How to save money with a newborn: clever hacks parents swear by to keep baby costs down

By focusing on essentials, accepting help, and being resourceful, you can keep costs down and enjoy your time with your newborn without financial stress.

With the help of Kim Faura, a consumer expert at Gumtree, an online marketplace, we’ve collected some of the best ways to keep the cost of newborn supplies down while making sure your child has everything they need.

Bulk buy before baby arrives

“The first month is a critical period where many items are forgotten about, leading to expensive, last minute shopping trips,” Faura says.

Making an intentional list of everything you will need for the first few weeks, and stocking up by bulk buying can be really useful — especially for consumable or single-use items like disposable nappies.

“This reduces last-minute stress and ensures you are always prepared, as babies go through multiple changes a day,” Faura says.

“Nappies and wipes are available in bulk in most supermarkets and retailers, and multi-buy offers can help you to stock up in advance.”

Batch cook before the big day

You might not have the energy to cook for yourself in the first few days and weeks after giving birth, but ready meals and ordering out aren’t great for your wallet or your health.

So, batch cooking and freezing healthy, home-cooked meals ahead of the birth can be a great way to avoid spending money on delivery. It is also useful to make sure you always have something in, because you never know if you’ll be hungry during a night feed when nowhere is open.

You can also ask friends and family who want to help out if they wouldn’t mind bringing cooked meals instead of gifts.

Make the big purchases multi-purpose

“Individual essential items for a newborn can carry a steep price tag, such as pushchairs, car seats, carrycots, changing tables, amongst many others. Opting for multi-functional products can significantly reduce costs and help manage space, especially when baby items can quickly take over the home,” Faura says.

“An example includes pushchairs that can also be converted to a car seat, allowing more space in the car when travelling and provides smooth transition when moving the baby from the car to the pushchair,” she says.

You could also consider cots that can transition to toddler beds, highchairs that can convert to booster seats, or a convertible potty trainer that can also be used as a toddler toilet seat.

Buy second hand

With so many charity shops and online platforms like Gumtree, buying second-hand baby items has never been easier. It’s also a great way to make your baby budget go further and ease the stress of constantly having to replace ruined or outgrown items.

“While it’s best to avoid second-hand car seats due to safety concerns and bottles due to hygiene risks, other items like clothing, books, toys, and furniture are ideal to purchase pre-loved,” Faura says.

“Many sellers on platforms like Gumtree are simply looking to declutter, which means they often bundle items at lower prices. For instance, you can find barely used newborn clothing sets that have already been outgrown. Shopping this way helps you stock up on short-term essentials sustainably and affordably,” she says.

You can also make some money back by selling on what you don’t need once your baby outgrows their newborn sizes, or if you discover that they won’t sleep in their Moses basket.

Try to avoid big brands

Branded items might be easier to trust, but often you can save money by shopping around and going with less-well-known brands — just make sure that they have all the relevant safety certifications if you’re buying items like car seats and baby mattresses.

For smaller-ticket items like nappies, wipes, and babygrows, Faura recommends “choosing supermarket-owned brands, because whilst earning a few pennies back may not seem like a lot, it will soon add up over time.”

Avoid trendy items

There are so many baby products out there, and new ones keep coming out. But you don’t need every new innovation for your newborn.

“Trendy baby products often have a short shelf life, either because your baby outgrows them quickly or because the trend itself fades. For example, Jellycat toys may be in demand, but parents can often find cheaper alternatives that are still playful and fun for their kids,” Faura says.

“Instead, shop around for the best deals and prioritise fundamental items that are multi-use and durable.”

Borrow or rent items

Another good way to avoid big purchases is to borrow or rent an item that you’ll only need temporarily.

Libraries often lend out toys as well as books, and you can often find common household necessities like carpet cleaners, trolleys, and park games in ‘libraries of things’ if you have one near you.

As well as organisations, you can also borrow items from friends and family.

Swap/share with other parents

Swapping with other parents can be a great way to collect items you need as well as declutter at the same time. If you have children growing out of clothes at the same pace but at different ages, you could pass hand-me-downs around, for example.

And they don’t have to be parents in your existing friend and family circles. Parents in baby classes, at nurseries, and at schools can be great swap partners.

“Support groups can also help with cost saving as some include clothing and toy swaps as their children outgrow those items, allowing new parents the opportunity to capitalise on free resources and continue the cycle once their babies grow,” Faura says. “They are also a great way to share information and help new parents gain advice from others.”

[Subheading] Take advantage of grants and vouchers

Make sure to check out what government help you are entitled to as the parent of a newborn. In the UK, this can be things like the Sure Start maternity grant, or the Healthy Start voucher scheme on the NHS.

In the US, there is the WIC scheme that helps women, infants, and children access healthy food, and other grants and vouchers will vary state by state.

“These are great ways to economise on essential costs and inform new parents on what they may be eligible for,” Faura says.

Remember that less is more, and your baby won’t be a newborn forever

Research by iCandy earlier this year found that new parents spent almost £400 on items that they used once or never in the first year. Many of these items were towels, clothes, and bath supports.

Babies develop so quickly that they might outgrow their sleepsuits in a matter of weeks — so you don’t need to invest in products that they will only use for a few weeks or months.

Plus, with all the new additions (like a pram, cot, car seat, and highchair — as well as the baby), you might struggle for storage in your home. So before making each purchase for your little one, stop to think about how long they will use it for and if there is space to store it, as well as whether you can afford it.