Children are expensive to take care of. That’s an unavoidable fact. What’s worse is that many times grocery chains exploit that fact by increasing the prices of their baby and child care items because they know that they’re necessities and people can’t avoid buying them. You can go without cookies for a week, but diapers are something that always have to be in stock.
If you’re a new mother or father and want to save a little money by buying in bulk or from retailers outside of traditional grocery outlets, you’ve definitely come to the right place. Below we’ll dive into all of the different products that can be found cheaper online and how you can take advantage of sales and offers directly from distributors to best save money each month.
Diapers
Obviously, diapers are one of the best ways to save money on your grocery bill each month if you buy them online in bulk instead of heading to the local store. Another benefit of buying line is saving on shipping costs. At last check, both Walmart and Target had
additional shipping costs when purchasing certain types of diapers.
If you’re a Huggies fan, Target often offers free shipping on online purchases of $50 or more worth of Huggies products, but if Huggies diapers aren’t your thing, then chances are that special is worthless to you. Walmart on the other hand has tried to compete with both Diapers.com and Target by charging a flat $.97 shipping fee. While tempting, their diapers are still a little overpriced compared to other retailers. The key to saving money on diapers is finding the right balance between shipping costs and the quantity you’re purchasing. Shopping around is the only way to ensure that you get the best price.
Our personal favorite at the blog by far is ordering Pampers Dry Diapers through Amazon. For right around $50 you can get right around 200 diapers sent directly to your door. And if you’re an Amazon plus member, you can get free 2 day shipping in case you’re in a hurry with a baby emergency!
Baby Formula
Another wildly expensive thing kids need is good baby formula. Who woulda known that they’d need to be fed all the time?! I joke.
It’s easy to get lost in the maze of baby formula bottles as they all look the same but have wildly different ingredients in them that parents become convinced their
children need. The best advice you can get would be from your child’s pediatrician who can tell you exactly what your child needs to stay healthy and well. If you’re not worried about discovering the perfect baby formula for your child and would instead like to go with a simple and well rounded meal instead, there are plenty of options available online. They may not be sold by big name brands such as Gerber, but many times these third party baby formulas are much more nutritious and come at a cheaper price than the big name brands.
It only takes a quick glance at the benefits and reviews of Similac Nutrition formula to see how well it’s been received by customers. The nicest thing about the jumbo pack linked above is simply how much formula you get for the money. Six 1 pound tubs of the formula should last you a few months with your child. This particular formula is designed for hypoallergenic children, so it may not be advisable to feed it to your child unless recommended by a doctor.
Tip: It may be worthwhile to note that if you have a recommendation from a doctor that your baby needs a particular type of baby formula or dietary supplement to stay healthy, you can often get coverage for the food from your employment company. Baby products are quite expensive, so if you can make a claim with your company for allowance for them to pay for most, if not all of your baby’s food, it could be well worth it.
Essential Baby Reading
While you could try and guess what it is your baby needs, there are always great resources available that can guide you along the way to parenthood. If you’re unsure of which type of diapers are best for your child, or which type of formula you should be considering for your newborn depending on how old they are or what stage of pregnancy you’re in, we recommend reading a book aptly titled, “The Baby Book.” It’s chock full of ideas and tips on how to keep your baby healthy for the first two years of their life. The book is written by a nationally recognized pediatrician, making it not only helpful but also factual.