Every baby is truly a “bundle of joy.” But in this economy having another mouth to feed sometimes feels very stressful. Many people are worried about their jobs – and lots of parents can be afraid for the future. Fortunately if you prepare and are creative, you can often pay less for your baby’s needs.

Learn to connect with other parents and become friendly with those who have just had babies. They will have valuable words of wisdom about how to handle diaper rash and all of those other baby concerns. But they also may have a gently used crib that your baby can be sleeping in simply by asking if they will be using it again soon (often they won’t be using it within the next year). They’ll also be a great source for baby clothes that have been outgrown (and often barely worn) and even baby toys that have typically not been played with very much. These are wonderful finds for the financially strapped parent. Just remember the circle of giving and to pass these things along to another family when you are done with them.

Joining a warehouse club can be very valuable to buying many of your baby’s needs. You can buy formula, vitamins and baby’s diapers all in bulk and save lots of money. Best of all, you can also buy other things that the family needs at the very same time. Most warehouse clubs like Sam’s Club are very reasonable to join and welcome families and individuals.

Consignment shops are not just for adults — there are some wonderful shops for kids. This is an ideal spot to find beautiful baby clothing. It is also a great resource to SELL baby clothing that has been gently used or barely worn. Perhaps your mother in law bought baby clothes that just weren’t to your liking and you hung on to them to spare her feelings. Those clothes could be turned into cold, hard cash quite easily as some other mom would be happy to see them! A kid’s consignment shop would be a great find as your baby got bigger and moved into toddler sizes.

Don’t be afraid to ask for a discount if you are having trouble paying your bills. If you are seeing your baby’s doctor and are having trouble paying your bills, most doctors will give a discount when asked. The key is asking for the discount! Ask politely and quietly. You don’t have to give a big, “sob story” as many families are having a tough time right now and people understand.

Get wise to sites like Craigslist and Freecycle to get great baby things. People list things on Freecycle that they are just giving away for free. So a family getting rid of baby things would list everything they were giving away — and the first person to say they wanted things would claim them. But Freecycle is very democratic and you can’t just take, you need to be a giver too if you want to be part of the community. Craigslist also has a Barter section and a Free section — both are ideal for looking for items for you baby. What could you barter? Try bartering with a professional photographer for a holiday photo to go on your holiday cards — you could give them freshly cut firewood. Every trade needs to be win-win.

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