Shopping For A New Arrival: Tips To Save On Essentials

It’s no secret that having a baby will impact your finances. From the moment you find out that you are pregnant, you may be thinking about what you need to buy and how you can tick everything off your shopping list without blowing the budget. In this guide, we’ll offer some advice and top tips to help you save on essentials when shopping for a new arrival.

Freebies and bundles for newborns and parents

More and more companies and organisations are offering support to new parents through bundles and giveaways that are designed to make those first few weeks a little easier. It’s a great idea to use the Internet and to chat to other parents you know to find baby clubs you can join and take advantage of offers from retailers, charities and health providers that offer freebies for newborns. If you’re the first in your friendship group to have a baby or you don’t know many other parents, get involved in online communities and consider joining local groups on social media. People are often happy to recommend sites they’ve used or share promotions, and it’s a great way to make new friends and get support and advice once your new addition arrives.

 

Nearly-new and second-hand items

It’s natural to want to buy some brand new clothes and toys for your baby but it’s also an excellent idea to think about asking friends and relatives or using swap sites or buy and sell groups to locate second-hand and nearly-new items. Babies grow at lightning speed, and often, you’ll find that they’ve only worn clothes a couple of times before they end up on a pile of stuff they won’t wear again. Passing items for newborns and small babies around is a brilliant way to reduce waste and save money. As well as clothes, you might be able to get hold of toys, accessories for bathing and cleaning and items like Moses baskets, for example.

 

Sales and discounts

When you’re shopping for a newborn, it’s always beneficial to look out for special baby events, flash sales and savings on any essentials on your list you haven’t bought yet. You can sign up to discount sites and use apps to find the best deals and you can look out for events at supermarkets and stores that sell prams, cots, clothing, toys or feeding equipment. From a travel system sale to one-day events that offer huge discounts on nappies and wipes, it’s worth doing your research and subscribing to discount sites that will keep you in the loop. If you tend to gravitate towards the same shops or you have a favourite store or brand, it’s also an excellent idea to follow them online and sign up for email newsletters and offers.

 

Shopping around

Comparison sites have changed the way we shop and most of us now use the Internet to compare prices and read reviews before we buy. Shopping around can save you a fortune, especially when it comes to bulk buying essentials like nappies and investing in more expensive items, such as pushchairs, car seats and cots. Whether you know exactly what you want, or you’re open to ideas, you can enter a product number of a few keywords and then compare results. You might be surprised at the difference in price between different sites and retailers, even when looking at exactly the same product.

 

Recommendations and advice

If you’re a first-time parent, it’s natural to read magazines or watch TV shows and documentaries and assume that you need to buy every single thing on lists for expectant parents. It is true that babies need a lot of stuff but there are lots of products you’ll see in shopping guides that you can either buy later or that you won’t need at all. Ask other parents for advice and talk to relatives, friends and colleagues to get an idea of what you will actually use in the first few months. It’s a wonderful thought to have a nursery packed to the rafters with toys and clothes but you can stagger shopping to make it more affordable and eliminate non-essentials if money is tight. It’s tempting to buy everything so that you feel that you’ve covered every base but you’ll probably find that friends or siblings who already have kids advise against going crazy in the early days.

We all know that children are expensive. It can be daunting to shop for a new arrival, especially if you’re on a budget. The good news is that there are several ways to save without making sacrifices. Taking advantage of offers and sales, swapping with other parents and buying second-hand, comparing prices online and signing up for freebies and discounts can all help to make your money stretch further.