Frugally Preparing for Baby

So obviously something that is likely to come up on every new mother or father’s mind is how they are going to be able to afford all the new stuff for the baby. Unfortunately for us, most of our baby things from when Benjamin was a little tiny thing are long gone, due to the fact that we had to move pretty much everything into storage at one point and a lot of it just couldn’t fit. So, no crib, no baby clothes (who’s to say we’re having another boy anyway?), none of that little tiny baby stuff. Unless I’m forgetting that we have some stored somewhere, anyway. I know we have a few things here and there, but there’s obviously quite a bit that we’re going to have to get for this new baby.

Right now, we have 25 weeks (and a few days) to have what we need before the baby gets here. Of course, there are a few things that I’m still unsure of as to when we will need it… such as the crib. The baby will be staying in our room for a while after it’s born, for different reasons, the main one being it will be easier for me during recovery. So, there’s a possibility that the crib can be one of the last purchases, really…

There are a few things that I know I would spend the money on if I couldn’t find the stuff at a yardsale or consignment sale, or something like that, the stroller I mentioned the other day being one of those, and I guess that’s because I have my heart set on it! – and as a side note, there have been very few things I have actually had my heart set on recently for this baby, I guess because I have had a lot of other things to think about besides baby stuff the past month… and then before that I was too sick to think of anything. So this one thing that I do have my heart set on – because I would love to go on family walks with Benjamin and the baby and Carl and Zoe – I think I’m going to allow myself to splurge on if need be.

But I will be trying to save money in other ways. Here are the few that I have thought of so far, so if you have any suggestions to add, please do so in the comments!

• Feeding: I plan on breastfeeding as long as everything goes well, and for as long as I can. Benjamin nursed until he was 12 months. Of course, that wasn’t exclusive, but I do think it saved money anyway. And I know that not having to spend money on formula is really going to help.
• Diapering: I still have all of Benjamin’s cloth diapers and I intend to use them for this baby as well. I really need to fix some of the leg gussets – by the way, if I have any sewing friends in the area who want to help me do that, I would be forever grateful! I really am not the best at sewing – but other than that, they are just perfect still. I would like to buy some small sizes just so we don’t have to wait a few months to start using the diapers, but in the scheme of things, that will also be saving money, and lots of it!
• Travel: We have a carseat already, but depending on the condition of the cover we may have to buy a new one – cover that is. Not completely sure yet though!
• Sleeping: We have Benjamin’s pack-n-play still so that will do fine for as long as the baby is sleeping in our room. As for like crib bedding and stuff, once we have a crib, I’m going to skip all that because not only is it unnecessary to have in the baby’s bed, but it’s not particularly safe either {and I mean like the bumper and the cute little quilt and all that}. There’s no real need for all of that so I don’t really want to spend the money on it.
• Clothing & Toys: We look for deals for these and this is also what everyone loves to buy for the baby so I think we’ll probably be set on all this. Besides, the baby is going to have plenty of entertainment with Benjamin around, I assure you.

For the bigger things that we inevitably will need to buy, we’re going to do our best to space out the purchases so we’re not spending a ton all at once and wracking up a huge bill. We’re trying to cut out the nonsense stuff that we don’t have to buy, and instead focus on the things that we will need. Like a dresser. That’s one thing that we need to get.

I feel pretty good about the ways we plan on saving, actually. It helps a lot to put it all down in front of me instead of just having it going around in my head. Like I said, if you have anything to add, please do!

We’re Still Cloth Diapering

Recently I was asked by a friend if we still cloth diapered and if I would be willing to write a blog post on the subject again. My last blog on the subject was written February 5,2010 so I suppose it would be a good time to update, a year and a month later.

We do still use cloth diapers, although I would love to use no diapers and have him potty-trained, but we’re not pushing him if he isn’t ready yet. Still the only tedious thing about cloth diapering is the whole having to wash extra laundry, but it’s really not that big a deal. We don’t use cloth diapers 100% of the time. We tried before, back in July of 2009, going all out with cloth diapers. But then we started noticing that Benjamin got sores ‘down yonder’ and started putting him in disposables at night.

Note: We don’t cloth diaper for environmental reasons. The fact that we keep a few diapers a day out of the landfills is merely a plus. We don’t agree with the idea of global warming, because God has told us in the Bible when and how the Earth will end and nothing we do or do not do is going to prevent His will from happening, or bring about the destruction of the earth ourselves. You don’t have to agree with me. But that’s where we stand. Also, this doesn’t mean that we don’t think we should take care of the earth. It’s a blessing from God and we should do what we can to be good stewards of what God has given us. (Just a little disclaimer, y’all!)

Anyway. So the question was asked what do I think about it now versus what I thought about it when we were first beginning. Good question! In the beginning, I was very excited about starting, but I was also a little nervous about how Benjamin might acclimate to the new diapers and whether or not we’d be able to stick with it. I didn’t want to invest so much into it and then months on down the line give it up. Well, we started cloth diapering when Benjamin was 3 months old and he is now 25 months old! We haven’t given it up now (although we have gone a few stretches of time using purely disposables – I will talk about that in a minute) and we don’t plan on giving it up until Benjamin is potty-trained… whenever that happens…

I love that we have not had to spend as much money on diapers as some other families do. It has saved us so much money and we really don’t have a lot of money to invest in disposable diapers. We buy diapers maybe once every month and a half to two months, only because Benjamin’s skin is so sensitive still and if we keep him in cloth diapers over night, you can guarantee a rash in the morning. We also put him in disposables on days where we are going to be away from the house for a long period of time just because it is easier for us and just in case we can’t get to change him in before he gets a rash. Even with the few times we do have to buy diapers, we still save a lot of money by using cloth.

Some people say that you make up for that money by using the water to wash the diaper laundry, but we don’t usually do special diaper loads. His diapers get washed with his usual laundry. So there’s actually no difference in that, which is good because laundry is already the bane of my existence.

There’s one of two diaper drawers, and that’s only the gusset of the diaper compared to our entire stash. (See what I did there? Hem of the garment? Gusset of the diaper? Eh? Ehh?)

How would everyone like to get a separate post maybe next week on the different types of Diapers, at least the ones that we ourselves have tried?

I need more days like today!

We had a pretty awesome day today! Started out with me going to a very uplifting Ladies' Bible Class, which was full of discussion although we didn't get through much of the lesson at all. Then we took Benjamin to his little friend Ella's first birthday party {photos from that to come}. He had so much fun! He loved playing and he had a great time... especially eating the eggless cake that Jessica ordered... what an awesome friend, right?? Anyway, after that we went to Target and Hobby Lobby to grab a few things, and headed on home. We ate, and Benjamin had a bath, and then went to bed. Then I finished my mother's Mothers Day gift {I will post pictures AFTER Mothers Day, since she can check this out willy nilly}.

And then I remembered the Baby Gap gift card that Benjamin had received for his birthday back in January, which I hadn't used yet. We were thinking it had $15 on it. So I went and decided to shop at Old Navy instead {which you can do because they are owned by Gap Inc, just so you know.} - turns out they are having a 30% off everything sale. So I went to the sale section and picked out a few things, entered my promotional code and gift card... and it turns out the card had MORE than $15 on it. So I went and got another item. $25 were on the card.

This is what we ended up with:



$1.95!!

Yeah, I'd say this was a pretty awesome day! God's looking out for me! He knows I needed this day!

Ham.

Can I just take a moment to say how amazing you guys are? You step up to the plate, ready to hit your knees and go to God in prayer when prayers are asked for. It's wonderful and heartwarming to know that so many people care. I haven't had an update on Lyndsay lately, but Heather, her sister, wanted me to thank you all for praying for her sister and her family. It means a lot to her, it really truly does.

Thank you so much! And keep them coming!

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I have been busy today, y'all! I am trying so hard to get my house clean before next Saturday, when we are having a little get together at our house with many friends (hopefully!) and possibly my parents as well! I know, I know ... it should be clean already! But you know how things are with a newborn (and for you pregnant ladies with your first - you will!). It is hard for me now to clean especially as I watch Mariah during the week as well. But I am trying hard to get in the swing of things and hopefully soon we will have things under control (for once?).

Today we tackled three baskets of laundry that had been sitting in our laundry room to be folded. I hate folding laundry. It just seems like it is neverending. Right now the washer is going as I strip all my diapers down to get all the residue from the detergent out - you see, Ben has been getting sores down yonder and they get better for a time and then come back - so it could very well be the detergent we've been using. He has such sensitive skin, and poor little thing got it from me! My skin is just as bad - if not worse!

So tonight Ben sleeps in a disposable diaper. For the first time since ... March? Or maybe April? I can't remember.

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Saturday we are going out to buy the necessary items to put together a coupon binder. Yes, folks, that's right! I am starting my journey with Couponing. I am very excited about it, actually. My dear, dear kindred spirit Autumn has gotten me into it and I've already had a dream about it. So I guess that means my mind is committed! haha.

We spent a good deal of time today clipping coupons and ... I actually ... enjoyed it! My mom has used coupons for years and years and I was always thinking "Oh no, here come the coupons" ... but when Autumn told me she had only had to pay less than $21 on a bill that would have been over $113 without coupons at Target ... okay, that totally sold me. So you may have noticed the links on the sidebar to coupon and saving sites. Really that is for my benefit, but yours as well if you'd like to check them out!

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Benjamin and I spent some time together tonight while Hubby was out at a meeting. We had a really good time. I enjoy spending alone time with Benjamin, as long as he behaves! And he did this time!

I tell you, he is such a ham ...






I really shouldn't be up so late! I am about to head to bed. I just realized that tomorrow (or, today if you want to be technical) is Friday! That ends my day (early morning) on a very happy note!

And, since I keep forgetting to mention it and I will probably continue to forget (thank you Mommy Brain + Holidays + Exhaustion): My birthday is Monday!

With a big: Hurrah! for prayers being answered, houses getting clean(ish), coupons being clipped, money being saved, precious boys being hams, tomorrow being Friday, and Monday being my birthday, I leave you all! Good night!