Bringing up baby...on the cheap

Since my last post, I have started school full time again, moved into a house, and had a baby. Please excuse my lackadaisical posting, I just really haven't felt up to it. Get comfy, however-this is a longer post.

Babies are not cheap. Once the drugs and adrenaline wear off, and sleep deprivation sets in, you sit there and wonder "Why did I do this a third time? My other two children were (almost)self-sufficient and sleeping through the night, and do not cost me nearly as much". The prices for diapers and formula alone are outrageous. Then you get started after a few months with incorporating baby food, and it gets even steeper. It's a good thing my new darling daughter knows just when to smile at mama to make it so worthwhile!

When I had my first child, as most of us do with our first children, I wanted what I thought was the best of everything, regardless of the cost. New clothes, new nursery furniture, name brand diapers, name brand formula, the works. I just about broke the bank. By the time the second baby rolls around, you're still buying name brand diapers and formula, but you re-use your furniture and don't decline hand-me-downs. By the time subsequent children come around, you are looking for as many ways as possible to save money.

We had not planned on having a 3rd child, so we had given away all our clothing and furniture. When I went browsing at the store to see how much this stuff was going to cost me, I couldn't believe how much more expensive things had gotten since my last child was born four years ago. $150 for a swing, are you kidding me?!?! This was just at Target and Walmart, I can't imagine what stores like babies-r-us are wanting for this stuff. Sorry baby, but you will not be getting anything new.

Furniture-I immediately started scouring garage sales and craigslist for furniture, gear, and clothing. I never jumped on the first deal I came across, and was able to score some amazing finds such as a swing and brand new car seat for $24 for both, $47 for a crib, changing table, and high chair, which after purchasing I immediately turned around and sold the changing table for $30, knowing I wouldn't use it. That means I actually wound up with a very nice all-wood crib and chair for $17. In total, for a crib, bassinet, swing, stroller, bouncy seat, high chair, and car seat I spent $81. Everything is or looks practically brand new.

Clothing-I found a great garage sale where the lady had twin baby girls and snatched up one of everything she had, and scored a huge deal when I got 3 garbage bags full of clothes for $30. I was expecting to toss at least 1 bags' worth out based on where they came from, but to my delightful surprise, the bags were full of perfectly nice, non-stained clothes from Carters, baby gap, old navy and more. I only had to buy a few newborn outfits because my daughter was much smaller than anticipated, so when she was born she did not fit into 0-3 months clothing yet. I spent roughly $50 on clothing, and she is now set until she turns 1 year old.

My biggest concern came to formula. I am not able (due to medical reasons) to breastfeed my children, so we have to use formula. A 24.5 ounce can of Enfamil or Similac brand formula costs $25.99. Each can will make almost 44 bottles. My daughter eats about six-4 oz. bottles a day. This means I would go through one of these cans a week. That's just over $100 a month on formula alone. I've always thought that using a generic brand formula meant that I'd be a horrible mother by giving her something that is an off-brand. That's until I researched generic formula and found that the same companies that make the name brand of formula also make the generic brands. It is the exact same thing sold under different labels.

I also spoke to baby's doctor about this, and she told me she was proud of the fact that she used a generic brand of diapers and formula, knowing it was saving her money. She told me that people are just paying for that magical name brand; but when it comes down to it, it's exactly the same stuff and she had no problems with me feeding it to my daughter. I have since been using the Target brand of formula which costs me $19.99 for 36.1 ounces. The only thing I will say though is that, under NO circumstance, should you purchase your formula if it says it was made in a foreign country. Remember a few years ago when there was an outbreak of babies dying in China because of tainted formula? It's not regulated like it is in the U.S.A.

Diapers-again with the generic brands. Most generic brands of diapers today are just as good as your huggies and pampers. While this is one area I personally will not skimp on, the fact that I use the generic brands of most everything else means that I can allow myself to splurge on the one thing I know works best for my kids. Using coupons and my target debit card always helps me to save $3-$5 a pack anyways, so the costs almost equal out. No one is going to be looking at your baby's butt, so why should it matter if it's wrapped in a generic or name-brand diaper?

Baby food-Jars of baby food are very pricey for the amount you get. It's also processed and full of preservatives, not to mention cooked down so much that most nutrients are lost in the canning process. I started making my own baby food with my second child but he was so picky he would not eat it; forcing me to buy the food in jars. This baby will not get a choice; it's my way or the highway (OK, not really, but you know what I mean). Making baby food literally takes just minutes out of your day and is SO much better for baby, so long as you know where it comes from. You can even make your own rice cereal. It takes no time at all to flash steam some fruits and veggies, then puree them with a little water, breast milk, or formula. Freeze them into ice cube trays and then bag them up and throw them in the freezer. When it's time to use them, simply pull out a couple of cubes (each cube is approximately one ounce), and stick it in the microwave for a few seconds until thawed. If you have fruits and veggies from your garden in the freezer, this is perfect. You can also buy them from the organic section or even use frozen ones. See the links below for great directions on how to make your own baby food for pennies on the dollar.

Hint for the day: Your baby is NOT going to care if their diapers are designer or generic, if your formula has a cute baby stork on the front, or if their clothes are not name brand. So long as he/she has a full tummy, a clean bottom, warm clothes, and mama's love they are perfectly content.

Check this out!: http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/babyfirstfoods.htm This site has great recipes and tips for making your own baby food for baby starting with first foods to combo foods, finger foods, and toddler foods.

*SPECIAL NOTE*: The holidays are quickly approaching. I've all ready seen stores putting up their Christmas items for the past few weeks. It comes earlier every year. Stay tuned for some great tips on saving money during the holidays. I found some very cool websites for money-saving tips that I'm very excited to share with you! After all, there's only 69 days until Christmas! :P

Buy used, save the difference.

One of my favorite TV shows is the "19 Kids and Counting" series starring the Duggar family. While I don't necessarily agree with some of their views, I find them absolutely down-to-earth and extremely wise in the way of family management and frugal living. While catching up on some episodes, one was titled "Buy Used, Save The Difference". It went on to show how the family does not invest in anything new-be it clothing, cars, household goods, etc. They shop at thrift stores, garage sales, used car sales, and more.

I decided to give this a try, knowing that I was going to have to be making many purchases due to having two kids in school and a new baby on the way. With the baby, I was going to have to buy everything, because we had gotten rid of everything not anticipating having another child. Instead of going out to Target or Babies r us, I went straight to craigslist. I checked every day for a good deal on something in excellent shape, and managed to get a crib, car seat with base, swing, bouncy seat, bathtub, bassinet, stroller, high chair, and changing table for less than $100. And everything was in practically new shape, with no signs of wear and tear. I decided to go to the local Salvation Army and Goodwill to buy my kids some play clothes this summer, because they're growing so fast it just doesn't make sense to buy new when they'll outgrow it after a few times wearing it. While in there one day, I came across a bread maker (see post "breaking bread to break even") for $4.99; again, in great shape. This will now save me time on making batches of bread dough. As we were walking out, I noticed a crib mattress sitting in the front door area. This was one purchase I had yet to make, and was dreading because they are expensive. I went to take a look at it, and saw that not only was it in perfectly new condition with no stains, tears, or signs of bedbugs (it also had a vinyl shell), but it was a Sealy brand mattress and a higher end one to boot. A $150 mattress for $9.99. I immediately went in and bought it.

These are just a few of the savings I made this summer by buying used. I realize that there is still somewhat of a stigma attached to purchasing/owning second-hand items. I live in a town that seems to think that money grows on trees, and that people can go and spend frivolously. This just simply isn't my case. I can't afford name-brand clothes, extra pairs of shoes to keep at school, new furniture or to buy my groceries at whole foods. Nor would I want to pay all that extra money just to keep face. You can save a ton of money by buying used and saving the difference and putting that money towards something more important like an emergency fund, college accounts for the kids, retirement, etc. Do NOT feel bad about buying used, I sure don't. The nice thing is, that most people are so wasteful, they rid themselves of perfectly good clothing and items just to buy new stuff. This works out well for me, because I get the still-nice stuff at about 75% less than the previous owner paid!

Hint for the day: Check out your local thrift stores. More often than not nowadays, they aren't accepting junk and old stuff any more, but stuff that looks practically new. This stuff still gets sold at crazy-low pricing, and you score!

Check this out!: http://www.duggarfamily.com/ For some great tips on saving around the home, family management and more.

Bartering for goods and services and learning how to be self-sustaining

I've done it...I've gotten my hubby to jump on the money-saving train! And boy, let me tell you...he dove in head first and made a major savings trade right off the bat! More about that shortly...

If there is anyone reading this who hasn't been following the news as of late, you will soon start to hear that the economy has taken a turn for the worse. Saving money is more important than ever, as is learning how to be self-sustaining in the event of sudden panic. I used to laugh at my step-mom for wanting to set up food and supply stores in their home as well as coming up with an emergency plan in the event that "all hell breaks loose". With the market crashing all around us, I'm not laughing so hard any more.

Networking with other people with a variety of things or talents to barter with can get you so much amazing stuff for so little. Earlier, I talked about my husband diving in head first to the bartering. He has been wanting to take martial arts lessons for some time, but we couldn't afford the $150.00 per month. Because he works as a systems administrator, and has extensive knowledge of web developing, he came up with a plan to approach the martial arts studio to discuss his building them a tournament website in exchange for lessons. They were open to negotiate, so he went ahead and built an amazing website for them. They were very pleased with his work, and now for as long as he continues to maintain the website, he can take lessons for no charge in exchange. Right there is $150/month in savings.

I've been working hard this summer at making as much of our own food as possible (breads, preserves, freezing fruits and veggies, meals, etc). I've also been working on bartering with other folks in exchange for goods/services. I recently spoke with a woman who has extra produce from her garden that she is bartering up. I offered to make her some homemade tomato sauce in exchange for her produce. I'm waiting to hear back to see how much she has left. I also posted that I am a chef/baker by trade and willing to barter up some goods for the holidays in exchange for other goods/services.

Chances are, you can offer up some type of service be it sewing, cleaning, cooking, baking, baby-sitting, pet-sitting, or more that other people can use. In exchange, people would be willing to barter something they have, or just be willing to pay a small amount of cash in exchange. I've been complaining about wanting my house cleaned before the baby comes, and some friends of mine have offered to help in exchange for some goodies. If I didn't feel horrible about making my friends come scrub my floors, I'd totally take them up on it, but you get the idea.

Helpful hint for the day: As far as the economic crisis...start taking some time, if you haven't all ready, to start learning on how to depend on yourself in the event of an emergency. start by making some basic bread dough and throwing it in the freezer. When cooking, freeze your leftovers and mark them for use on a later date. Learn some different ways to preserve fresh produce. Come up with an "in case of emergency" plan in the event of a panic. It sounds completely ridiculous sometimes when I think about it, but it never hurts to have something in place.

Check this out!: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=local+bartering+sites Check this out to help you get started on looking for local bartering websites.

Store Brand vs. Name Brand-how do they really compare?

Always looking for the next big way to save money, I decided to track the difference between store brand vs. name brand items. I have always been a big proponent of using store brands-after all, when it comes down to it, the ingredients are almost identical. However, I will say that there are some items that I do refuse to purchase the generic of, and that's ok! I can justify spending a little more on items I know are better quality by buying as many store brand items as possible. I made a grocery list and then wrote down both the cost of the generic item and the name-brand item. I was amazed at the difference in costs of some of these items. See below:

ITEM	STORE BRAND PRICE	NAME BRAND PRICE	PRICE WITH COUPON
1 GALLON WATER	$0.99	NONE
1 GALLON ICE CREAM	$5.49	$6.99
ROASTING CHICKEN	$3.99	$6.99
18 EGGS	$2.24	NONE
ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR (5 LBS.)	$1.64	$2.24
SHALLOT (1)	$0.58	$2.99 (PER BAG OF 3)
FROZEN VEGGIES (1 BAG)	$0.99 CENTS	$1.89
SMOKED SAUSAGE (1 PKG.)	$2.39	$2.54	$1.54
CREAMED CORN (1 CAN)	$0.69	$0.92
REGULAR CORN (1 CAN)	$0.69	$0.92
CORN MUFFIN MIX (1 BOX)	NONE	$0.47
GREEN PEPPER (1)	$0.89 EACH	ORGANIC $1.99 EACH
ZUCCHINI (1)	$1.99 EACH	ORGANIC $1.79 EACH
BREAKFAST SAUSAGE (1 PKG)	$1.19	$1.89
ROTEL (1 CAN)	$0.69	$1.02
VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP (1 CAN)	$1.09	$1.32
TOMATO SOUP (1 CAN)	$0.57	$0.79
WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE	$0.99	$1.99
GARLIC POWDER	$1.89	$2.79
TOTAL:	$28.99	$38.21
TOTAL SAVED:	$14.40

As you can see, some name brand items were actually cheaper than the generic brand, but you can see the savings added up. If you take the amount saved and multiply it by 4 (the number of trips I make a month to the store), that adds up to almost $60 in savings. Factor in coupons and you can save even more! Just be sure to do your homework when in the store and check the prices.

Another way to save is to become part of a store's loyalty program. Last month on a trip to target, the clerk that was checking out my purchase told me of a new Target "Debit" card. It's not a regular credit card, but a card that links directly to your bank account. It's free to sign up and there are no fees, and it applies a 5% discount to your purchase any time you shop at Target. I did this, and now just using the Target card alone I save about $5 a shopping trip. You can also sign your children's school up to receive 1% of the amount of your purchase. They also send me regular coupons in the mail. On my last trip between the card and two coupons, I saved almost $30. It truly does add up! Many stores are starting to offer similar programs, so don't be afraid to ask the next time you go shopping.

summer fun on a miser's budget...

Ahhh summer...2 1/2 blissful months of not running around constantly for hours to school, practice, dance, etc. But then you realize-What am I going to do with these kids for 2 1/2 months without spending a ton of money??

My children are 5 and 3 years old respectively. They are CONSTANTLY coming up to me asking "Mommy, when are we going to go do something fun?" "Mommy, can we go do this?" They need to be kept busy, or they make me crazy. I sat down today and compiled a list of things that are no-cost or low-cost in our area that we can do to keep busy this summer.

*Make use of your local library-After all, you pay to fund it. You can check out an unlimited number of books, movies, Cd's and more for up to two weeks at a time (just don't be like me and forget to take them back!). Also, check out their activity schedule. Our local library, for example, shows movies, does crafts, offers activities, reading contests, and more that are all free and on a regular basis. They also offer adult gatherings at no charge. Plus, you get the positive point of getting your children interested in reading early!

*Check out your local parks and rec department-In my town they have "movies under the stars" (free outdoor movies), free music every week during the summer, free city-wide play days, summerfest, low-cost recreational sports, and more. You can most likely google your town's parks and rec website to find more information.

*Wading pools and splash parks-Check out the local wading pools or splash parks in your area. Most are free, or free for a certain portion of the day. Our splash park is free from 10am-12pm every day. I know some people are a little iffy about wading pools, and that's understandable and a personal preference, but just throwing that out.

*Check out your local parks and nature areas-Lots of fun to be had hiking through the woods, picnicking in the parks. One of our local parks (Jester Park) offers free backpack rentals that are themed. Each backpack contains lots of activities relating to a certain theme (water, flowers, animals, etc). You can check those out for two weeks at a time.

*Check your local theaters, bowling alleys, zoos, science centers, and more-A lot of the time they offer extremely cheap summer admission packages. For example, a local bowling alley offers unlimited bowling for up to 4 people for $27.98, the movie theater offers kids movies on Tuesday mornings for $1.00 admission, you get the picture.

*Instead of going out to dinner, why not try a community dinner or "potluck"-Instead of going out and spending $50-60 for a family of four, get together with your friends and their kids. Have each person bring one type of dish, and supply your own plates and cutlery. Feed the kids right away, then let them run off and entertain each other while you enjoy some much needed adult conversation and for once, be able to taste your dinner instead of having to eat on the run.

*Take the kids into town-Our downtown area is really starting to shape up! My cousin once told me of something she did with her kids that I would have never thought of. In the downtown area, we have a little trolley that runs a loop around downtown for free. You can park at the capitol and run the loop. On the loop there are all kinds of fun shops, the Capitol building, the Historical Building, a huge sculpture park and more. You can get off every couple of blocks and find something new to check out, and most of it is free or low-cost. Pack a picnic and have a leisurely lunch in the sculpture park.

These are just a few ideas, but if you can be just a little creative, and really check out your resources, you can find unlimited amounts of free or low-cost things to keep them entertained until school starts again this fall.

Hint for the day: No hints really today, just check as many resources as possible in your local area to find all kinds of fun and free/low-cost things to do.

Check this out!: http://tinyurl.com/3ep6o24 For ways to find fun ideas for your kids.

Shutting down the satellite (Cue the horror music!)

Taking a look at our monthly expenses, I decided we needed to figure out a way to cut back somehow on our bills. Our satellite, cell phone, gym, and car insurance expenses were out of control. Those four bills alone totalled almost 15% of our monthly income. We had to find a way to cut back or we just weren't going to make it, because somehow, we also need to find the money for gas and to eat.

I started with the DirectTV. This bill was costing us over $100 per month. Was this something that was truly necessary in our household? I've been feeling for a long time that my family has been watching too much TV. As ashamed as I am to admit it, I will say that I turned to it as a sitter sometimes when I needed my kids to sit still in one spot for a minute so I could clean or take a sanity break. During the winter we used it a lot because there just isn't much to do in the winter. This was a really tough call for me. A lot of the shows I like to watch are harder to find on the net. We looked at the pros and cons, and decided that the best thing to do would be to shut it off.

It was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Through the glorious Internet, I was able to find such websites such as HULU, Clicker, and also the channel websites where I can find my shows for free. I may not be able to watch them right away when they're aired, but I can still catch them, and it doesn't cost me any extra. Something you can also do is sign up for Netflix. $7.99 a month for unlimited streaming on your devices or PC. They always add new TV shows, movies, etc. I've noticed now that the TV is not on during the day, my kids are getting better at being creative and finding things to do. Now that the weather is nicer, we can get out and do more as well. So far it's been a positive experience.

Cell phones: This is tough because we switched last year to the smart phones. because my husband is a systems administrator, and his phone is also considered a pager and he does do some work from his phone, we had to take the unlimited data plan. However, looking back through our plan, I did notice some extras that had been added on at some point that were not necessary, and took them off. These were things like visual voicemail, vcast music, various insurance plans, etc. Also, because they do so much work from their phones, my husband was able to talk his company into paying part of our cell phone bill every month. Now every month they pay $20 towards our cell bill.

Gym memberships: How many of you have a gym membership and don't use it? The answer? A good majority of us. We sign up for that membership telling ourselves that we are going to actually follow through this time, and go 3-4 nights a week. Oh, we do that...for a little while. Pretty soon we get busy and tell ourselves that "oh, I'll go this weekend". Before you realize it, it's been months since you last went, yet you're spending anywhere from $50-100 a month for something you don't even use. While we had a good rate for a family membership, we quit using it after a while. This was $58 per month going out the door, so we decided to shut it down. We made a promise to become more active outdoors with our children, and so far so good. My hubby goes for walks and bike rides, the kids and I go to the park and walk around the lake, we walk the zoo, hike the nature trails. etc. It's a win-win situation.

Car insurance: Have you had any speeding tickets or moving violations in the past several years? Been in any accidents? Are you a student getting good grades, or a Soldier or Veteran that is serving or has honorably served? If so, you may be entitled to a discount through your car insurance company. I know lately that one company has a monitor you can install into your car to monitor your safe driving habits. Some companies offer multiple policy discounts. Others offer Military discounts. Vanishing deductibles. Accident forgiveness. You see where I'm going with this. Call your insurance company and find out whether you qualify for any discounts. Also, shop around to make sure you're getting the best rates. You'll be surprised that by checking these out every once in a while you may find the same thing, only cheaper.

Hint for the day: Make a list of the bills you pay each month, and then look at your actual bill. Check them periodically to see if you're paying too much, or paying for extras you don't need, etc. Make a list of pros and cons to see if these are things that you absolutely need, or can possibly live without. After looking at these four bills mentioned above, cutting off and cutting back and checking for discounts, we are saving $230 a month.

Check this out!: http://billeater.com/ A great website that shows many different ways to save on household and utility bills.

Speaking of bad habits and keeping up with making better habits...

I'm so freaking horrible about keeping a blog. I always start one and say "ok, this is the one. This is the one that I'm going actually keep up with." Aaaand as always, I never follow through with it. I've been off for a while, enjoying the few weeks between semesters and taking a quick weekend trip up to Chicago.

Clothes. Any one can make something basic if they put a conscious effort into it. Especially nowadays. One of my favorite articles of clothing is something with a smocked top. I'm no skinny b***h (I have nothing against skinny people, this was a reference to the "Skinny Bitch" series), and being pregnant on top of being not-so-thin makes it damn near impossible to find clothes that aren't either parachute moo-moos or trashy-cheap-looking mickey mouse t-shirts. I am big, but give me some credit, I do at least like to dress nice for crying out loud.

I had recently used my friend's sewing machine to make a baby wrap for Catherine when she's born. Instead of spending $50-60 for one, I went and bought the fabric and made it myself for $5. I got to thinking about how incredibly easy that was, and wondered if I could possibly make my own tops and dresses for summer. I was going to just keep using my friend's machine, but when I got to the fabric store, they were having a huge blowout sale. I got a steal on a great little machine for $89.99, and fabric for 40% off. I consider the machine as an investment, not as an extra, being as it is being utilized to create necessary items.

Back to the smocked fabric-Smocked fabric comes from the craft store all ready cinched at the top, and most of the time also all ready has a bottom hem. All you need to do is measure yourself, cut, and sew a side hem. This will make you an instant tube top or tube dress. Make a couple of straps or flutter sleeves if you wish. Out of 1.5 yards of fabric, I was able to make one top or dress for me, and one top AND one dress for my 5-year-old daughter. This means I spent $5 per garment, which would normally cost anywhere from $20-25 each in the stores. I was told the fabric will be on sale all summer, and they get new patterns in all the time. I even used the left over material to make doll clothes for my daughter-more money saved.

Let me throw out there that I am no sewing expert. I can't make fancy things. However, I know how to thread a machine, plug it in, and push the pedal. If you can do that, then you can easily make your own simple garments. You can also make alterations and repairs at home to save even more. My recommendation for today is to go out and buy a machine, be it new or used. get familiar with it. start with scraps of fabric until you are comfortable using the machine. Then go crazy. I just made myself an entire summer maternity wardrobe for the same price of one top from Motherhood maternity.

Hint for the day: Don't be afraid at the thought of using a sewing machine. My southern grandmother was an expert at the sewing machine, and I thought I could never be that good. It takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it you can make some really great stuff, saving lots of money on things such as home furnishings, blankets, clothing, alterations and repairs, etc.

Check this out!: A great investment for beginners: "Sewing for Dummies". A book that you can usually find for $15 or less at most bookstores.