Kids cost money. Quite a bit. There’s no escaping that. But I often think that people overestimate it. I’m here to tell you that having a baby doesn’t need to cost you a fortune.
Of course, we all want the best for our offspring. The problem is, retailers mercilessly exploit this fact to rip us off.
They tempt you into believing that their premium-priced gizmos and gourmet baby mush will turn your child into some Matilda-like prodigy.
That’s bollocks, of course. There’s no correlation between the amount of money you spend on your kids’ stuff and the quality of their upbringing. In fact, the more you spend on useless stuff, the less money you have for things that really matter, such as special family experiences.
So here are some ways that I’ve saved a bit of cash in the few years I’ve been a father.
Benefits and freebies
Unless you’re raking in some serious cash, you’ll be eligible for Child Benefits. It’s a no-brainer and easy to apply for. It’s literally free money.
And depending on your income, there may be other things you can claim too. It’s easy to check what you’re eligible for on the government website.
Also, many shops and websites, such as Boots, will give you free and discounted baby stuff if you sign up with them. If you can be arsed searching and doing a bit of admin, you can make some decent savings.
Get food and nappies from Aldi
Aldi does a fantastic range of baby products, called Mamia. You can get everything from formula, nappies and wipes to meals and snacks for when they get a bit older.
Many people think that a bigger brand and a bigger price mean better quality. That is NOT the case with baby products.
The key thing to remember is that anything baby-related is very strictly regulated, meaning everything has to be super-healthy/safe and of tip-top quality. You’ll find that similar products from different brands are made up of exactly the same stuff, regardless of price.
One mum even did a precise comparison of the ingredients in Aldi’s Mamia baby formula and the vastly more expensive Aptamil, and they were very nearly identical.
Here’s a little comparison of branded products from the website of a Big Four supermarket with their equivalents from Aldi.
| Rip-off brand | Aldi |
| Aptamil infant milk formula 800g tub – £12.50 | Mamia infant milk formula 900g tub – £8.49 |
| Ella’s kitchen fruit puree pouch 120g – £1.10 | Mamia strawberry and apple puree pouch 120g – 55p |
| Pampers size 4 nappies (86 pack) – £11 | Mamia size 4 nappies (84 pack) – £4.49 |
| Kiddylicious veggie straws 4x12g – £2.65 | Mamia veggie straws 4x12g – £1.49 |
| Ella’s kitchen spag bol 130g 7-month pouch – £1.30 | Mamia spag bol 130g 7-month pouch – 65p |
| Total: £28.55 | Total: £15.67 |
So as you can see, over the course of a year, you could save hundreds on baby food and nappies alone by shopping at Aldi.
You’d make even bigger savings by switching your entire weekly shop to Aldi, and you’d be surprised by the quality. Give it a try if you haven’t already.
Think: Do I really need this?
As parenthood approaches, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the constant barrage of adverts and advice about all the stuff your sprog supposedly needs to survive. Truth is, they actually need very little.
I’ve put a whole heap of baby stuff into categories based on how much you actually need them.
Essential for survival and/or sanity
- Nappies – however many you think you need in the first few weeks, get more.
- A place to sleep – You’ll definitely need a cot at some point. There are other options based on your arrangements (see below).
- Pushchair or pram – You can opt straight for the pushchair option as they grow out of prams pretty quickly.
- Car seat – A must if you’re driving baby anywhere. You can get ‘travel systems’, which consist of a pushchair frame, a detachable chair and a base that fits into your car. The chair clips in and out for easy switching between the frame and the car.
- Muslin cloths – Your baby will expel prodigious amounts of dribble, snot, vomit and milk. Having prodigious amounts of muslins cloths placed strategically around the house will ensure some level of cleanliness.
- Bottles – Essential unless baby’s getting milk straight from the udder. Even then, it’s useful to have some bottles for when your partner expresses milk.
Not essential, but will definitely make life easier
- Bibs – easier to replace a bib than baby’s clothes when the inevitable vomit/dribble/snot occurs.
- Bottle prep machine – You can spend ten minutes boiling some water, mixing some formula then waiting for it to cool. Or you can press a button on a machine and have it ready in one. Well worth the cost, especially on those night feeds.
- Moses basket – If you want baby to sleep beside your bed, or in any room of the house at any given time, then a Moses basket is a comfortable and portable option for the first few months.
- Changing mat – a useful barrier between your soft furnishings and a never-ending stream of poo. You could just lay a towel down but a changing mat is so easy to wipe clean.
- Baby bath – you can bathe the little’un in the normal bath or even the kitchen sink. But it can be easier and safer in a baby bath.
- Breast pump – when your good lady’s boobs suffer from a bit of milk-related swelling, pumping out some excess can provide her with some blessed relief. It also gives you some spare milk, which means you can take baby out on your own and give mum a break.
Luxury items you’ll do just fine without
- Baby monitor – just make sure they’re sleeping somewhere you can hear them.
- Sterilising unit – Boiling bottles and dummies or sticking them in the dishwasher will sterilise them just fine. No need for those chlorine-scented Milton tabs.
- Baby towels, baby flannels, baby moisturisers, baby soaps, baby hairbrushes – basically any household item that has the word ‘baby’ plonked in front of it and some gaudy, pastel-coloured packaging. These things do exactly the same jobs as their regular counterparts, but cost more because the manufacturers have tricked us into thinking they’re highly specialised items. Do not need.
- Fancy toys, fancy clothes, fancy furniture etc – If you want to spend thousands on premium playthings, diddy designer gear and decadent decorations for the nursery, I won’t judge you. But just be aware that you’re doing it for your own benefit and not your baby’s, as these extravagances have no impact whatsoever on their quality of life or development.
Which brings me nicely to my next tip…
Second-hand doesn’t mean second-rate
If you are set on having beautiful things for your precious cub, why not try used stuff?
Many new parents turn their noses up at the idea of hand-me-downs. Sure, things like vests, bibs and muslin cloths will have been covered in shit, vomit or snot, so by all means buy those essentials brand-new.
You also want to invest in properly fitted shoes when they start walking, as poorly fitted ones can cause all kinds of problems.
But for pretty much everything else, there’s no reason not to buy second-hand. Kids grow so quickly in their first year that clothes only ever get worn a handful of times.
The same goes for toys. Babbies get bored of stuff quickly and don’t use them for that long, so there’s often no difference at all between a used toy and a brand-new one.
Prams are another thing that people spend inexplicable amounts on, sometimes even four figures. Do you really need that all-terrain carbon-fibre rig with a built-in mini-fridge for baby’s milk? Plenty of decent cheap and second-hand ones available, and it won’t be long before they’re in a pushchair anyway.
However, you may need to splash out on a new car seat. Officially, these can’t be sold second-hand as there’s no way of telling if they’ve been in a crash and are unsafe. You can of course get one from somebody you know and trust.
Here are some of the best ways to get good quality clobber for your cubs.
Friends and family
If you’re lucky, you’ll know some folks who’ve got sprats just a bit older than yours, and you can do them a favour by taking piles and piles of baby stuff off their hands. We’ve done this a load of times, and most people are glad to be rid of it.
The nice thing is, when the time comes you can pass them on to another grateful family. We’re hoping that time comes soon, as our living room ceiling sags and creaks under the mountain of outgrown clothes accumulating upstairs.
Of course, generous family members love to spoil the little ones on their birthdays and Christmas, but you risk getting lumped with tonnes of stuff that doesn’t get used. There’s nothing wrong with asking them for particular things that you really need so you can avoid all the waste.
Tabletop sales
These places are absolute treasure troves. Often in big spaces like church halls and leisure centres, people with a load of kids’ stuff to get rid of book a stall and flog it for crazy cheap prices. We’ve got some absolute gems from these places.
You’ll often find old dears selling gorgeous handknitted cardigans for just a couple of quid. It’s worth it just for the smile on their face when they see how cute their handiwork looks on your little’un.
Charity shops
You need a bit of luck for this. Sometimes, it’s startlingly obvious why something has been chucked out. However, if you’re willing to spend a bit of time sifting through the junk, you can find some belters.
Especially if you can find an affluent town or suburb nearby. My favourites are Ilkley, Otley and Knaresborough. The charity shops there are filled with top-notch stuff. It’s amazing what rich people throw out.
Online
There are also the usual places online. We’ve found loads of quality, cheap stuff from Facebook Marketplace, eBay and swap shop websites.
Find the best free or cheap places to visit
Of course, in any big city, there’s always some event or other going on, with all its fancy attractions that draw families like moths to a lightbulb. But the problem is these often cost a small fortune – travel/parking, entry, food, rides, shows etc.
Living in Leeds, we’re pretty lucky. Within half an hour’s drive, we’ve got a plethora of fantastic places that offer a cracking day out for next to nothing.
Vast, stunning parks, urban farms, country estates, sprawling woodland. We’ve even got a splendid stretch of the Leeds-Liverpool canal within walking distance. Plenty of free museums, galleries and activity centres.
Our local council even runs playgroups for preschool kids for just a couple of quid. Amy took full advantage of these before Mia went to nursery, and still takes Jude along sometimes.
Wherever you are, all it takes is a bit of online digging and no doubt you’ll find all kinds of things to do in places you wouldn’t expect.
Want more ideas for paternal penny-pinching?
So, you’ve got my top tips for frugal fathers out there. There are plenty more ways you can cling on to your hard-earned cash once you’re a parent.
You can check out these websites for more ideas if you’re a hardcore penny-pincher:
Money Saving Expert Baby Checklist – Finance guru Martin Lewis gives you a massive list of money-saving tricks.
BabyCentre UK Baby Budget – Loads of solid advice for the thrifty father.
Baby Costs Calculator – A handy tool that helps you work out exactly how much you’ll be shelling out on your bundle of joy.
Why not share any more ways you’ve been able to save cash by leaving a comment.
Cheers,
Matt
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