Cheap Mama pt 1

Everyone will tell you how expensive kids are. Everyone. All the time. And, they are right. Kids are expensive. But they really don't have to be that expensive. There are always ways to cut corners and save money.

We are all about trying not to spend more than we make (while saving about a quarter of our income each month) and that can be really hard -especially with a baby. But there are a few things I know that will save us money that I don't find that difficult to do.

The first and easiest and cheapest thing you can do is: Nurse your babe.

I'm not going to laud the benefits of nursing, because I am not after making anyone feel guilty. We all know what they are, and if we don't, well there are thousands of websites that will make you feel like a terrible person for ever putting anything besides a boob to your baby's lips. Breast is best -but your baby wont die if you give them formula. In fact, they'll be probably just as healthy and strong and emotionally attached to you.

But this is about the money. So let's break it down.

Breast feeding - it costs nothing more than the food it takes to fuel yourself. So if we count your meals as sunk costs, breast feeding is free. And guess what. You can feed your baby (entirely) for free for at least 6 months. At that point your baby will want to start trying other foods and your milk may not be sufficient. But some people can exclusively nurse for much longer than that. So it's cheaper for longer.

Formula -Most formulas cost roughly the same amount: about $15- $17 a can. As a newborn -3 month old, that can might last you for almost 3weeks. As a 4-6 month old that can might last you 1 week. As a 6+ month old, that can might last you a couple days. But on average you'd be using a can every week and a half. So you're spending about $1.50 a day. It's not that expensive, but those days add up. After 6 months or so you've spent over $300. (This is a conservative estimate -you'd probably spend more) 

If you're a combination feeder like I am (2 bottles a day, 2 nursings a day) your costs aren't as high. 

But if your goal is to save money on baby costs, the cheapest way is to nurse. 

One quick plug for nursing. It helps you to lose baby weight much faster -saving money on a gym membership?