How I Saved Money When My Children Were Babies

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HOW I SAVED WHEN MY CHILDREN WERE BABIES

My daughter is now 15, and my son is 12 years old. When they were born, I was attending college full- time, then part- time, and I was not working outside the home for income. My husband was, and still is, a union carpenter who often does not have enough steady work. Money was very tight for us then, and it still is! I am also a home economist, but I was frugal before I even received those three degrees. Here is what I did to pinch those pennies:

1. My sister loaned me the crib and matching dresser that our mother had purchased for her firstborn daughter. My niece had just outgrown the crib, and I used it for my two children until she needed it back for her second daughter. One word of warning: Older cribs have wide spaces between the slats. Current recommendation on wooden slats is this: They should not be farther apart than the width of a fist.

2. I breastfed my daughter for one year, and my son for two years. They were able to go right to cow's milk without any allergy problems. I never had to buy infant formula, which is expensive, smelly, and stains baby clothes terribly. Besides, breast milk is better for baby, since it provides all the needed immunities. And I never had to get up and heat up a bottle in the middle of the night!

3. I washed my own cloth diapers. At first, I had a gift of diaper service, but it was costly. I bought cloth diapers on sale, and used purchased diaper liners with them and plastic pants. Unless the liners were very soiled, I did not throw them away, but put them in the diaper pail with the diapers. I washed the diapers in a solution recommended by Heloise in her column, using bleach and powdered automatic dishwasher detergent. It works like magic getting out stains and the diapers were always snowy white. I reused the diaper liners until they disintegrated. They looked like Handi- Wipes; I suppose those, cut down a bit, could be used if one could not locate diaper liners. My diaper pail was just a large plastic pail with a tight fitting lid that I kept in the laundry room. I have never really liked disposable diapers because of the wood pulp and chemicals in them (not good for baby's skin), and because of the landfill issue.

4. I didn't spend a lot of money on fancy baby foods. You can make your own with less salt, sugar, and additives, and for less money. Check with your local La Leche League leader for information on breastfeeding and making your own baby foods. Inexpensive books are available for sale, or better yet, check your local library for a wealth of free information.

5. Baby clothing was rarely purchased new, at least by me. When purchased new, items were always on sale. Since I sew, I also made many baby items myself. I bought most of the needed items gently used at yard sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops. These are also good places to look for baby equipment, which gets very expensive, and is not used for very long. Sometimes you can swap baby equipment with friends, who may need it back in the future, but who do not need certain items at the time you do, because their baby is at a different stage of development. For example, baby swings are very helpful to mothers of young babies, but they do outgrow them in a matter of months. One important item that should always be purchased new is shoes.

6. Many communities have a toy swap or exchange, or check those second hand stores. When baby is a little older, check out the free story times at your local library and the books appropriate for toddlers to check out. Some libraries also have puppets and tape/book sets to loan. Remember that babies are fascinated by the simple things such as the plastic lid drawer or an empty cardboard box.

7. My children did not suffer; actually, they had a lot. If I had to do it all over again, they would have even less toys and material things. It is true what they say: The most important things in your child's life...the things they will remember and which will affect them the most...are the love, hugs, kisses, stories, songs, and laughs that you share with them. And those don't cost a penny!

Barbara has a minor in journalism, also teaches writing, and has been a published writer since 1982. (Child development and family relations, CSUN) Instructor, Adult Education, VUSD bwblack@sprynet.com