Baby on a Budget? My ultimate tips!

You may be in the same situation as me, a step-parent to two and expecting your first, or expecting your first on low income, or could even be your tenth and tightening up the family spending's.

I am a full blown cheap shopper, and sometimes, cheapest is best, and you can get a lot more with less. Here are my top tips for baby on a budget.

Tip 1

Make a list!

I cannot stress it enough that this is so important!! I made a fair few lists, and I am so happy I did. 11 weeks until my Eleanor is here and I have almost everything for her! This will also ensure that you don't over buy, and don't buy things you really don't need. Talk to other Mum's about what they did and didn't use and work your list from that and things you think would actually work for you.

The first list I done, was hospital bags. Labour stuff, like snacks, crap old clothes that you don't mind get ruined... Elle's bags, her first clothes, hats, mittens, blankets etc.

Then I went onto my big ticket items that I needed as soon as she was born. You need to think about how much space you have when deciding on this too. So I just had Bassinet, Blankets, 0000 and 000 clothes, nursing pillow, bottles, nappies, nappy bag, etc.

And then I made a list of what size clothing she will be for the first year of her life through different seasons. This is so when I brought second hand clothes, and had some given to me, it would be the right clothing for the right season.

Tip 2

Check out your local Buy, Swap, and Sell on Facebook

This tip has saved me so much money, and trust me good stuff does come up!

I got my bassinet for $50AUD second hand from my neighbour when she advertised hers.

I got a gliding chair and gliding ottoman for nursing for $50AUD

I also picked up last night a brand new change table still in it's box for $30.

These buy swap and sell sites are really worth keeping an eye on as good quality items come up regularly.

Tip 3

Like Pages on Facebook like Mum's Grapevine for shopping deals and a heap of competitions!

Yep this one is a bit different. Facebook pages like these are run by mum's and you get good product advice etc. They are regularly sharing recalled product announcements, competitions (and good ones at that) and also really good sales. I have brought some nice Peter Rabbit stuff, Blankets and Toys for Eleanor off of these sorts of pages from the sales they have shared.

Tip 4

Hit up clearance racks

Remember in tip 1 how I said to make the list of what size your bubba will be roughly through the seasons? Here is where to use it! When Winter clothing goes on sale at Target and K-Mart etc. Hit it up and buy next years winter clothing! It's not even just bubba I do this for. I even do this with all of Trinity and Xander's clothing (they don't know that though).

I spend about a quarter of the price on clothes as I would if I brought them every season!

Tip 5

OP Shops!

Yep you heard me, Op Shops! Best thing ever!

As most babies grow so quickly in the first year, if you head to your local Oppy Shoppy, majority of baby clothes are near new as people have their babies in them for a few months then donate to the op shop. And I must admit I have had some pretty decent scores at the op shop before. From Ralph Lauren Baby to Country Road Baby! Just need to look in the right spots !

So now you know my biggest tips for shopping for baby on a budget.

If you follow these main ones, you will pick up on it all very quickly and adapt your own style of budget baby shopping.

Happy budget shopping!