As a mom of a bigger-than-average family, saving my family money is a top priority! And, since I’m pregnant again, I’ve found myself working overtime to find the best baby deals. Over the years I’ve learned a few tips and tricks which have really helped our family save money when it comes to saving money on items for baby! Today, I’m going to let you in on some of my secrets!
Word of Mouth
The cheapest things for baby are always things that are free! Put Facebook to work for you and just let your friends and family know that, “hey, by the way, with our new baby coming, we’re looking for a gently used mamaRoo, 0-3 months boys clothing, crib, etc.” I find that being specific to our needs tends to get more response. Many of your loved ones have these things in their basements collecting dust and will just GIVE them to you. The best baby deals are always FREE, right?!
Create a Baby Registry
Most first-time moms are lucky enough to receive a baby shower from friends and family and so it’s typical to create a baby registry for the first baby. This is obviously a great way to save money on baby items (and fun too!). However, with subsequent pregnancies, many moms don’t receive a shower, so they don’t create a registry, but you really should take a few minutes and work on a baby registry! Not only is there a chance that someone might still want to give you a gift for your new baby (and a registry helps them to know what you really want and need), but creating a registry generally means you’ll get freebies and coupons from the store where you register.
For example, for this pregnancy, I created a Target baby registry. Just for taking the time to make a registry (which really only took about 10 minutes) I got a FREE baby registry gift bag from Target which included product samples (I’m talking diapers, pacifiers, bottles, and more) and high-value coupons. It also puts you on that store’s radar and they are likely to send you more baby-related coupons in the future. And yes, it’s perfectly acceptable to register at a few different stores to get coupons from all of them! If you have time, why not?
Make a List of Your Needs and Wants
I find that it’s best to put things into writing. I keep a list of baby needs and baby wants. Then, I keep an eye out for the best baby deals on those things! It also helps you to prioritize to make sure you get the most important items first!
Be Diligent to Check Store Circulars
You’ve got your list, now check the circulars, and check them often! Ever since I discovered Flipp last year (it’s a free app for your phone) I’ve saved HUNDREDS of dollars, not just on baby products, but really everything our household needs, from groceries to clothes to Christmas gifts and everything in between! I loooove this app!
When it comes to getting the best baby deals, Flipp can help you in a number of ways. For example, I wanted to get the new baby a few new sleepers from Carter’s. Unfortunately, I rarely ever get sale circulars in the mail for my local Carter’s store. However, Flipp has a digital copy! I was able to see that right now they have sleepers priced at just $6.97, marked down from $16!
Another thing I’m always checking Flipp for are sales on diapers and wipes. I make it a habit to check Flipp at least once a week for all of the stores I frequent. That way I don’t miss any great sales on the things we need. When I find a good sale, I stock up! Thanks to Flipp, I saw that this week Target has diapers on sale for $24.29 (assorted brands) and when you buy two boxes, you get a $10 gift card to use on a future shopping trip!
You can also search by product on Flipp. If you know for example that you are almost out of diapers, you can search specifically for those – either with the generic term “diaper” if you aren’t partial to a brand, or “Pampers” if you want to be specific. Not only will Flipp tell you which stores have the best Pampers deals, it will also let you know if there are any digital coupons you can currently pair with the sale!
Pair Sales with Coupons For the Maximum Best Baby Deals
I’ve been couponing since I got my first apartment at age 19. I was dirt poor then and probably couldn’t have survived without some extreme couponing. Yes, I was once the girl who would come home with 20 2-liters of ginger ale because I got them all for free. Sadly, I’m not as diligent with my coupons as I once was (I’m just a tad bit busy with 4 kids!) however I still use coupons whenever I can. The availability of digital coupons is a huge time saver these days!
The biggest trick to successful couponing is to pair coupons with sales for maximum savings. For example, not only did I get that $10 Target gift card for purchasing 2 boxes of diapers, I paired it with digital coupons I got from Flipp! I got $2 off of Huggies and $1.50 off of the Pamper’s Pull-Ups I purchased just by having the cashier scan from the Flipp app on my phone. As an added bonus, I knew that Target would let me use their store coupons and stack them with the manufacturer’s coupons. I had a Target coupon which gave me an extra 15% off of Huggies plus another Target coupon which gave me $2 more off of the Pamper’s Pull-Ups. I then paired that with a $10 gift card I received last time I took advantage of this deal.
Here’s the math on this diaper purchase:
- 1 box of diapers for $24.29 + 1 box of training pants for $24.99 = $49.28
- Manufacturer’s coupons totaling $4.00 + Target coupons totaling $5.65 = $9.65
- $10 gift card from past trip
- Total spent for my two boxes of diapers was just $29.63 PLUS a $10 Target gift card to use on a future purchase at the store!
Talk About the Baby Deals You Find and Saving Money with Friends
Lastly, make it a habit to converse with your mom friends about the best baby deals you find and how you save money for your family. If you share the deals and hacks you find with them, they are likely to share the same with you! My sister is currently pregnant, so of course, I texted her right away to let her know of the great deal I was able to get this week on diapers at Target!
I’ve shared my love of Flipp with so many people at church, that at this point word of mouth has spread and my husband literally had another man in our church recently come to him for a quick tutorial on using the app! (The synched shopping list is a game-changer for families and they all love that!)
Flipp is free to download in the App Store and at Google Play.
Do you have any additional tips for getting the best baby deals? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!
Rylie Lynn
Wednesday 26th of April 2023
I always look for the sale signs and check online to compare- I’m obsessed w Target!
Kavimounts
Monday 21st of March 2022
Thanks for this great tips.
Jo-Ann Brightman
Friday 16th of March 2018
I use coupons and try to find clearance items.
Tammy Liscio
Friday 16th of March 2018
I'm a clearance runner
Lanie
Friday 16th of March 2018
coupons as well as apps for extra savings are great too. I love apps like flipp!