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  • Home
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    • Animal House
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  • Education
    • Money Matters - Kids
    • Back to School Guide
    • Preschools, Private Kindergarten & Child Care >
      • Preschool/Day Care Open Houses & Special Events
    • Child Enrichment Programs >
      • Art, Dance & Theatrical Schools >
        • Culinary Creations
      • Art & Painting Fun for Kids
      • Music and Writing
      • Paint Your Own Pottery & Glass Studios
    • Special Needs Children
    • LibraryPrograms >
      • Books for Kids
    • Summer Reading Fun
    • ParenthoodNJ Recommended Reading >
      • Books NJ Kids & Parents Love
      • Book Lists from NJ Libraries
    • Foreign Language Getting Started >
      • Foreign Language Classes
      • Other Foreign Language Resources
      • Foreign Language Groups
      • Foreign Language Books
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      • Learning on TV
      • Online & Computer Games
      • Other Techie Learning & Fun
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    • Preschool, Private Kindergarten & Child Care
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      • July 4 Fireworks and Events in New Jersey
      • Halloween 2016 Events in New Jersey
      • Father's Day Fun
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    • Winter Holiday Events Listings
    • Winter Holiday Fun Page
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      • Bergen County Annual Events
      • Burlington County Annual Events
      • Camden County Annual Events
      • Cape May County Annual Events
      • Cumberland County Annual Events
      • Essex County Annual Events
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      • Hunterdon County Annual Events
      • Mercer County Annual Events
      • Middlesex County Annual Events
      • Monmouth County Annual Events
      • Morris County Annual Events
      • Ocean County Annual Events
      • Passaic County Annual Events
      • Salem County Annual Events
      • Somerset County Annual Events
      • Sussex County Annual Events
      • Union County Annual Events
      • Warren County Annual Events
    • St. Patrick's Day Parades & Events
    • LibraryPrograms
    • Child Enrichment Programs
    • Holiday Gift Guide 2011 >
      • Specialty Toy Stores
      • Plush Toy Review
      • Little Pim Review
    • Holiday/Seasonal Books >
      • Spring Holiday Books
      • Summer Holiday Books >
        • Summer Reading Fun
      • Fall Holiday Books
      • Winter Holiday Books >
        • Oscar the Kitten Review
    • Kid-Friendly Fun >
      • All About the Arts for Kids
      • Animal & Nature Lovers
      • Dinosaurs
      • Jr History Detectives
      • Knights & Dragons
      • Mad About Science
      • Outer Space Page
      • Pirates! Arrr!
      • Superheroes
      • Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Ships
      • Princess and Fairies Page
    • Kids Camps >
      • Camp Tour Dates & Open Houses
      • Summer Camps by theme
    • Other sites for events & activities >
      • Koddler Events New Feed
    • The Great Outdoors >
      • Amusement Parks
      • NJ Spraygrounds & Water Parks
      • NJ Ski areas
      • NJ Farms
      • County Parks in NJ
      • Rec Departments in NJ
      • Beach Towns
    • Zoos, Horseback Riding >
      • Zoos by county
    • Museums
    • For a Rainy Day
    • Sports & Recreation >
      • Indoor Rock Gyms
      • Gymnastics & Yoga
      • Skating Rinks
      • Soccer Programs
      • Swimming Classes
    • Historic Sites & Houses >
      • Revolutionary War History & NJ Sites
    • Theaters & Shows
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    • General Health & Safety Resources
    • Safety Lessons for Kids
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    • Fire Safety & Planning
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    • NJ Safety Resources
    • Warm Weather Safety
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    • Allergy Resources
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      • Holiday Fashion Show for Charity
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      • Disney Frozen Birthday Party
      • Pirate Birthday Party
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Ten Ways to Prepare for a New Baby and Save Money

8/6/2019

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Having a baby? There are some ways to prepare for baby without breaking your budget. Sure, you can save money by breastfeeding over formula feeding or by using cloth diapers over disposables, but these options don't always work for families. The suggestions offered here are easy and can mesh with most families.
Do you really NEED it?
If you have a tight budget, here are some items you might be able to do without and save a little money.
1. Bassinet - Most babies don't need one after 3 months so this has a very short lifespan. But if you really want one (and I think it's a godsend if you breastfeed), see if you can borrow one from someone.
2. Changing table - most are only useful while baby is in diapers (a couple of years) and not only can they be expensive, they take up space. If you do get a changing table, you may be able to increase it's lifespan by using it to store toys or books in baby's room. Save money by borrowing one, buying a slightly used one or at least getting one on sale. Another way to save money and space is to get a playpen that has a changing table feature (such as Graco's Pack N Play). The changing table can be removed when you use it as a playpen.
3. Swing or vibrating chair? Many babies have a preference, so if you get both, keep the packaging and return the least favored item. Then you can put that money towards something you really need.

4. Books. Many parents want to read to their baby after (and even before) they are born. That's great. Just buy ONE or two books to read to baby in the beginning. Your baby won't be as interested in the book until they are at least 3 or 4 months old anyway. And when you want to expand your child's library, shop at book sales and garage sales or even at www.half.com. (other great sites are Better World Books and Book Depository). The Barnes & Noble website often has children's books - and even toys - in their sale annex.
Easy ways to save money
1. Get yourself on mailing lists for baby stores and manufacturers before baby's arrival to save money on the things you need. You can get valuable coupons, notice of upcoming sales and, in some cases, free samples. Start with places such as Babies R Us, Pampers, Huggies, Beech Nut, Gerber and Earth's Best. Some companies, such as Pampers, even offer a buying club so you get points for what you buy; those points can be redeemed for toys and other items.
2. See if friends or family with slightly older kids have clothes, toys or other items to give or loan you. With clothes and toys, most parents are glad to see someone else use the stuff and even happier to have some extra space.
3. If you like clothes, sign up for a Gap credit card and they take 10% of your first purchase and 10% off your purchases at Baby Gap the 1st Tues of the month.
4. Buy rechargeable batteries. Many baby products - such as swings and bouncy chairs - will eat batteries and it can cost you a small fortune (especially the items that require D batteries). Buy double of what you need (ie if a swing needs four D batteries, buy eight batteries) so you can have one set charged when the other set dies.
5. See if your supermarket has a baby club. They are free to join and you get points or cash back on purchases you would make anyway.
6. Look beyond baby stores for your supplies. For example, baby gates are often cheaper at pet stores than at baby stores. And you can often find regularly priced crib sheets cheaper at the large super stores (such as Target) than at places such as Babies R Us.
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Hey! It's Free! Website

11/5/2010

0 Comments

 
The Hey! It's Free! website is a great site for finding freebies in a user-friendly manner. You can periodically check the home page for the latest free stuff or visit the various categories, including children, to see what new offers there are.

For example, if your child is still in diapers, Hey! It's Free! often has codes that you can use for the Huggies Enjoy the Ride and Pampers Gifts to Grow rewards programs. All you do is copy and paste the codes in your account and you have free points. If you haven't signed up for either of these rewards programs and you buy Huggies or Pampers products, you should take advantage of the free rewards program (and Hey! It's Free! has a 100-point code for new Pampers enrollees by Nov. 30).

This site is a great way to keep informed of upcoming offers for free samples as well and you can check it as often as you like or even sign up for updates.
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    About Me & this blog 

    Sandra K. Lee is a freelance writer and stay-at-home mom with a toddler and school-age child in Central New Jersey. She also writes other blogs including Momoirs and on NJ.com.

    This blog features places, attractions, products and services I or my immediate family have tried or use/visit. Unless noted in the review, I did not receive compensation (i.e. a free item, review copy, discount/free admission) and own or have owned the item, borrowed the item or paid my own money. In some cases reviews are based on recommendations by other NJ parents and those also will be noted.

    If you would like to inquire about a review, please email me.



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