Friday 30 December 2011

Two words: Discounted toys

Toys. We gotta love 'em yet we gotta hate 'em for their costs. Needless to say, my mommy group and I have had quite a journey in toy shopping. Here's my two cents on the topic: Toys R Us/Babies R Us and Walmart aren't too bad for prices, but the best places for toy shopping are thrift stores (think Goodwill and Value Village). I've mentioned this to a few other moms and I've gotten some "interesting" looks from them. (And maybe they don't think their dirty looks are being expressed, but c'mon, that stink eye is kinda obvious!)

In honesty, you have to think of toys like this: how long is the baby going to play with them? So if you're paying over $80 for an exersaucer that's only going to last for a few months ... isn't that such a waste on money?! Plus, it's not like I'm giving my daughter a dusty toy off a store shelf - I do wash the dickens out of them (hello, bulk tubs of Lysol wipes from Costco). Another good way to save money on toys is by checking out garage sales too. Last summer, we bought a Graco baby swing (only used twice!), a trike, some books and small toys for a total of... $35! (Don't mean to sound cocky, but are you jealous yet?)

Another good way of saving a few bucks on toys is by borrowing them. I didn't have to spend money on an Evenflo exersaucer because I borrowed it - thank goodness for that, my daughter hates all exersaucers anyway! A friend of mine actually swaps baby toys with other moms, so that's another option if you know other moms. I have also been open to accepting hand-me-down toys from other children who have recently outgrown them.

So next, you're probably wondering if I really do have bragging rights. Well, here are a few lucky purchases by myself and my mom, so you be the judge. (Excuse the photog quality, photos were taken on my phone!)

VTech Sing Along Microphone - $0.25 at a local garage sale; I saw it last year at Walmart for $12 or $13.

Little Tykes Discover Sounds Kitchen - $3.99 at Value Village (without the play food and dishes); regular $39.99 at Babies R Us.

Shrek Laugh With Me Baby Girl - $6.99 at Value Village (still in the original package, never opened); regular $18.99 on Toy Store Inc.

Little Tykes Cozy Coupe Car - $6 at Goodwill; regular US$49.99 on littletykes.com



VTech Rhyme and Discover Book - $3 at Goodwill; regular $21.99 at Babies R Us


Monday 26 December 2011

My onesie wonders


When I browse through store racks, nothing pisses me off more than finding a designer onesie for $20. I'll be brutally honest with you: I have NOT had to pay over $1 for onesies — no joke! I went to a Mom-to-Mom Sale before my daughter was born and I purchased these onesies:

  • Four plain white Carters' onesies (size 6 months) for $1 (so $0.25 each).
  • Two long-sleeved onesies by Gymboree for $2 ($1 each).
But my BEST deal of all is when I received THREE free onesies from Huggies. (I have two right now and one is on its way in the mail.) All I did was plug in points from their jumbo pack of diapers. For my daughter's first birthday, she received an American Express gift certificate, which we used towards a jumbo pack of Huggies diapers at Costco. (P.S. I'm totally against buying diapers at Costco because they're super expensive! However, with the gift certificate, we ended up paying $0.06 per diaper, so it was the only time it was worth it.) At home, I plugged in the points and voila — Huggies said they would send me a free onesie, I just had to pick the size. A few months back, I also bought two jumbo Huggies packs at Walmart and since I put in four codes, they sent me two onesies. Not bad, eh? 



Obviously though, my daughter has used more than nine onesies in her 13 months of existence! So here's why this method is a money-saver:  I've barely spent money on clothes because I borrowed infant and toddler clothes. So the lesson here is, infant and toddler clothes won't last forever — deals with gently-used clothes or taking advantage of brand promotions can go a long way. (Remember, I've only spent a total of $3 on onesies!) 




Saturday 24 December 2011

Free formula...seriously

Sure, having a baby has its highlights, but let's face the elephant in the room here: going on mat leave is super taxing on family funds. According to Service Canada, "For most people, the basic rate for calculating EI benefits is 55% of your average insurable weekly earnings, up to a maximum amount." So when you think about it, that's a pretty serious cut in salary. And when you have to buy diapers, wipes, clothes, etc, wow... well, enough said there.


So while I was preggers during 2010, a friend of mine suggested I sign up to a bunch of companies for free product samples. I'll be honest: I was hesitant at first, especially when I saw the free stuff Nestle was offering at the time: a one-shoulder-strapped diaper bag, canned and hospital-ready formula, rice cereal samples, decaf coffee samples. I said to my girlfriend, "uh...are they going to charge me for shipping?! I don't want to be left with a bill for postage!" But she reassured me that it was completely free. So I signed up; weeks later, I picked up my package in the mail and I felt like a kid on Christmas day as I unzipped my bag of freebies. Then I signed up with Similac and Enfamil, and before my daughter was born in November, I received formula from both of these companies in the mail. By then I had about three containers of formula, two sets of ready-to-feeds and two cans of lactose-free formula. 


Flash forward to five months later: I decide to go to the Baby Time Show at the International Centre and I left with four containers of formula from Nestle and Similac. It wasn't easy though - you had to listen to useless pitches and I made my mom line up separately so we could get more. But hey, totally worth it. Then to my surprise, I started receiving more packages of free formula from Nestle, Similac and Enfamil, promoting new packaging and new products. 


In the end, I didn't have to pay for formula until my daughter was 11 months old! My mommy brain is a little foggy, but I do recall storing approximately 13 containers of formula, 2 six-packs of ready-to-feeds and 4 cans of lactose-free formula in my cupboard. 


However, here's why this worked for me:
  • My daughter didn't have any milk allergies
  • I decided to continue nursing and used formula for supplementation
So although I was able to save money this way, it may not work for all. But if you're an expectant mom, try this tactic out. And if your baby can't take the formulas, I highly recommend donating them to a food bank or passing them to another new mom. 










Let's begin ...

So hey, welcome to my blog! But wait, I know what you're thinking: "Ah crap, just another way for this mom to brag about how cute her baby is." Well ... of course I talk about my kid often, but thank goodness this blog isn't for that!

So here are the deets: I'm a 29-year-old journalist/editor and mom, and my daughter is 13 months old. I love dancing, reading, writing ... and saving money! No, seriously, I do! It's not uncommon for friends and family to ask how I do it.  Here are a few things I've done with my saving techniques:

  • Receive free formula, onesies and diaper rash cream
  • Purchase toys less than half price the original amount
  • Buy puffs/toddler snacks only with coupons
And to answer your question, yes, I've done these all without sacrificing my child's health and breaking the law. So that said, this blog is about my adventures in baby savings (not Adventures in Babysitting): how much I've saved and how much I've wasted. Hopefully you will get some valuable tips here. Stay tuned!