Keeping something that’s growing at a rate of about an inch a month (which babies do for the first 6 months of their life) in clothes that fit is quite a challenge.
I know from experience that in their first year or so, barely a week goes by that you don't pull something out of the cupboard that they've suddenly outgrown. Trouble is, you can't trade in for bigger sizes when you're done, apparently, clothing stores don't work like that, even if they only wore it once or twice.
So how do you free up the money for essentials like diapers and formula and still keep baby snug and snazzy? Here are some ideas.
Baby shower!
Who doesn’t love a party? A baby is definitely worth celebrating, and mommy might get a few little spoils too, aside from getting to coo over gorgeous baby booties and tiny onesies.
Naturally, you’ll get plenty of wipes and diapers, but most ladies love shopping for baby clothes, though most people will lean towards the tiny little newborn outfits. Adorable as they are, my little one wore newborn clothes for less than a month – some babies never fit into them at all! Which brings us to the next bit of advice…?
Register
Whether you create an online registry or just a basic list on the back of your invitations, make sure people know what you need. This is great when it comes to clothing because you can ask specifically for bigger sizes.
Aside from the odd spit-up, and yes, poop-splosions, newborns are pretty clean, so they don’t need all that many clothes until they’re crawling around, eating messy solids and finding dirt to play in. So ask for bigger sizes too, you can fill the gaps yourself once you see what you’ve got.
Second-hand baby clothes
Like I said, they really don’t wear it for very long before it’s too small. The same applies to other people’s kids. Lots of people sell their babies' clothes pretty cheap online when they're done with them, either on Facebook or on swap sites like this one here. It's a great way to keep getting good quality, affordable baby clothes. And when your little one's done, sell them again!
If you’re lucky, you might just happen to have a friend or family member with a baby of the same gender, a little bit older than yours. If so, then you’ve got the pick of the bunch – or, said lady may be kind enough to simply give you what she doesn’t need anymore.
Cut costs elsewhere
As long as you’re not squeamish, you can save plenty by switching to cloth diapers. Not necessarily old school cloth squares and waterproofs, modern cloth nappies are gorgeous.
I worked out my cost, and my total cloth diaper investment equaled the average 3 month spend on disposables! You really do save a lot, not to mention the benefit for the environment, but it’s definitely not for everyone.
So invite the whole town to your baby shower, cut costs with cloth diapers, or shop online for quality second-hand stuff. Your babe will be royally dressed.
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