The Most Bang For Your Baby Bucks

Check out Sarah’s diaper bag – little books, little doll, a few diapers and such – no need for this mom of two to carry around a jumbo bag for her wee ones.
Little, or less, is key for Sarah. After all, baby gear (furniture, strollers, clothes, toys – you know the list) adds up quick and you could easily spend a small fortune on “stuff” for your little one.
Fortunately, Sarah is an expert at getting the most bang for her baby bucks. This crib and toddler bed … free from Craigslist.org. In fact, Sarah’s house is filled with fun accessories for young ones that she’s acquired for next to nothing.
“I like to find good deals,” Sarah says. “Why spend money when you don’t have to?”
Here are 10 Sarah Saving money tips:
#1 Hand-me-downs: Sarah’s siblings pass on clothes their kids out-grow. Since children change sizes so fast, most hand-me-downs are practically new. Plus, anyone who’s actually paid Janie and Jack prices for clothes, and then watches as a “blow-out” or temper tantrum in the dirt destroys the ensemble after less than one use, secretly swears to never buy new again. Be open to inheriting others toys and furniture too, Sarah suggests. This walker, rocker , and dresser were "out-grown" and passed on to Sarah's family.
#2 Borrow: Halloween costumes generally get worn once before they are outgrown from the original owner; so borrow from a sibling, friend, or neighbor. Borrowing works great for large items too; you don’t have to fork over the $$ and when you are done with it, you don’t have to store it. Plus, often you don’t know if your child will like the swing, exersaucer or bouncy seat until after they’ve used it for a while. (The pictured swing, exersaucer and bouncy are things I’ve borrowed or loaned out).
#3 Clearance rack: Sarah bought these clothes for less than $2 at Target on clearance. She says if you sign up for Child’s Place on-line, during your child’s birthday month you get an extra 20% off. By shopping clearance during those months, Sarah says she’s bought brand new shoes, dresses and outfits for 2-3 dollars a pop!
#4 Craigslist.org: boppy $4, bumbo $10, toy organizer $20. Sarah says she regularly checks out the ‘Baby & Kids’ and ‘Free’ postings.
#5 Ebay: brand new stroller $80 (with shipping).
#6 Consignment and second-hand-stores: Sarah says she findsdarling clothes and shoes at a fraction of retail costs. You can also find great toys, like this stroller for only $4.
#7 Coupons: Use them, you’ll save money. Sarah also uses frugalisfab.blogspot.com. “Just google ‘free samples’ or ‘coupons’ and you will find a lot of great resources,” Sarah says. She also suggests creating a separate ‘junk’ email account for online registering.
#8 Make toys: It's fun. "I think I enjoy making toys more than the kids," Sarah says. Use salt dough to make ornaments, create your own holiday decor and print out individual pages to color from the Internet rather than buying a whole coloring book.
#9 Make 'real' toys: Use things that are 'real' but you no longer need (like old library and grocery store cards) to make a play wallet for your child. Chances are, your little one will enjoy the 'real' wallet more than a fake. Old cell phones make great kid phones too.
#10 Keep your eyes open: Someone else’s trash can be your treasure. A neighbor put this toy out with the garbage. Sarah took it, cleaned it up and added batteries. “It works great,” she says. Another ‘dumpster-dive’ treasure: this outdoor sandbox.
Final Note:
Sarah cautions that not all good deals are worth your time and money; know what you need to purchase and aggressively find the best deal. “If it’s something we don’t need,” Sarah says, “no matter how cheap it is, it’s not a good deal.”

Leave it to Beaver... I mean Bonni

Bonni is a modern day June Cleaver; the quintessential ‘stay-at-home’ mom of the 21st century. She says, with two little kids, her Petunia Picklebottom diaper bag has morphed from a bag with toys and “just in case” items, to a bag filled with necessities.
June Cleaver always had a warm plate of cookies for Beaver when he came home from school; similarly Bonni always has a Ziploc full of tasty treats.
In addition to keeping her kids physically well nourished, Bonni helps her little ones to a full portion of culture, fun and stimulation.
“I view being a full-time mom as a full-time job,” Bonni says. She suggests being a great full-time mom is similar to being a great employee. The difference, Bonni says, is effective motherhood takes more self-motivation. “You are your own boss when you are a stay-at-home mom. If you don’t actively plan stimulating things for your kids to participate in, no one else is going to do it for you.”
And Bonni practices what she preaches. She plans trips to the zoo, museum, park, library and a myriad of other outings. “I don’t want to over program my kids, so I plan everything in my phone. Once an activity is scheduled in my phone planner, I can make sure to balance the days events so the kids don’t get over stimulated.”
Bonni lovingly calls her pda cell phone her ‘brain’ and reiterates the adage: “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
The kids aren’t the only ones who benefit from getting out of the house. “I love museums and parks,” Bonni says. “I enjoy all the outings we go on. In fact, I’ve noticed on days when we don’t have plans, I tend to get more easily frustrated and the kids end up bored and frustrated too.”
For Bonni’s and her kids, morning are usually the best time to get out of the house; the kids are happy, everyone has energy and they have the best probability of making it through the scheduled event. “I still have to manage my expectations,” Bonni says. “If we are at a venue and there is a breakdown, we change gears and do something else.”
If you are not in the habit of taking kids on outings, be patient with yourself and children, Bonni advises. “Over time, they’ll start to enjoy museums as much as parks,” Bonni says. “Often getting out and learning to be in different social settings takes practice and getting used to. The more you do it, the easier it will become for everyone.”

Here are some practical planning and scheduling suggestions:
Keep and use a day-planner.
Consult your planner when someone invites you to do something… this will help you not accidentally double book.
Schedule time for everyday activities, like grocery shopping, laundry and cleaning. Bonni says that planning these activities into her schedule helps her not stress about when she’ll have time to grocery shop ~ she’s already scheduled it in to her plans.
Balance your days; if you go out in the morning, schedule a low-key activity in the afternoon.
Balance your weeks; if you have a totally full day on Tuesday, make sure Wednesday’s schedule is light. Give yourself and children time to decompress and recoup.
Don’t be afraid to say “no” to activities if you don’t have time or don’t think they are appropriate.
Plan activities you AND your children enjoy. “If you don’t like museums,” Bonni says, “go to the beach and collect sea-shells.”
Bonni says the key to planning is balance. “Writing down what we’ve got planned allows me to make sure we have a balanced schedule and variety of enriching activities to do together.”

Bag the Diaper Bag and Grab a Purse

Michelle carries a purse. Since ALL three of her children were potty-trained at two, I’d say she’s an expert at getting her kids to ditch the diapers.
“Toilet training isn’t as hard as you think,” Michelle encourages me. “The hardest part being persistent: you cannot give up.”
Michelle says you know your child is ready for the “big kid” chair when s/he is old enough to understand and follow commands.
The theory (fact, according to some) that says girls are easier to toilet train than boys? Not so, according to Michelle. “My son was the easiest of the three to get to go pee-pee in the potty.”
Plus, she adds, “if you wait too long once your child is ready, you run the risk of your toddler becoming stubborn and not wanting to toilet train.”
So, here are the tips Michelle shares to take advantage of the potty-training window of opportunity.
First, set aside a week that you (the parent) are willing to dedicate to potty-training. “You can do anything for a week,” Michelle says. It’s important to give yourself and your young one a solid week for the task at hand – you don’t want to start for a day or so and then give up, Michelle says.
The next step is to help your child recognize the sensation you feel BEFORE actually going to the bathroom. The best way to do this is to put your child in cotton “big kid” underpants. “No pull-ups, no diapers,” Michelle says, “they have to learn the feeling of going to the bathroom and anything padded disrupts the sensation.”
Be prepared to do a lot of pee-pee clean-up during your dedicated time to potty-training. Have a good carpet cleaner, disinfectant and rags for quick messes.
Then, Michelle says, they have “potty-parties.” For her first two kids Michelle ‘bribed’ them to go in the potty with soda and m&m’s. “Find something your child will appreciate as a reward,” Michelle suggests. “Our third child loves gum, so I gave her gum each time she went in the potty.”
Michelle does not follow a specific method. “I basically potty-train the way my mom says she did it,” Michelle says. And adds that she borrowed Dr. Phil’s ‘9-Time Repeat’ suggestions: where you repeat the action nine times.
“My kids saw me going to the bathroom and I would encourage them to model the behavior. Or, with my third, I would set a doll on the toilet rim and then poor water behind her so my daughter could ‘hear’ the pee-pee.”
Whatever treats you use to bribe, dolls to model behavior or repeat methods, Michelle says to stick with it for the whole week. “It will work,” she declares. “Don’t give up.”
While potty-training, if you leave the house and during nap time, Michelle suggest using pull-ups. If, during your week of potty-training, you have to leave the house for more than three hours with your child, use a diaper. As your child gains bladder control and recognizes the urge to use the potty, replace the pull-up with a towel under their hips during naps.
Michelle admits that genetic bladder control plays a factor in your child’s potty-training success.
However, she maintains her belief that if your child understands and responds to commands, they can be toilet trained.

You’ve Got Questions? She’s Got Answers.

Bethany carries her Ju-Ju-Be Be Spicy™ diaper bag with confidence for a reason – she knows her needs, and this bag fits them.

After 4 ½ years as a marketing manager for a mid-tier Tech firms, Bethany approaches each baby product purchase like a business transaction. First, she makes a list of the top three things she needs any given product to accomplish. Next she researches product reviews and asks other moms questions. Then she tries the product out at the store and gets advice from knowledgeable sales associates. Finally she compares prices and makes a decision.
“It’s not as consuming as it sounds,” Bethany says. Planning ahead for purchases makes product research a less daunting task. “I know in the next few months Sophie will transition to a forward facing car-seat. So, I’ve been asking other parents why they have the car-seats they do, reading on-line reviews and checking out the different car-seats in stores.”

The result? Bethany opted for the Britax Roundabout™ over the more popular Marathon™. “They charge more for the Marathon because it has a higher weight limit than the Roundabout. However, since my daughter is average size, by the time she outgrows the Roundabout™ we would be getting a booster car-seat anyway. Why pay more for a feature I will never use.”
Bethany says pre-purchase product homework saves time. “Rather than taking a full day or more to figure out what to buy when I need it, I am able to do little bits of research in advance. Then, when the time comes, I am able to buy exactly what I need.”
Confession: I didn’t do my research when I purchased our infant car-seat carrier. Instead, I bought the one a friend had, opting for the pricier, higher weight limit feature. As a result, I lug around an extra few pounds every time I carry Anne in the seat, and the base is so large that it does not fit comfortably behind the front seats… so baby always has to ride in the middle.
“Be practical,” Bethany tells me. “Know exactly what you need, and then get it.”
Bethany’s diaper bag is practical, crumb corners and all. She uses her bag as a purse and says she only carries basics – plus a few extra diapers incase she meets another mom in need. “Know yourself and what you’ll use. If you are going out for a quick errand, you don’t need to pack your diaper bag like you’ll be gone all day.”
Buy stuff you’ll like and use. “Everyone told me to get a backpack diaper-bag,” Bethany says. “But I am not a backpack person, and I knew I wanted a diaper bag that I would feel comfortable using everyday.”
Being honest with yourself when purchasing is key to making the best decision. “I could have found a less expensive crib,” Bethany admits, “but I liked the modern design and versatility of the Stokke.”
Bethany’s marketing background helps her organize and get the most bang for her buck. “I'm used to working on a minimal budget and getting maximum result.” Bethany loves Dr. Seuss, but instead of paying shelling out a lot of cash for his artwork, she bought a couple of books. Then she cut-out and framed the pages for Sophia’s name and other wall art.

Resourceful and creative!
“I never listen to unsolicited advice,” Bethany says. “But I do go to high-end baby stores where the sales associates are more knowledgeable and I ask them a lot of questions.” Finding a store with reputable workers can help you make choices on which products to buy – then you can by those items at a discount store.
Here are some of Bethany’s picks:
Scented baggies for soiled clothes and diapers
Dreft™ baby spray
Pampers™ diapers – generic is a no-go for Sophia
Medela Pump in Style ™
(tip: put a disposable nursing pad inside a reusable pad – your nursing bra won’t take such a beating with all the sticky adhesive from the disposable and you don’t have to wash the reusable pads as frequently)
Ergo Baby™ carrier; designed with a woman’s body in mind and distributes the weight of baby better than other carriers. Plus, you can’t beat the sun-hood.
Phil & Teds ™ stroller (I too am a believer)
Diaper Champ – none of the diaper pales actually ‘work’ (keep the stink in), so get one that does not require special liners. (This is true; I’ve used the Deko, Genie I and II, and Champ – after a day or two they all let out unwanted smell).