Out with old man 2011 and in with 2012’s cute and cuddly baby wrapped in a fuzzy blanket and soothing with a pacifier. A good friend of mine recently welcomed a baby boy to her family. He is an adorable bundle of joy, cooing and sleepy-eyed while his parents shower him with admiration and loving cuddles. Not being a parent myself I got the full low-down on how stressful 22 hours of labour can be for a first-time mom and a few pointers on how they plan to save a penny here or there when it comes to raising little Jeremy. If you are a new parent yourself consider some of these parental savings tips:
• Breast-feeding is not only better for the immune system and development of the baby, it’s also FREE FOOD!
• Plan ahead, look into RESPs for your child’s future education (and get the government to pitch in a little bonus too)!
• Invest in some jars and make your own baby food with a food processor. It’s much healthier to avoid all of those preservatives and cheaper in the long run.
• Cloth diapers are a good way to save money if you don’t mind some extra laundry/mess. If you decide to opt for a pick-up service then the price may not be much better than buying disposables but it is still better for the environment and wearing cloth lets your baby’s tushy breath.
• If certain genetic diseases are common in your family you may want to consider cord blood stem cell banking. This can be a pricey treatment since you most likely will have to pay for yearly storage but it could also help save your child or another family member down the road. Even if it is not right for you, the science behind it is quite interesting.
• Check out your local library and community centre. There are often free children’s activities like story time that you can take advantage of.
• Wait until AFTER the baby shower to start buying baby items. You may be surprized with how generous your friends and family can be. It’s becoming more and more popular to register for gifts so that others will know that you really like those yellow ducky bed sheets.
• When you do purchase baby furniture, clothing, toys and anything else consider buying second hand instead of new. There are stores that sell gently used items at half the retail price and will also buy back items later on if they are still in good condition.
So while your new bundle of joy may be keeping you up at night, spitting up on your favourite shirt or smelling up the car, at least your pocketbook can take a sigh of relief by following a few of these suggestions.
Happy New Year!
