£200,000 To Raise A Child? Try These Money-Saving Tips

There are many ways to save money on parenting. Buying second-hand prams and using freebies are some of the things. At the beginning prices can be extortionate.

It costs a lot to raise a child today and it's not unusual that the cost of raising a child from birth to the age of 21 is almost £200,000. In the first year alone it's estimated to set you back £9,152.

It's quickly easy to see how the mounting costs of raising a child can add up. From clothes that are adorable when they first come out but will be outgrown in weeks to the bling on the baby carrier to the buggy, you'll find that you're spending more and more money and pretty soon, you've spent more than a new car would cost. 

With so many online checklists, there are ways to part you and your hard earned money if you have children. The best ways to cut back and save money are to be creative and buy used items for your new baby. There are many great shopping lists available online that will help you to decide if you must have something, might want something or don't need it at all. By sorting your items into categories, you can determine how important they are to you and whether or not you can borrow them or buy them used. 

If it's not a necessity then wait until you need it and don't spend any more than you have to on it. Otherwise, you end up with things that are never used or cost a fortune, or both. Always find out if you can borrow items that are going to be used for just a short time.

Essentials

Keep the pre-shopping to a minimum. Believe us, the shops will still be there after the baby arrives. Buy just what you need. Here is a scaled down list to start with:

• Clothes (in large quantities-babies can go through several outfits in a day).
• Baby friendly detergent (to wash the clothes babies go through in a day).
• Nappies (either disposable, cloth or both). Don't forget a changing mat and some cotton wool, baby wipes or a soft flannel to help clean baby up.
• Baby bed: A moses basket, cot or somewhere for baby to sleep.
• A sling, pram or both so that you can easily transport baby back and forth.
• Baby bath (this isn't essential, but it is very helpful when baby is very small). They help you to save on water until baby can sit up and they help you to wash a slippery soapy baby when you've slathered baby up for his or her bath.
• Car seat. Even if you don't have a car, you're going to need this when you go to and from doctors appointments or ride with someone else.
• Bottles if you're not going to be breastfeeding. If you are going to breastfeed, you will want a few muslins to help wipe baby's face and perhaps you may want to use a breast pump.

It's easy to get caught up in wanting to have the best of everything for your baby. It's an emotional time, especially for first-time parents. With so much pressure to buy everything new, it may be hard to not feel guilty for buying used. 

However, if you want to save money, if you want to save on the initial cost of £9,000 in that first year, be patient and don't buy everything the moment you find out you're expecting. Wait and see if things come in as gifts, borrow whenever possible and buy used whenever you can. Baby isn't going to notice if things are brand new and shiny. 

However, always buy a car seat brand new. These shouldn't be second hand unless you know, without a doubt, that they've never before been in a wreck. If you have a car seat from a previous baby and you've never been in a wreck, that car seat is fine. As long as there haven't been any recalls on it. Wrecks can leave a car seat weakened and unsafe.

For the remainder of items, you can buy used. Even for cloth nappies. Don't be tempted by fancy things that will just eat up your money, a baby will likely outgrow these before you can wash them and put them back on baby. Accept all the hand-me-downs that you can and know that newborn clothes will be outgrown quickly. Ask around, borrow if you can and when you can't borrow buy used. 

You can check eBay, charity shops, local NCT sales, car boot sales, online and also with friends who have children just slightly older than your new baby. 

Find free stuff wherever you can. Consider free samples that baby companies offer and sign up for all of those that you can. Use coupons and take advantage of offers where you buy an item and get other items for free.

If you have friend or family who are asking you what they can buy as a gift. Have a short list handy to give them. It doesn't have to be expensive to help you out. It can be simple items such as baby shampoo or powder.  

Try to list items you'll use and keep the cuddly toys to a minimum. Many people just want to help and get things they know you need or will use so be prepared for some inexpensive items that would really help you out.

Lastly, if you plan to have other children, save what you can for the next child. This can save you a lot of money.

Aldi special buys baby event

 It's that time of year again when Aldi hold their baby and toddler event. 

The baby and toddler event for 2016 starts tomorrow Thursday 28th January. 

I love the baby and toddler special buys as its a great time to stock up on 

items such as nappies and wipes as you can get jumbo boxes for £5.99. 

Tea time favorites

This Alpha wooden high chair  (£39.99) will keep your child safe with its stable build, integrated safety bar and adjustable panels, meaning that the chair can grow with the child. 

Also available for meal times is a selection of bowls, cups, spoons and cutlery. 

Out and about

The Hauck Sport Buggy (£22.99) is a light weight and agile stroller which is ideal for 

a quick trip to the shops or long walks in the park. 

What I love about this buggy is the extra large basket which is always handy. 

Nursery needs

 For your little ones nursery look no further than Aldi's special buys in this event where

you can find Aldi's Moses Basket (£19.99),  Moses Basket Stand (£10.99),

Fitted Moses Basket Sheets (£3.99), Mamia by Hush Comfort Digital Baby Monitor (£16.99) and many more items for your bundle of joy. 

Toys

Aldi have a fab selection on offer in their event with 

 Teething Toys for £2.99,Bath Toys (£2.89) and Story Books (£0.99 each).

I was sent some of the books that are on offer at the event which I am looking forward to 

reading to Blake as we are big readers and I love reading to Blake everyday.

There are a great range of baby and toddler products in the event and 

I will be heading their myself to see what there is. 

I know that Bambinio Mio are collaborating with Aldi and releasing some new prints 

in their all in one cloth nappies for £7.99 

So I'll be definitely checking them out!

If you go to the event I'd love to know what you get! 

comment below and let me know.

Why I formula feed Blake

Making the best decisions for your child is hard work. 

I found it especially hard when it came to deciding to formula feed Blake. 

It wasn't an easy decision for me as I really wanted to breastfeed. 

I had read books and information online but nothing really prepared me for what it was going to be really

like and how damn hard it actually is. 

I had actually read that as soon as your baby is born it is best to try and breastfeed your baby as soon as possible to try and get breastfeeding established. 

Now when it came to us Blake was born by an emergency C-section and unfortunately we didn't get skin to skin straight away and I didn't even get help to try and breastfeed for over 12 hours. 

When I finally did I really struggled to get Blake to latch on and as he was getting so hungry it 

was recommended that we mixed feed. 

So for the first four weeks of Blake's life he was mixed fed and I found myself in a lot of pain whenever I was breastfeeding and was feeling sore, tired and emotionally drained. 

I felt like Blake was hungry all the time and whenever I was breastfeeding I was sat there for ages trying to get him to latch on and we were both getting frustrated.

It didn't help that I was constantly worried about Blake loosing weight. 

The hospital had informed me before we had been discharged that if he wasn't getting enough milk then 

if he was loose too much weight he would most likely end up back there.

This obviously didn't help with the way I was feeling. 

It was then that I realized that I had to make a tough decision to formula feed even though I had really wanted to breastfeed. After all isn't it your child that is the most important? and making sure that they have the milk they need even if it is formula?

To me all that is important is that your child is fed and is happy. 

happy baby equals happy mummy. 

Blake is flourishing and such a happy baby that I feel that I made the best decision in the end. 

Essential Items for a New-Born Baby

Photograph

Prior to your new baby's arrival, you will have a to-buy list as long as your arm. Indeed, the amount of things a little person needs is remarkable! To avoid becoming overwhelmed by it all, focus on the top priority items first. The other bits and pieces will follow once a baby arrives.

Cot

Help baby get a good night’s sleep with a cosy cot. Baby cots from Cuckooland and other such suppliers have a host of designs from which to choose your bed. Pick a colour to fit the décor of your nursery and a size that suits the room too. Decide if you want a cot for the baby stage only, or whether one that converts into a toddler bed is a worthwhile investment.

Moses baskets and bassinets provide a delicate bed for the daytime. Place your baby in a cot at night to get them accustomed to the feel and space of this restful place. Affix mobiles to promote better sleep and purchase cot bedding to keep your baby warm at night.

Car Seat

Another essential item to buy before baby arrives is a car seat. Car seats need to be upgraded as children grow so pick one that you can use for a while. Car seats are manufactured under strict safety standards. Always buy a seat from a reputable supplier who can prove the meet all the legal requirements. With lots of choices in terms of styles and colours, pick the most suitable for your car.

When picking your car seat decide whether to buy more than one. Although expensive, two-car families may find it more practical in the long run to have one in each. Continually fitting and refitting a seat for different journeys will take time and effort to do. Having two negates the need to keep swapping cars or fitting seats every time you go out.

Pram

When you’re feeling ready and confident, you’ll want to take your new baby outside. A pram is an essential piece of kit to enable you to do this in comfort. While babies are light and small, you may prefer to carry them in a sling or similar device. However, to help your posture and to give your body freedom, a pram is ideal.

There are a vast array of prams on the Highstreet and online. Each has unique features to make life for new parents as easy as possible. Some designs are multi-functional, including prams that double up as carry cots. Lightweight frames make pushing a baby in the park effortless. Robust and durable, prams are ergonomically designed to turn corners effortlessly.

Clothes

Keeping a baby warm is essential. Choosing the right clothing will hold in the heat and keep the chills away. Layers of clothing are ideal for a new born baby. As babies can’t regulate their temperature, use clothing to aid their comfort. Cardigans are easily added and removed to accommodate fluctuating climates. Vests are a baby staple; so too stretch suits and socks. Hats and mittens are perfect for winter walks while sunhats provide essential protection on sunny days. Add a cute set of booties outdoors and a shawl for cold days.

Enjoy your new arrival and be fully prepared for anything!

Blake 10 months

Another month has gone by and Blake is now 10 months old. 

We are starting to come up with more ideas of what to do for Blake's first birthday and so far

have purchased his outfit to wear on the day and also decided on what cake to do for him. 

Clothing

Blake is still in some of his 9-12 month clothing but the outfit he is wearing today is 12-18 months and fits much better.  I think it's time to change is wardrobe around and put all his 12-18 months bits in and take out his 9-12 months clothing. 

Teething

He was a bit grumpy the other week and we didn't realise at the time it 

was because another tooth was coming through. Blake now has 3 teeth all at the bottom.

He also had bad nappy rash so now we know why, I guess we just didn't put two and two together. 

 Sleep

Blake is still sleeping well but his routine has changed yet again! 

He now goes down for a morning nap between 10 and 10:30 am and will sleep for one or two hours so will be up in time for lunch. In the afternoon he sometimes has a nap for an hour or so other times he won't and ends up going to bed earlier.

 On an average day Blake will go to bed between 8 and 8:30pm and then sleeps through the night

and will wake anytime between 6:30 and 7:30am. 

Feeding

He is still on three bottles a day but is cutting down the amount per feed now since he is eating a lot more food. 

He eats three meals a day and eats the same as us the majority of the time. 

He is now finally decided that he doesn't mind drinking cool boiled water (persistence is key) 

and loves to hold his cup and drink by himself. 

Development/Milestones

- He can crawl yay he finally did it! 

He is a very active baby and wont keep still and loves crawling every where which makes nappy changes a lot more harder. 

-  He has been clapping a lot this month and banging toys together

- He has started to also wave a lot more and likes to hi five with mummy and daddy. 

Other

- He is getting a lot more confident in the swimming pool and loves it! 

He has started kicking his feet in the water and is getting more use to having his face splashed and really has lots of fun. 

- He keeps changing the music on his cot mobile or turning it on first thing in the morning

-  He loves going to the park and have been a few more times although still not been with Daddy yet.  

Blake 9 Months

Blake is 9 months old today, it's strange to know that in 3 months time our little boy will be 1! 

The last 9 months of him being here with us have gone by so much faster than the pregnancy. 

I still feel like it was yesterday that I found out I was pregnant and doing 3 tests and still not feeling like it was all real.   

Clothing

Blake is still fitting well in 9-12 months clothing. 

He has a few tops which are a little tight, however I've worked out that Peacocks clothing tends to not 

last as long as on him as other brands he wears and tend to come up smaller. 

Teething

He has his 2 bottom teeth but that's all so far, he has started to 

dribble more again so don't think it will be that long til more start to come through. 

At the moment I've not had to give him any teething gel or calpol (touch wood).

Sleep

He is still sleeping well except when he has a cold. 

He has had another cold this month which made him not sleep well for 4 nights

in a row but he slept more in the day. 

Feeding

He is on three bottles a day of 240ml although not always finishing them every day.

He is eating 3 meals near enough every day now.

I have been struggling to get him to drink some cool boiled water but my health visitor has told me that 

it's not anything I really need to worry about at the moment. 

Development/Milestones

Having Blake's 9 month review today has meant that I have realized more of what Blake can do which makes me so proud. 

He has most likely been doing these things for awhile now I've just not took notice in them as

much as the  big milestones. 

- He is able to sit up unsupported now when he chooses to but is rare as he doesn't like to and much prefers to stand or practice trying to crawl.

-  Blake is able to stand up with support but also able to stand up holding onto the sofa without support. 

- He is able to pick up small toys with the tips of his thumb and fingers

-  He can pass a toy from one hand to the other

- he can pick up one small toy in each hand.

- He can bang one toy against another on a table 

- He is able to find small toys under a cloth after watching us hide it. 

- He can drink from a cup (when he wants to) 

- He is able to feed himself

- when dressing him he is able to push his arm through the sleeve once his arm is started in the hole. 

- He is able to say Da Da and other babbling 

Other

- Blake has started clapping his hands and tends to do this when being dressed or when watching 

Cbeebies. 

- He loves In The Night Garden especially Iggle Piggle and sequels with excitements and does little jumps.

This evening I looked over to see him waving at the TV when Iggle Piggle was the screen. 

- We have joined a new baby group called baby beeps which is a song session but very sensory 

with feather, lights, parachutes etc. 

- We have also started taking Blake to swimming lessons on a Saturday afternoon. 

Blake 8 Months

On Sunday Blake turned 8 months old he has been suffering from a cold since last Thursday.

We have had a few disturbed nights due to this and he has also been very clingy. 

Clothing

Blake is now into his 9-12 months clothing which is pretty scary he is getting so big. 

I have found that the sleepsuits we have for him are getting tight already! 

I think we will stop buying sleepsuits now and purchase pjs instead. 

Teething

He has two little teeth that are trying to push there way through at the bottom of his month. 

He has had a few moments of needing teething gel, teething toys and the very occasional dose of calpol so far. 

Sleep

Blake is still sleeping well and getting approx 12 hours of sleep as usual. 

Although over the last few days he hasn't been due to the dreaded cold that he

has.

Feeding

We have been trying to cut his milk down so that he has three feeds a day. 

This isn't happening every day at the moment, but he is now eating three meals a day.

This is sometimes with one or two snacks as well. 

He is enjoying proper meals now such as chilli con carne, roast dinner and tuna pasta bake. 

Although we have noticed he doesn't seem to like pasta that much. 

Development/Milestones

- Blake is able to sit up with support but still not ready to sit up on his own atm. 

- He is able to stand up unsupported for a little while holding onto the sofa. 

- He is also getting more mobile as he can now crawl backwards. 

Other

- He is such a wiggle bum and changing his nappy and getting him dressed is now starting to become a challenge. 

- He loves to wave at Mummy and Daddy 

- He has outgrown the bouncer so now just plays in his walker or rolls around playing with his other toys. 

We are getting a Jumparoo soon which I'll be blogging about. 

- He started to try and clap although Stuart keeps missing it. 

- He will cry if you eat in front of him so we have to eat at the same time or when he is napping.

Paddy's Bathroom

Blake loves bath time and we love trying out new bath products for him. 

We try and bath Blake every two days, every three days at a stretch. 

Sometimes he has to have an emergency bath after a poo explosion which is happening a lot less these days. 

Paddy's Bathroom sent us a range of yummy, fruity smelling products for Blake to try at bath time! 

Paddy's Bathroom has launched a NEW range of certified organic and natural  toiletries especially for little ones. 

Created by Ella's Kitchen brand founder Paul Lindley, Paddy's Bathroom toiletries have as much natural and organic stuff as possible in them. 

They are super gentle and sting free protecting little one's eyes.

Paddy's bathroom is on a mission to make bath time fun with playful textures, heavenly smells, squirty bottles and loads of bubbles. 

Two of the Paddy's bath room items that we have been sent is the squirty stuff.

The squirty stuff are foamy hair and body wash and comes in "smells like squishy mango's" and "smells like juicy pineapples".

The foamy stuff is also a hair and body wash and comes in "smells like rosy apples" ideal for making bubble beards. 

The Bubbly stuff "smells like tangy tangerines" is a scrummy smelling bubble bath which makes lots of bubbles. 

The stuff for shiny hair "smells like squeezy lemon's" is a lemony shampoo that is kind to little eyes. 

Last of all is the stuff for hands "smells like squeeky clean lemons" is a fun foam hand wash. 

I have put this hand wash to the side for when Blake is a little older and is able to wash his hands himself as 

I know this will make hand washing much more fun. 

We were also sent a little set of bubbles which Blake loves and also a cute little turtle bath toy which both Stuart and I love squirting Blake with on his belly at bath time. 

We are huge fans of Paddy's bathroom range even mummy has secretly been using the shampoo and one of the body washes herself ;). 

All products retail at £4.49 each except for the bubble bath which is £5.99.

They are available from selected Tesco, Asda and Boots stores and online on Ocado so for a fun and sensory bath time experience purchase Paddy's bath time products today. 

What are your favorite bath time toiletries for your baby and/or children?

comment below.

Our Cloth Nappy System

Having a good cloth nappy system is important to make life a lot easier for you. 

When we first started out using cloth Blake was a few months old and we started out using pocket nappies.

We didn't really get on well with them, although we had only tried one brand we did find Blake leaked from them a lot as he is a heavy wetter. 

We also didn't like them as they were a faff to use when it came to stuffing the pockets.

Nappies

Over the last few months I really got into cloth nappies after purchasing a Bambinio Mio Miosoft set in Aldi. Having had great results we ended up purchasing a set of 20 cotton nappies in one size and eight wraps, four in size one and four in size two. 

For some people its easier to use All In Ones (AIO) over the last week or two we decided to purchase some Bambinio Mio Miosolo's (AIO). We chose to purchase these as Blake has started to leak badly from his disposables that he was wearing at night and it gave us  an opportunity to start using cloth full time. AIO are also easier for when you are out and about and on the go and are just as quick and simple as a disposable nappy. 

Another thing to think of is the fastening system as you can get poppers or velcro. 

We personally like velcro more due to the faff of trying to do poppers up on a wiggly baby

is just too tricky.

Accessories

Buckets:

An essential accessory is a nappy bucket and laundry bags. 

We use the Bambinio Mio ones the bucket is a great size with a lockable lid which means Blake wont be able to get into the bucket (Yet). 

The mesh laundry bags are a great size and are great quality and makes life easier for us as we don't have to touch dirty nappies when loading our machine. 

We dry pail which means that we don't soak our nappies we just pop them all in the machine when it comes to wash day. 

Wipes:

We usually use cloth wipes (not pictured) we purchased some cheap ones from Ebay whilst I pregnant but if you have the money  to spend a bit more a brand I have heard is great is cheeky wipes.

We also have some Bambinio Miowipes which we got in the accessory set that we purchased.They are a natural baby wipes which have been specifically formulated to help prevent the causes of nappy rash by providing baby with a gentle, alcohol free alternative to normal baby wipes. I like these as they can be flushed down the loo with Blake's liners especially when he has done a poo. I won't be purchasing them again as I prefer to use cloth wipes and when I do use disposables I tend to go for Aldi's ones which are cheaper but we only use them when out and about for convenience. 

Liners

Again we use ones from the Bambino  range we have recently purchased some of the softer Mioliners  that have recently come out and we really get on well with them. They can be flushed down the toilet and catch poo very well. 

Mioboost

The Mioboost's are essential to me as Blake can be in nappies a bit longer than usual when having these in his nappies. In the miosoft nappies he can last up to four hours with a mioboost in them and lasts overnight with a mioboost in his miosolo's which with Blake is on average 12 hours.

Miofresh

I use a scoop of miofresh in every wash.

This is a nappy cleanser which  is designed to clean, freshen and deodorize cloth nappies.

So that is our cloth nappy system 

It's a pretty simple system and they are such great products too. 

If you are a lover of cloth I'd love to know your cloth nappy system. 

If not i'd love to know your thoughts on my system.

comment below.