Hints on ways to save on baby items

[florel]

Hi everyone this is my first post and I am soon to be a first time mum and was looking for your suggestions on ways to save on all the stuff you need for the baby.

I have been told that Coles brand baby wipes are as good as huggies ones.

and I'm going to try using mostly cloth nappies instead of disposables.

Any other suggestions?

[Spewiesmum]

Shop around and buy in bulk. I was unable to BF and we go through a tin of formula a week. I looked around and found the Good Price pharmacy (or perhaps similar depending on where you are) was about $5 cheaper a tin than most other places. It takes me 20 mins to get to this pharmacy so I always buy as much as I can carry. I also found Huggies disposables (90 pack) a lot cheaper and because we mainly use cloth, the box will last us a long time.

Also look for local baby markets. They are held in Qld every now and then and parents sell everything you'd need to start a nursery and clothe your baby. I picked up a feeding pillow for $25 which retails for $60.

[tyhleigha & izaiah's mum]

hi,

i use wollworths brand wipes and there exactly the same as huggies sometime i think there better and a hell of a lot cheaper

breastfeed it will save you heaps of cash trust me i found out

ebay has cheap baby stuff www.ebay.com.au

cloth nappies are the way too go, instead of diposables there so expensive

washable nappy liners

[Mummy-2-2]

I found the coles brand wipes useless... if I use disposable wipes I go the little wishes (woolies brand) I too think they are just as good as huggies (fingers dont go through them.

I use cut up terry nappies for wipes. They grab onto everything far mor easily and with less effort than the disposable wipes, then I rinse them in the laundry and chuck them in the machine with the nappies.

If you are going to use cloth nappies, try the modern cloths because they are far more easy to use than terries and far more absorbant too.

Look in the newspaper for really cheap baby stuff.... ie wooden cot with mattress etc. Even throwing out the mattress and buying a new one (dont use the old one for sids reasons) and painting the wooden cot in the colours you want for your lil' un can give you a real sense of satisfaction and cost next to nothing.

ummm what else?

If you are going to bottle feed, you can get wide mouthed anti colic bottles at toys r us for a fraction of the cost of what you can in coles/woolies/kmart etc

Depending on how big a gap you want between your kids, look for a pram that can have a toddler seat attached to it. (I didnt and had to buy a completely new pram 15 months later!!)

If you can find any cute unisex clothes and accessories, buy them mainly as you can then use them for #2 as well. (I know its hard thinking of #2 when #1 isnt here yet, but I wish I did!!)

I will keep thinking and get back to you if I think of anything else!!

enough:ecomcity: :ecomcity:

[MissSparkle]

Look out for sales. Big W and Kmart have regular sales on all baby items where u can buy bouncers and prams really cheap. Breastfeeding does save alot of money too! I use the woolies or coles brand baby wipes and I find that they r just as good as any others. There are also Nappy factorys around that supply bulk disposables if u decide to use them. When u have a baby shower, if people ask what u need tell them specific things so u don't get heaps of stuff u already have or u don't need.

[OM]

Buy 2nd hand items! :D :D

[Mumoffour]

buy secondhand big stuff like cots and changetables.

breastfeed:D

dont listen to what J&J tell you-:shame: a new babe doesnt need bath gel, talc, nappy change lotion etc etc.

best deal for wipes is the bulk packs of huggies from big w/ kmart- 240 for about 13 dollars.

at home use a washer and water (we have a little bucket for bubs bum- fresh water each dirty nap- i put chamomile in it to soothe her bot)

use cloth naps at home and for short trips. we use weenies on shopping day.

check out ebay/garage sales/ jumble sales/ op shops for clothes.

a pot of dye makes old whites bright pink/blue/purple etc.

knowing how to sew makes a difference.

[stilldreaming]

Depending on how big a gap you want between your kids, look for a pram that can have a toddler seat attached to it. (I didnt and had to buy a completely new pram 15 months later!!)


I totally agrree! I am in the same boat as are a few of my friends........make sure you buy one that you can add to if you have more children. Prams can be so expensive, especially if you have to buy more than 1!

Ebay is fab for all sorts of goodies, clothes especially at bargain prices. I have also picked up lots of excellent toys at garage sales sooooo cheap. :smiliedance:

[lilmissymoo]

Hi and congrats on your bundle, Ebay is a great way to start, you can buy in bulk anything really you can think of. Clothes are especially good in bulk and can come in one size or a range of sizes, just need to do a little looking around. Other good places are the op shops ..... Salvos, goodwill etc, your bubs wont be in the clothes for very long as they grow so quickly, and the quality is fairly good. Hope this helps and good luck

[florel]

thanks :) for all the suggestions has anyone tried makng their own fitted cloth nappies or AIOs?

[florel]

also if you dont need baby wash what do you use instead? I thought you arent supposed to use soap?

[the_queen]

You can use sorbolene cream instead of baby wash. Buy it in bulk and it's so much cheaper than the brand name baby wash which is basically soap anyway (look at the ingredients...)


I buy heaps and heaps and heaps of kids books at op shops. Obviously don't buy the torn or scribbled on ones, sometimes you have to hunt through but I always find some really good bargains. Most places have a "5 for $1" deal or something like that. You get heaps of Little Golden Books, and heaps of (obviously these are not for everyone, but for us we like them) the Bible story books for kids. It also is good for teaching that books are precious and should never ever be thrown away, you look after them nicely and then give them to the op shop when you're grown up.

[blayzesmum]

Hi everyone great suggestions on saving money on bub, it can be so expensive, yeah i agree with second hand things you can pick up really good deals, also garage sales, freebies and give aways in the paper, plenty of people give baby stuff they dont use anymore to op shops. Some baby shops have a second hand section in their shop, just ask.
To mum 2-2 great ideas but sometimes you have to be careful with painting your cot, or receiving second hand ones, cause the paint may be lead, or they can chew off normal paint which cant be good. My mother in law insisted i use her old cot that she used for my brother in law and i checked it out and it wasnt safe, The rails where too far apart i.e head or limb could of been trapped and i was suss on the flaking white paint. it just peeeled off when i touched it. It was hard to convince my mother in law that it wasnt safe so i sent her a pamphlet about cot safety from the department of fair trading website. Great site they tell you about recalled baby items etc.
Sorry for ramblin, and dont mean to lecture just want bubs to be safe :ecomcity:

[jessgray]

thanks :) for all the suggestions has anyone tried makng their own fitted cloth nappies or AIOs?
i have had a go at making my own fitted cloth nappies and am now making some AIO's they turned out pretty good :)

[chillifly]

i dont agree in the end they work out just as expensive
you have to buy the cleaning products ect then there is the water cost
electricty cost sanitising and softener
so when you add it up its about the same


We looked into this and you actually save between $2000 and $3000 over a 2 year period. More if you dry pail. You should do the research - I think you'd be really surprised. We were :D

[jessgray]

i agree.
napisan cost less then a pack of dispoables. and further sanatising is done by the sun when you dry them on the line.
the intial set up cost for fitted cloth or AIO's may seem a bit high in the start but you do save money over time.

[chillifly]

And if you dry pail then you don't need napisan; only detergent (and half the usual amount), softener (vinegar if you desire), water and the sun :smiliedance:

[JodieC]

I use an old desk with a change pad on top as a change table, i keep the nappies in the draws and next to the change pad is heaps of room to keep all his creams and wipes plus spare changes of clothes

[chillifly]

can u use vineagar as softener?
wouldnt it make your clothes smell

Should have been a comma between softner and the vinegar comment. Vinegar gives them a 'clean' smell, doesn't smell like vinegar at all. Helps to keep fluff to a minimum on a normal clothes wash too.

Yes, everything was added in to the savings I said before regarding cloth versus disposables. It also included soaking in napisan and using warm water rather than cold and drypailing (from memory). I will post the link/s if I can find them again. Stay tuned :D

[My Miracle Baby]

For ladies out there who are trying to conceive or have just found out they are pregnant, buy one item per week/fortnight for baby. Eg clothes, bottles, bottle bag, rugs/wraps, play gym, rocker. Big items like a cot or pram can wait until later when you definetly know baby is on the way. I have been doing this for a while and I am getting a nice collection so that when the time baby arrives, I will have most things and wont have to find the money to buy it all at once.

Also, only buy things when they are on sale. Dont throw out your junk mail. Read it and you will see when things are on special. Target always has things on special for babies. Look at the supermaket magazines and you will see when nappies etc are on sale. Reading the junk mail allows you to compare prices and save $$$.:smiliedance:

[chillifly]

The maths:

Softener @ $1.95 / 2000mls x 60ml (.5 cap) = 6c
Cold Power @ $14.86 / 5000mls x 60ml (.5 cap) = 18c
Electricity @ $161.28 (incl. gst) / 1195 kw x 0.148kw = 2c (54kw per year, 7 washes per week)
Water @ $0.65 per 1000lts - 65c / 1000lts x 72lts = 5c

6c + 18c + 2c + 5c = 31c per 12 nappies (.5 load)

If you say 12 cloth nappies per day (max nappies suggested by antenatal class & to be honest we'd use maybe 10) was .5 load and you washed every day
= 364 x 31c
= $112.84 to wash the nappies (water, electricity, detergent and softener)

Purchase 24 x factory second terry towelling nappies @ $17.95 and say they last you a year (though they last much longer than this)
= $17.95 / 364
= .05c a day

Total cost per day when using cloth nappies = $0.36
Total cost per year when using cloth nappies = $130.79

If you washed every second day and did a full load (24 nappies), having bought 48 nappies, it would be a fair bit cheaper than $130.79 (this is what we do). Keep in mind that you rarely if ever use 12 cloth nappies a day as well.

Obviously if you used liners (cloth being cheaper or disposable) you would need to factor this in as well. And if you used the tumble dryer to dry them instead of being out in the sun (rainy day or whatever), you would need to factor this in. But check out the cost of disposable nappies - no way using the tumble dryer and liners would push the cost of cloth over that!


Let's say you use 8 disposable nappies a day (the minimum suggested by the antenatal class):

8 x 364 days = 2912 nappies per year

Babylove medium 5 - 11kg nappies from www.mumshappynappies.com.au (bulk buy) @ $108 for 288

$108 / 288 = $0.38 per nappy

2912 x $0.38 = $1106.56

Total cost per day when using disposables = $3.04
Total cost per year when using disposables = $1106.56

That's a difference of $2.68 per day or $975.77 per year :eek:

Even if you add in the cost for pilchers, plakky pants or even fitted nappies, it still works out cheaper.

In terms of taking time away from my child, NO WAY! I put them on of a night time to soak and wash while we're all asleep (and this would get the cheaper electricity tariff too if its applicable to you - don't think it is for us), and peg them out during her morning nap; or if she's awake, she comes outside and sits in her bouncy bouncy with me and gets a bit of the morning sun and talks to the birds :)


*Softner bought from Bi-Lo (If you bought bulk would probably be cheaper)
*Cold Power from Big W (5 lt bottle decanted into smaller one - again if you bought bulk would probably be cheaper)
*Electricity - taken from last bill from Energex and energy label specific to our 7lt top loading machine (front loading would use less electriciy)
*Water cost from last rates notice (front loading washing machine would use less water)
*Disposable nappy price from www.mumshappynappies.com.au latest pamphlet

Cheers - Amy

PS. nearly 100% sure the maths is all right as got DH to work it out :o. Yet to find that website.....

[Smurfette]

Amy, there was never any question in my mind that cloths would be cheaper, but its great to see the cost savings written down. Thanks for that. Aside from cost, it used to annoy me putting nappy on top of nappy in the bin. I was always one of those that said,' I am using disposables no matter what', what a turn around. I love my cloths.

Anyway, back to saving money. Markets. I love the markets. I go to the one up the road most Sundays mornings ( you need to get there early) and pick up clothes, toys and books. I bought Liv some toys a month or so ago, all for $1 each. I bought 5 x peek a blocks for $1. Two of her fav toys were $1 each. When she needs new clothes I go to the market. I often pick up great clothes for $2 each. Even if I had the money, I would still not buy new. You buy some great second hand stuff for next to nothing and its fun. For all us mummy's, we know how quickly our little bubs grows out of things or just doesn't use them, so I know a lot of stuff I buy is like brand new.:thumbsup:

[vanillabean]

I find home brand baby bath from woolies smells really nice. I also buy huggies nappies in the boxes when they are on special. I have heard (Not tried them myself) that the woolies brand nappies are really good too.

[Smurfette]

I find home brand baby bath from woolies smells really nice. I also buy huggies nappies in the boxes when they are on special. I have heard (Not tried them myself) that the woolies brand nappies are really good too.


Oh yeah they are good, although nearly as expensive as huggies. They are never on special either.

[jessgray]

:o i find cloth are cheaper for me. although i do agree that you need to factor in the electrocty and water etc. where i live we dont pay the water bill the landlords do. so we onyl need to factor in the electrcity which isnt very much.

[Charlie's Mum]

I recommend using sorbelene and tissues when you are at home and wipes when you are out. It is heaps cheaper and doesn't give your baby a rash. You also don't need to wait for it to dry when putting a new nappy on which is handy at night when you are tired and your baby is grumpy!

[Chickadee]

Go to the various baby expos and shows if you can. The stores and suppliers often have special deals on. Also make note of the stuff you like and who sells it, then go pay them a visit a few weeks or month after the show. You may be able to pick up the show "demonstrator" model at a huge discount. We got a new Boori crib for half price simply because it was a floor model and had been assembled and disassembled a few times for display at the show and the store.

[myboyjack]

hi congratulations, firstly i have a boy and i found that coles and woolworths wipes are just as gd as the more expensive brands, little wishes (woolies) are just like huggies nice and thick. Like the other mothers have said cloth nappies at home and short trips. I use disposable mainly at night, huggies, cloth during the day and short trips, visiting etc. i found at woolies in the nappy section (bebes) nappy mates, they are pads that you put on the liner and they do help to absorb alot of the wetness. also as your baby gets older around 6 months the woolies home brand nappies are also gd as are the coles brand, i dont mean the savings brand, although they are fine too, but the other coles brand cant remember the name. they are cheap and work just as gd as the more expensive ones.
lastly keep your eye out at bigw for baby love they are often on special and you can save.
also BREASTFEED if you can.............gd luck and again congrats.

their is just so much to say, sorry..:ecomcity: :ecomcity: :ecomcity: :)

[SweetSerenity]

Buy baby wipes in bulk on ebay!

I just bought a batch and in total including shipping it cost me $46.50 for 30 packs of 100 wipes....works out to be around $1.50 a pack!!!!!!

A HUGE saving! And they do as good of a job as any others!

Also, most of the time, formula is a bit cheaper than supermarkets! So it's good to shop around!

[2littleprincesses]

We have one of those chemists, I think Chemist Warehouse, about 10 min away from us and they have formula even cheaper than KMart/BIg W. Also prescription products are A LOT cheaper!

I wait until KMart has 15% off storewide, then buy formula, Omo sensitive (as I rarely find that on special), deodorant, Lux flakes all that sort of stuff.

[jessgray]

chemist warehouse had huggies nappies for $11 this week :D:thumbsup:

[MummaRobyn]

I love Aldi wipes and Aldi nappies - both just as good as huggies, the brand is Mamia :) They are a huge saving, wipes are $3.99 and nappies are about $15.

[kymmy]

Breastfeed:)
Op Shop
Buy At Sales
On Line
Factory
Bulk Buy Nappies And Wipes
Shortcuts
Don't Buy Toys They Only Need A Few After 6 Mths
Don't Buy Skin Care Products Except Baby Wash

Never Pay Retail If You Don't Have To:d

[the_queen]

When you see a gigantic industrial-size pack of Sorbolene Cream, buy it. It can be used as body-wash for the whole family, it's a great moisturiser, and you can put drops of essential oil in it to make a massage cream. It's much cheaper than buying all that other brand-name crud. :thumbsup:

[Issey]

I started making cloth fitted nappies when I was pregnant, downloaded a pattern from the internet. I used nice flanellette with a 6 layer flanellete pad concealed in the middle or a face washer folded into thirds. It is much better for the landfill as I used over 400 nappies in the first few weeks of having bubs as had to buy newborns as he was sooo small!! The flanellete cost me about $2.50 to make each. I use disposables at night and buy when on special. I wish I made AIO though as would have been better. Still I have picked up heaps of nappy covers in op shops and markets and even some brand name fitted nappies.

I buy 99% of bubs clothes at opshops and the markets for as little as 50 cents each. I love the bargain hunt. I have some great stuff, Peter Rabbit, Pumpkin Patch etc all in vgc. Check on Ebay for bulk lots I usually only buy if I can get for $1 each including the postage. Also you can check your state or area you live in and ask for pick up so you can save more or pick up furniture you can collect. You can resell on ebay and get most of your money back :smiliedance:

I use Little Angel wipes from Big W they are under $4 for a pack of 320. :D

[MummaRobyn]

I use Little Angel wipes from Big W they are under $4 for a pack of 320. :D

What is the quality of the wipes like ?? Can you liken them to any other brand... I would like to try them :)

[jessgray]

my DS has osh kosh clothes and pumpkin patch clothes and they came from an op shop all up i think i spent less then $7 on them all :thumbsup:

[florel]

debster do you know what internet site you downloaded the pattern from?

[jessgray]

debster do you know what internet site you downloaded the pattern from?
there is a thread in the nappy section that has many links for patterns :thumbsup: there is even a free one

[~Emmylou~]

Take good care of your first baby's clothes. I am about to have a second daughter and she will hardly need any clothing because all DD1's clothes have been washed, stains removed and packed away in plastic crates since she stopped wearing them. Pulled them out the other day and they are perfect ;) Great way to save for the second baby :)

Agree on the Aldi wipes and nappies, they're great. Also the homebrand Woolworths wipes are good, but .50c dearer than Aldi wipes. Dont fall for the Huggies rort!

Def buy a pram that can add toddler seat...I've been burned on this one.

No talcum powder, baby oil, baby lotion. I was given tons of this as baby shower presents and I've never used them. I only use baby shampoo and baby bath.

Breastfeeding saves you at least $20 a week. I plan to continue with it much longer this time after experiencing the realities of the cost of formula, bottles etc

Homemade baby food is cheap and nutritious if you have the time, and so many benefits.

We also joined Amcal's rewards program and are regularly able to get something for free as we rack up points so quickly. You would be amazed how much you suddenly spend at the chemist with a baby.

[Milliner]

I agree Ebay love it find so many cheap clothes in good condition on there, I also shop at nappyland and buy bulk items cotton wool, wipes nappies really cheap. There are also a few second hand baby shops around (in melb anyway) they sell everything cots, prams, changetable. toys and clothes. Thats a great way to save money. Look around!!!

[MumsieMel]

GO ALDI!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :smiliedance: :smiliedance:

[~BEXTER~]

with the wipes i find that a big pack of huggies that cost about $10 last me 3 months or more
i did use jonhnsons and a pack use to last me 2 weeks or maybe a little more
as for nappies i use babylove $8 pack last a week
i found that you should shop around for formula
and but your clothes at the end of season or when on sale (obvious)

[cwsmum]

Jelly Belly Baby...or something like that...a brand sold at Dollars & Sense ..anyway, the babyfood pots and bowls are great :thumbsup: Both come in a pack of 3, pink, blue and yellow, all with lids. The lids seal really well. I was impressed :D

[EDIOH]

I agree Ebay love it find so many cheap clothes in good condition on there, I also shop at nappyland and buy bulk items cotton wool, wipes nappies really cheap. There are also a few second hand baby shops around (in melb anyway) they sell everything cots, prams, changetable. toys and clothes. Thats a great way to save money. Look around!!!

Hey can i have the location of these stores?

Thank you.

[twins+another]

Just my two cents worth....

I think the Coles wipes are great, and so are the Bi-lo and K-Mart nappies.

I use Dove soap on my babies and have since I brought them home. It is very gentle on their skin.

When buying books from op shops, cover the pages and cover in clear contact so that they can't tear the pages (much cheaper than buying board books).

As for buying 2nd hand clothes, I have found that buying at the end of season sales in larger sizes and buying off ebay when out of season works out cheapest (less people bidding on the items you want;) ).

But most of all, keep an open mind and don't be afraid to try something different if it is on special or great value.

[gremily]

i make my own washing detergent, extremely cheap, but works really well. I use napisan if there are stubborn stains.

1/3 cake grated pure soap
1/3 cup washing soda
200 drops Any essential oils (I use tea tree oil, and lavender)

In a bucket dissolve soap in boiling water. Add essential oils and washing soda. Fill bucket with water. Leave overnight. Use 2-4 cups depending on load.
I decant it into empty 2L containers.
I also use 1/4 cup vinegar in the final rinse. To stretch the vinegar even more pour 1/2 into another container, fill both with water, leave overnight and it 'infuses' back to normal strength......voila!

I get my essential oils, organic baby shampoo and wash, moisturiser, etc, from new directions. For 1kg organic baby shampoo or baby wash it costs about $18 (I'm still on the same bottles I got when DD2 was born), and the lavender costs about $15 for 100ml.

I kept some clothes from DD1, but I've been given tons of barely used handmedowns from a friend. I've only bought about 4 clothes for DD2 in 10 mths!

You don't need ALL the latest and greatest baby products. A cot, pram, baby sling (couldn't get by without my baby sling - ebay chickadee $35 inc postage) will get you by.

I think i've gone on enough!! Will think of more for another time:)

[Goosie22]

Hi
the diper hyena (http://www.thediaperhyena.com/reap.htm) has a couple of good links to different patterns, depending on what you like and your sewing ability.

[MumOfTwoBoys]

Slightly off topic because it's not directly related to baby items but rather to the whole family. Have you tried CHEMIST WAREHOUSE ? Their prices are really good. We buy all our medicines there (when needed) as well as all QV products that I use (bath oil, cream, wash). E.g. QV cream at my local chemist costs $10 (!)more than in Chemist Warehouse. We've got several of them here in Melbourne. If you have one in your area definitely have a look.