Your perfect little bundle of joy can cost a great deal of money long before they come home from the hospital. With everyone tightening their belts and trying to save more, cutting down the money you put towards your baby can save you a great deal. Babies are going to be expensive anyway, but there may be some places where you can cut some costs out and save some money for their college fund instead.

Do Not Go Overboard on Maternity Clothes – When your pregnancy is over, you will never wear your maternity clothes again (unless you plan on having another baby sometime in the future). People do not expect you to have as many outfits when you are pregnant as you do when you are not pregnant. Sometimes people get so caught up in having a variety of outfits that they just continue to spend on maternity clothes and later wish they had saved some of that money instead. It is difficult to not buy any maternity clothes, but you definitely do not have to spend a ridiculous amount of money. You could even ask some of your friends if you could borrow their clothes (if they are not using them).

Accept Hand-Me-Downs – There is no problem in accepting hand-me-downs from people who have had children in the past. If the clothes or baby toys or cribs are still in great condition then accepting these from others can save you a great deal of money. If people are willing to give you things that helped them out when they had children, then accepting them will help you out as well. Saving money in any way possible will help when the baby arrives and you have to spend even more money on diapers, formula, etc.

Budget Your Spending – Putting a cap on how much you want to spend on new items for your baby is extremely important. With all the clothes and baby products on the market, it is extremely easy to get caught up in spending on all the cute things or items that you might think you need until the baby arrives and then you never use them at all. Making sure you have a reasonable budget (and one that will not put you in debt) will really help you control your spending and have some money for when the baby arrives.

Listen to Advice from Friends/Family – Advice from people who have already had children is very valuable. They may have bought items in the past that they never used or have some great advice on how to save some money as your baby grows.

Think to the Future – Although it is hard to think of the future before your baby is even born, if everyone is buying you clothes for your newborn baby, you will not have any clothes for when they start growing a little bit. If people ask you what you need after you have your baby and want to buy you a gift, be honest with them and explain that you would like clothes for 10-12 months instead of for 3-6 months. Babies grow very quickly; you want to make sure you have all your bases covered.

Expensive is a word that comes along with baby…they are one in the same. However, these tips are definitely some ways that you can cut back your spending and still enjoy your bundle of joy.

— By Hannah Waters, Geezeo.com

Photo By: Gracey