7 ways to Save Money with a Newborn

1. Sound Machine
Relax Melodies is a free sound machine I downloaded onto my iPad. It has dozens of different sounds in HD to help me and baby sleep negating my need for a pricey sound machine. Baby Sawyer likes noise (I didn't see that one coming) so I play it during sleep time and just to calm him down - like when I'm 4 days overdue for a shower. Sometimes after nursing in the night I struggle to go back to sleep, but now I just focus on the calming sounds this app creates, and I'm back to la-la-land. I can play white noise, outdoor sounds, piano music, etc. and mix them however I want. I usually create a thunderstorm and place my IPad near the window so I can trick myself into believing it's real.


2. Baby Monitor 
iSitter is a free baby monitor that I downloaded onto 2 smart devices. It has HD sound that is so clear that I can clearly hear the bedroom clock ticking. It also takes pictures every few seconds so I can check on him without checking on him. I set my iPad up by Sawyer, then select 'parent's side' on my iPhone and voila! That's my static-free baby monitor.

3. Cheap diapers.
This saves us $20 each month ($240 in a year). I just did the math and here is how the prices compare using the cheapest price that I could find for each (links provided) and a formula to accurately compare the price:

We have used about 7 diapers a day since he was born. 1 month at 7 diapers a day = 210 diapers.

price (divided by) #diapers x 210 = price for 210 size 1 diapers

Pampers Swaddlers: $46.70
Huggies Little Snugglers: $45.90
Up & Up (Target): $31.90
Luv's: $27.50
Parent's Choice (Wal-Mart): $26.20

$20.50 per month in savings when we go with the cheapest brand. 7 a day is a little low for a lot of babies at this age, so the savings could be even greater.


We've tried each of the above diapers. Our favorite were the top two, no surprise there, but the best value for us is in Up & Up. The only one of the five that struggled with Sawyer's poo explosions (and they are EXPLOSIONS) is Luv's,but they have the best leak-guard and are the biggest diaper.Parent's Choice worked fine, but is a slightly smaller and lower quality diaper than Up & Up.


We debated a little about whether to go with the cheaper or more expensive brands. We figure that we change Sawyer around every 3-4 hours, even throughout the night, which doesn't give him time to leak in even the cheap ones. If we had the more expensive ones, we may rationalize procrastinating a diaper change to save some cents and we figure a frequent, no-guilt change is healthiest for his little baby bum.

Another option is to buy a small pack of nicer diapers for longer periods between diaper changes, like during the night.

4. Use Craigslist and KSL to buy baby items
We got a co-sleeper, a bassinet, a pack of diapers (a free-add in), a baby bouncer, and a car seat for a total of $45. Low cost was a priority for us since we're moving to Australia in a month and didn't want to pay a fortune for temporary items. The items we got were in such impressive condition for such a good price that we now plan to do the same thing for our longer term items.

Our bassinet - in perfect condition and you can't deny that it's precious!

5. Pacifier clip ($3)
I was skeptical of this, but after seeing one for cheap, I caved and now I'd never go back. This is a budget saver because now we never have to replace a pacifier. Since we got them, we've gone from struggling to keep track of 3 pacifiers to using only one. It saves us the cost of replacing lost pacifiers and Sawyer loves playing with the clip. I had to adapt my clips since I bought the wrong kind, but they work great now. Here's how I did it.

Thank you Grammy!

6. Home-made crocheted blanket
Sawyer is thrilled with this blanket. It became his first toy when he learned that he could thread his fingers through the holes and pull it up to his mouth. I like using it as his swaddle blanket as it's flexible and I don't have to worry about it covering his face as his blankets inevitably do (is he alone in loving his head to be burrowed in whatever is around? Blankets, armpits, etc.). Instead of paying for a premade blanket, all this costs is the price of yarn.


7. Go without the Changing Table
Changing table? Psh. I change his diapers on our bed. If he's gotten his clothes dirty, I put a towel under him. He rarely creates a fire hose, so the bed stays clean. The bed is also where we play with him a lot so I guess it's become a happy place for him. The result? A baby who loves his diaper changes. Chandler and I have actually fought over who got to do the diaper change because of Sawyer's cute chatter once the breeze hits. We think he's a nudist at heart.

Any more money saving tips? Add them in the comments!