmart, Target, Best and Less have some great stuff and are so cheap!
▪Keep an eye on sales and online deals. (especially Baby Shop/Target/Big W sales)
▪Think about what you will really need and what you probably won't need or could do without. Keep in mind Want vs. Need - E.g. Carseat or Pram vs maybe unnecessary expensive Nursery Decor or other expensive items)
▪Don't go crazy buying loads and loads of clothing items (especially things like baby shoes) - yes they are sooo cute but they actually outgrow things pretty quickly!
▪Baby Shower - don't be afraid to let people know what you need. If they want to gift you something it may as well be something you will need. Things like nappies to add to a stockpile can also help!
▪Work out if & what you are comfortable with buying second hand (e.g. cot, change table) and what you want to try and buy new (eg. Cot mattress)
▪Check out Gumtree/Facebook marketplace for second hand items. You can save a ton of money and end up with something hardly used or something that won't take much to be great again.
▪Layby can be so incredibly helpful. I find starting laybys around the half way mark ideal (it is also around the time you can find out the gender). Pay it off over time and your items won't be taking up space before you need them. Afterpay and Zip Pay are also fantastic (as long as you don't miss payments as that will result in extra fees).
▪Make life easier (especially those first few weeks) by having a stash of pre cooked meals and snacks in your freezer.
▪Organize and apply for any parental leave, family tax benefit payments etc as soon as possible (before baby arrives if you can). Anything to do with Centrelink can take forever to process!
When baby is here:
Memories
Get creative - whether it be creating your own special baby memories keepsake box to having fun with your own little DIY photo shoot. These things are so special but usually can cost ALOT of money. But there's no need to miss out - doing your own could potentially turn out better & more special anyway!
Baby Needs
Don't be scared to buy the cheaper brands. Sometimes they end up being better than the more expensive ones and can save you a shitload of money!
Nappies I've tried all different brands in my time as a Mum and in working in child care and seriously - the Little Ones brand from Woolies are my favourite. They are actually great and can save quite alot ⬇️
Woolies 'Little Ones' brand 👌 $10 for a packet of 50 Nappies
Vs
Huggies Nappies 🤔 $28 for a packet of 48 Nappies
Wipes Wipes are very important in my house, not only do we have 3 kids in Nappies, but I also count on them for cleaning ! Obviously I wouldn't waste them if I were spending $5+ a packet but I really prefer the cheaper ones and even buy them in bulk which saves even more $$ ($10/6 packets)
Woolworths 'Little Ones' $2/80pack
Vs
Curash wipes $5/80pack
Sell/Giveaway
Keep special items and items that you may need down the track for future babies. Selling or giving away what you no longer need as you go can free up space and get some $$ back. I had a bouncer that I used for my first child that I gave to a friend when I was finished with it, she then gave it back when I was pregnant with my 2nd child. This bouncer also went to my sister for her baby and then back to me for my 3rd child! Sharing can be very useful!
Baby Food
Save time by freezing bulk lots of baby food. First purees can be stored in icecube trays. For babies a little older it can be as simple as saving some of that you've cooked and using a processor to get it to whatever consistency need then freeze. I've also found adding farex rice cereal to some of my purees a great and cheap way to change consistency and also bulk up the serves (especially with twins!).
If you have your own Hacks or Tips, feel free to share in the comments!