Having a baby gets pretty expensive. Once you start adding together all of the baby necessities including clothes, diapers, and everything you will need for a nursery, your wallet will really be hurting.
This is one reason that many expecting parents are often looking for different ways to save money on baby items.
Now, of course, you don’t want to be cheap when it comes to all of the must-haves for your baby, but there are a few different areas that you can start pinching pennies.
The easiest place for expecting parents to start saving money is with the baby nursery. Most parents want to go all out for their baby’s room but don’t realize that they can create a really adorable baby nursery on a budget.
So after having two babies on a single income, I know a few tricks and hacks for making a beautiful and unique baby nursery without going into debt.
This page may contain affiliate links, however, I will never recommend anything that I do not believe in and use myself. You can read more about my disclosure policy here.
Make a List of Necessities
First of all, before you buy any cute nursery decor at all, you need to make a list of all the necessities you’ll need in your baby’s nursery.
So obviously, you’ll need somewhere for your baby to sleep such as a crib, bassinet, or cradle. Next think about any other major furniture you will need such as a dresser, a rocking chair to breastfeed in, and other supplies.
And once you’ve added the most important baby items that are needed work your way down to the non-essential items. This way you have the top of your list filled with what you NEED rather than your WANTS.
Having a list of the items will also help you to visually see all of the things that need to be purchased and therefore help you to focus on the necessities first.
- 32 Fun Old Wives’ Tales for Predicting Your Baby’s Gender
- 15 Things I Regret Not Buying for My First Baby
- Past Your Due Date? 27 Things to Do When Your Baby is Overdue
- 13 Decisions Parents Have to Make Before Baby Arrives
- 10 Things Not to Say to a Pregnant Mom That is Past Her Due Date
Baby Registry
One great way to help with purchasing baby essentials is by making a baby registry. This way you can add your list of baby items to the registry so all of your friends and family can see what you need for your baby.
Another hack that I learned about baby registries is that once you start approaching your due date, most stores will send you a coupon or promo code for a certain percentage off of the price for your remaining baby registry items.
This way you can get everything you need that wasn’t purchased by your friends and family at a deep discount.
- 34 Baby Essentials You Must Put On Your Baby Registry
- 34 Things To Do Before Your Baby Is Born
- 10 Crucial Newborn Essentials that No One Talks About
- 7 Surprising Ways to Save Money on Children’s Clothing
Keep It Simple
When you do start shopping and making your baby purchases, remember that keeping it simple can save your budget.
So try to maximize storage spaces in your baby’s closet to save money on extra furniture, skip pricey bedding items and just stick with a simple crib sheet, and be creative by using everyday items rather than the items that are marketed for a baby like a diaper genie.
By thinking outside the box and not always purchasing the “must-haves” you can really create a gorgeous baby nursery on a tight budget.
- 21 Weird Pregnancy Symptoms That Are Actually Normal
- 16 Things To Do As Soon As You Find Out You’re Pregnant
- What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag for a C-Section Delivery
- 9 Natural Remedies for Surviving Morning Sickness During Pregnancy
Buy Secondhand
One huge way that I was able to save money when I had both of my babies was by buying things secondhand.
In fact, there are often several really great hand me downs that can be found in your local area. I was able to find many of them on Facebook groups and through friends.
And if this is not the first baby you can reuse most baby items for years. A few things I used for both of my babies were the crib, dressers, and nursery decor.
- Baby Gear You Should Always Buy Used and Never Pay Full Price For
- 12 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Having Another Baby
- 13 Tips for Dealing With Unwanted Parenting Advice
- 8 Seasoned Mom Tips For Preparing Your Toddler For A New Baby
Double-Duty Pieces
When thinking about buying furniture for your baby’s nursery try to look for items that can perform more than one purpose. This will save you money in the long run because you won’t have to purchase as many items if you can buy one item that can do double duty.
A few ideas include getting a convertible crib that turns into a toddler bed. I love these convertible cribs because they are able to be turned into a toddler bed once your baby is ready to graduate from the crib.
You can also skip the changing table and get a dresser and add a changing pad on top to have two baby items in once piece of furniture. This also makes changing diaper and clothes so much easier since everything you need will be all in one place.
- 19 Baby Items You Do NOT Need and Will Regret Buying
- 15 Formula Feeding Must-Haves For New Moms
- 15 Crazy Unexpected Things that Happen to New Moms After Childbirth
- 17 Strange But Totally Normal Things That Happen With a Newborn Baby
- 11 Secrets You Need to Know About Having a C-SECTION
Don’t Forget to Grab Your Bump Box
Baby Nursery Items Not to Buy to Save Money
Another way to save money when creating your baby’s nursery is just skip buying things that are not necessary.
A few things that I bought for my first baby that I regret buying were:
- wipes warmer
- night light
- diaper caddy
To be honest, these items and several more were a waste of money and by not buying them, I would have saved money for more important baby items that I really did need.
- 19 Tips for Surviving The First Week Home With A Newborn Baby
- 9 Tips for Dealing with Visitors After Baby is Born
- 12 Ways to Save Money When Having a New Baby
- How to Live on One Low Income So You Can Be A Stay-at-Home Mom
- 9 Seriously Lifesaving Breastfeeding Essentials
DIY Baby Nursery Projects
One thing that all expecting moms love is decorating their baby’s nursery up so that it’s inviting and cute for their newborn. However, finding cheap nursery decor can be a big challenge unless you find some hidden gems on clearance.
We found that making handmade nursery decor was a great way to save tons of money while still dressing up our baby’s nursery.
So here are a few of my favorite DIY nursery decor ideas.
- DIY Nursery Silhouette Artwork
- Newborn hand and footprints art
- DIY Mobile
- Fabric Covered Letters
- DIY Baby Nursery Curtains
So if you have any creative imagination and are itching to make something for your baby from scratch, try it out for the baby nursery. Seriously, I saved hundreds by making handmade artwork for my baby’s nurseries.
- 23 Things I Swore I’d Never Do As A Mom, But Did
- 12 Pregnancy Essentials for Every Exhausted Expecting Mom
- 17 Household Items that I Stopped Buying to Save Tons of Money
- 13 Essential Baby Items for Surviving the First Year