I noticed the past few weeks that a lot of my friends’ are having babies right now. The cost of raising a new baby the first year can be really expensive. It can cost up to $40 a week just to diaper and feed a baby. I remember having twins and how hard it was financially because I had to buy two of everything. So, if you have a new baby or a new baby is in your future, here are a few things you might want to consider to save money on your new baby.

Breastfeed Your Baby

There is research to prove that breastfeeding your baby is best. There are several benefits to breastfeeding a baby. Some include that 1) it will boost your baby’s immune system, 2) babies who are breastfed tend to have higher IQ’s, 3) breastfed babies tend to have less risk of obesity, 3) it helps mother’s lose weight faster, 4) it reduces the mother’s risk for cancer and other diseases and 5) it saves time. Another reason to breastfeed, and one of the biggest ones, is because it’s free. It can save you quite a bit of money during the first year if you just breast feed your baby. There are many reasons why people do not breastfeed. If you are in one of those categories, you may want to see if you qualify for the Women, Infant and Children’s program, better known as, WIC, in your state. If you qualify you could get your formula for free, and when your child gets older, even milk as well as other important foods for your child could be free until your child turns five years old.

Make Your Own Wipes

As a mother I use a lot of wipes. I wipe hands, faces, and yes, for diaper changing. I was shocked to learn after attending a baby fair event that you can make your own baby wipes. Not only is it cheaper but you will not be putting harsh or drying chemicals on your baby’s butt that could cause diaper rash. Here’s a great instruction guide to help you learn how to make them for your baby. You can also make cloth diaper wipes and reuse them. Here is a really good example of some of the cloth ones.

Use Cloth Diapers

Disposable diapers can cost a lot of money. While it is nice to have some for convenience, you can use cloth diapers and save money. The initial cost of cloth diapers will seem like a lot at first but you will soon start to save money after a short period of using them. If you can sew then you can save even more money by making them yourself. There are several places online that have patterns for making your own cloth diapers, here’s several.

Make Your Own Baby Food

Baby food from the store in jars or plastic containers cost a lot of money. It’s pretty cheap and easy to make your own at home. There are a lot of great recipes online to choose from to make your own, so look around and see which one fits your needs.

Clothing Exchanges

When I had new babies, I had a group of mom friends and we all passed our used clothes around as we needed new things. I had to buy very few cloths and most of the newborn cloths were in really good shape since babies wear those for such a short period of time. Think about friends you have that have kids maybe you can do a clothing exchange.

New Baby Freebies

When I was having twins, I learned that there are a lot of freebies for new and expecting moms. Many companies offer these things to get you to use their product but it’s always nice to be able to have some free stuff on hand. Many formula companies also have programs to help you save money after you have a new baby so check into that too.

Have a Baby Shower

Almost everything I needed I received at the different baby showers I was given by friends and family. If you have a good friend maybe they will consider throwing a baby shower for you. I think it is important to register at a store so people know what you need and what colors you are using in the baby’s room. Baby Showers are a great way to have fun and celebrate the coming of your baby and get the things you need from friends and family for your new baby.

Do You Really Need It?

This is a question you should ask yourself when you go baby shopping for things you will need for your baby. There are some essential items you will need but things like baby wipe warmers bottle warmers and even changing tables may not be a necessity. Baby stores can entice you to buying things you really don’t need.

Photo Credit:http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeff_snodgrass/1165479522/