Sunday, March 28, 2010

In response to my last post, I have decided to give some links to great resources for cheaper ways to care for our families. Buy used, save your money and go on a date with your husband before baby comes!

My number one favorite: Craigslist!
There is one in or near every city! You no longer need new cribs or toddler beds, bedding, strollers, clothing, the list goes on. There are so many moms out there who bought it all new at Pottery Barn, used it for 6 months and are now selling it at very low cost. Take advantage of it!! For cribs and beds, buy the frames used and get new mattresses if you're uncomfortable with used ones. With clothing and bedding-ever heard of bleach or oxyclean? You'll be fine. Pick up old dressers, paint them, add new knobs and suddenly you have your own little treasures. Just make sure you aren't alone when buying or selling...just for safety.

You can sell your old stuff/unused stuff and gain credit toward purchases in their store. They have a great selection of children's clothing from high end stores and the prices are only $1-$2 more than a thrift store. Their toys section is always filled the latest gadgets, if you're into that. But even if you aren't, it's nice to have toys for your little ones to play with while you shop ;)

For all you cloth diapering mommies, this site has great prices! Some of the diapers are "seconds" but a lot of them are just an older style. I can't wait to order a few more diaper covers from this site.

This might be a stretch for some of you, but for moms who go back to work and spend time pumping in their offices, you might want to try it! It's not necessarily going to save you money, but it will save you precious breast milk that is otherwise wasted and thrown away in a soaked breast pad.

This is the site for deals of all kinds. People (like you and me) post about sales and coupons that can be used in stores and online for anything from clothing to electronics and movies. It's definitely worth looking over once a day.

Like Slickdeals, Groupon is a great way to save while doing fun things with the family. You can become a member in your city and enjoy discounts for dinner or a dentist. It's different every day!

Three other ways to save:

Garage sales
Look in your local paper or on craigslist for listings of garage sales in your city. To keep from buying junk, carry a list in your purse of items you need. Summer is coming so be ready!!!

Thrift Stores
These are everywhere. I go to a certain thrift store for clothing and items for the home (dish ware, curtains/fabric, picture frames). Other thrift stores are great for furniture. With garage sales, keep a running list of things you need and might find at a thrift store.

SHARE!
Passing down baby gear and clothes is a great way to help a friend save. Things like bouncy seats and toys are sometimes only used for no more than 3 months!! If your little one is a bit ahead of his/her friend, pass it on for a while. Don't put it away for baby number two and let it collect dust. Sharing these temporarily used items can also bring us back into community with each other. The great thing about having kids near other families is benefiting from their purchases, and they can benefit from you, too!

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