By: Martin Lukac
It is hard to be a frugal parent. I thought I would be. I made plans to save money using cloth diapers. I planned to make baby clothes. I said why buy new when you can buy slightly used. I just didn't know.
When that little baby came home, everything flew out the window. Our new home had no utility sink to wash diapers in. Anyway, I hurt too badly to stand and wash diapers. I was tired and she never slept. Disposable diapers became a necessity.
You will probably find that you do have some time to make baby clothes when your child is really young, say up to six months. But after that, good luck. I suggest starting before the child is born. I made at least 30 outfits before my daughter was born, and 1 1/2 after.
And while buying used is a great idea, prepare yourself for temptation. I, like a lot of other moms, find myself splurging on a new outfit. Often, I put back the soda pop and buy the little shoes instead. Over time, this urge will disappear a little. I think it helps to see how much you have that is never really worn enough to make it worth the price.
Children's resale shops are a great source of clothing and other accessories for your children. But finding deals depends on you knowing what things cost. For example, the little denim shorts might seem like a good buy for $4.50. But you can sometimes find them at a department store for $2.95. Make sure you know the cost of something before you say you saved money on it.
When it comes to babies and toddlers, you can spend a lot of money on prepackaged baby food. And 99% of it may just be wasted. There are a lot of children out there that never eat the stuff. But we buy it and try it out anyway. We have estimated that we've spent at least $200 on baby food. Our daughter is past that stage, and there are still 20 some odd jars in the cabinet that we thought she might like...At least you can find recipes for carrot cake and the such online.
Instead of buying baby food, simply buy a small food processor. Throw some of your veggies or fruit or meat from your meals into the processor. Believe me, your children are more apt to eat it than they are the jarred stuff.
Toys are another area in which you can save money. We decided not to buy a lot of toys for our daughter, but were unable to resist. It is absolutely true, they would rather play in your kitchen cabinets. We've pretty much stopped buying toys, she just loves to explore. A good fifteen minute can be absorbed by a damp washcloth. Try an empty soda bottle with a few beans in it!
The fact is you can't be truly frugal until you see what it is like. If you are planning on being frugal, simply learn what you can from your first child. You will cut out a lot of things for the second.
