Keeping costs under control with a new baby

Blogger Network member, Helen Neale, shares her tips on how to budget for a new baby...

My daughter was born seven years ago in October, but it still seems like it was yesterday that I looked down on her in her cot in hospital and couldn't believe that she was real.

Before she was born, we probably got a wee bit carried away with the buying for a new baby thang. Not surprisingly, we were a wee bit over excited. I probably allowed the nesting drive to take over as well.

In hindsight, there were a few things we should have focused on to keep costs under control. So let me share my thoughts with you now; perhaps you can learn from my mistakes.

Buy a buggy that suits your needs

There are lots of cool buggies on the market, ones that fold up to the size of a penny piece (well ish), ones that climb mountains on their own, ones that fit all your shopping under them, and ones that even carry your baby neatly and safely!

When buying a buggy, just remember what you want it for.

Do you drive? If not, then you need a light one, easily collapsible for public transport. Do you have a small car? Make sure it fits in the boot. I could keep going, but write down what you need and with that in mind do your research and get one that suits as much of those needs as possible.

Bodysuits and sleepsuits are the answer

You can buy lots of lovely clothes for your new baby. Don't get me wrong, it’s lovely to see little ones in a nice pretty dress or lovely trousers. However, make sure you have a big collection of plain sleepsuits and bodysuits because you'll be changing the baby's clothes a lot!

They are easy to buy, particularly these from supermarkets, and easy to get on and off. And if you're out and about, they are easy to pack as a change of clothes too. Most importantly though, they are pretty cheap. You can get packs of two simple ones for as little as $5 in some places, so get stocked up!

Only get the essentials before the baby is born (if you can!)

"Don't make the same mistakes as me, and buy everything in sight, and then never use it!"

I know this is really hard to do, as we all want to have a browse, and grab anything that looks cute in all the baby shops out there. But really, we just need to make sure that the baby and you are comfortable. So to start with get the basics that will help with this. These are some things to think about before baby arrives:

● What nappies will you use?
● Do you have somewhere safe to change their nappies?
● Where will they sleep?
● How will you carry them around, e.g. sling or buggy?
● Will they have enough to wear to keep warm?
● What will you need to carry for them when you are out and about?
● How will you get them home from the hospital?

Get what you need to sort all these answers out, and for the rest, perhaps you can really just wait and see.

Don't make the same mistakes as me, and buy everything in sight, and then never use it!

This Money Matters post aims to be informative and engaging. Though it may include tips and information, it does not constitute advice and should not be used as a basis for any financial decisions. Sun Trust Group accepts no responsibility for the opinions and views of external contributors and the content of external websites included within this post. Some links may take you to another Sun Trust Group page. All information in this post was correct at date of publication.