Five ways to save money on baby stuff

Check out these money saving ideas from the new 10th edition of Consumer Reports Best Baby Products, available in our online bookstore and in bookstores nationwide.

Go with store-brand disposable diapers. Although Consumer Reports tests show that the name brands are the top-rated disposable diapers, because overall they tend to be more absorbent and fit better, you may find store brands more than adequate—and a cost cutter. You’ll save about three cents per diaper if, for example, you compare the cost of size 1 Parent’s Choice diapers, Wal-Mart’s store-brand, with Pampers, also size 1. Saving pennies per diaper may not seem like much, but with 10 changes per day (which is reasonable with an infant), you’d bank about $9 per month and $108 per year using the size 1 store brand diapers.

Breast-feed if you can. It’ll save you $2,000 a year, the money you’d spend on infant formula.

If you choose or need to use infant formula, buy powdered formula. It cost less than concentrated liquid or liquid formula. And keep in mind that all infant formula sold in the U.S. must meet the same basic nutrient requirements specified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, so if your baby likes store-brand formula, buy it—in the largest-size cans you can find.

Get bargain-priced bottles. The best prices we’ve found on major-brand baby bottles were at Wal-Mart and Target. Major baby stores also offer sale and coupon mailers and newspaper inserts, so watch for them. The latest Babies “R” Us mailer we’ve seen gave a 15 percent discount on bottles and feeding accessories from Philips Avent, Dr. Brown’s, Born-Free, MAM, Evenflo, and Playtex. It also offered discounts on hundreds of other baby products.

Don’t think you have to shell out to get a quality stroller. Bigger-ticket strollers often have such comfy amenities as adjustable handles, which can save your back if you’re tall, but so do a number of cheaper models. In fact, a lower-end stroller may serve you well. For infrequent travel or trips to the mall, an umbrella stroller (less than $100) may be all you need for a child 6 months or older. But if you’re going to be strolling more often and through all kinds of weather conditions and terrain, consider spending more. But you don’t have to go high-end—in the range of $750 or more. You can find good quality all-purpose strollers starting at around $150.

Share your baby money-saving ideas with us!

Comments

[peteleect]

I am definitely going to pick this up ASAP. Great tips...and who couldn't use great tips at this particular time.

Can't wait to show my wife the one about the stroller...she is seven months along and it seems now I might be able to avoid getting the Lexus of the stroller world that friends have recommended to her!

And I am all about the formula recommendation. Actually done some research on this that matches up with what the book is saying. As long as they have to meet the same nutritional guidelines, why pay twice as much???