How to Have a Baby on a Budget

Thinking about having a baby on a budget can be very stressful! Especially with so many people telling you that babies are expensive and that you shouldn’t get pregnant when money is tight.

Let me tell you that having a baby on a budget is totally possible and 100% doable! I know from experience what it is like to have a first baby while money is tight. 

It was June of 2020 when we got pregnant. It was just before my husband graduated from college with a Bachelor’s degree, and I had two years left of school. We knew we were moving to Utah, but after over 120 job applications, my husband still hadn’t landed a job. 

How in the world were we going to afford a baby if we had no income and I needed to finish school?! Here are 5 tips that helped us and can help you save money with a new baby. (And here is how I survived college as a new mom.)

1. Trust God to Help You Have a Baby on a Budget

The number one tip I will give to anyone who wants to have a baby and is short on resources is to trust God. He knows your situation, and He wants more than anybody to help you succeed at the parenting process!

Remember what Jesus tells us:

“Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on…for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Matthew 6:25, 32, 33

Notice that Jesus says Heavenly Father is well aware of our needs. We don’t have to worry about how we will get through tomorrow if we trust Him and seek the kingdom of God first. 

I also love that last part – Jesus doesn’t say that God will only give us some of the things we need, but all of what we need. 

How Trusting God Helped Us

Even though my husband (Chase) didn’t have a job lined up, we had enough savings to last us a few months until we got settled. We chose to trust in God and move even though we had no idea how things would work out financially. Chase and I prayed, fasted, and received Priesthood Blessings from my dad for comfort and guidance.

We made the move, and two days later Chase received a job offer where they were willing to pay him much more than we had anticipated! We considered it a miracle, and thanked God for blessing us. 

Even though we had anticipated a tighter budget after having our first baby, expenses did not increase as much as we thought! Our grocery budget (not including diapers) has not gone up since we had our baby, and she is over a year old! We considered this another blessing from God.

Below are more ways that we were able to save money while on a budget. I know they are all a result of God blessing us with the things we needed. 

2. The Benefits of Used Baby Supplies

Even before our first baby was born, we received boxes and boxes of used baby supplies which helped loosen our baby budget! These supplies came from friends in our church congregation, neighbors, and family members. After our little girl was born, we continued receiving hand-me-downs and ended up with more baby supplies than we needed!

As a result of all the used baby supplies (a large portion of which was clothing), I can count on one hand the number of times we have needed to go shopping for baby clothes. And have you seen how expensive new baby outfits can be? One outfit is often $15 or $20!

While you cannot always plan on being gifted used baby supplies, you can let others know on your baby registry (I recommend Amazon or Baby List) that you are open to it. I put on my baby registry that we were open to receiving used baby books, toys, and clothes. Because people knew that we were open to used items, we got a lot more supplies than if people had only bought us new baby items. 

3. Budget-Friendly Baby Substitutes and Hacks

There are going to be things you need to buy for your baby, even if you are the expert money-saver. However, there are substitutes and hacks available to help you stick to your baby budget. 

Organizing Baby Clothes on a Budget

Can’t afford to add a dresser to your tight budget? Consider getting a hanging closet organizer! My husband and I have one similar to this that we got as a wedding gift and it is the perfect size to fit baby clothes. I also love that there are pockets on the sides to hold bows, socks, diaper covers, etc. There are also ones like this that come with drawers so you don’t have to worry about clothes falling out.

Utilize Cardboard Boxes

Shoe boxes or other small cardboard boxes are also excellent ways to store baby items. I have used boxes underneath our daughter’s changing table to hold diapers, burp clothes, and miscellaneous items. They are a cheap and easy way to keep baby items contained.

You can also make use of diaper boxes and wipe boxes! Babies grow fast, so save some empty diaper boxes and wipe boxes to store and organize clothes and toys they grow out of. These boxes tend to be very sturdy, so they are a very good choice trying to save money and preserve baby clothes and toys for future children.  

Cloth diapers!

While it may sound gross, it is not as bad as you may think! I have loved saving money by using cloth diapers. You do need to change them more often and do laundry regularly, but I think it is worth it! 

A Costco box of diapers is roughly $40-$50, and 6 AlvaBaby cloth diapers are about $30. That may seem pricey, but they last years! The sizes fit babies 6.6-30 pounds, so you won’t need to worry about your baby out-growing them for quite some time.

We started with 6 cloth diapers. At home our baby was in cloth diapers and disposables were used for outings and nighttime. Now I feel confident enough to put her in a cloth diaper on shorter outings and bring a grocery bag to store the dirty diaper if she needs a change. We ended up buying another 6 diapers because we love how easy they are to clean and how much money we are saving!

Save Money on Wipes

Rip your wipes in half! If your baby just peed, then they usually don’t need any more than half a wipe! Poops generally need more, but they pee much more than they poop. If you are consistent, you can split your wipes budget in half!

You can also save money on wipes by using water and a washcloth or burp cloth to wipe them down when they get messy from food, dirt, etc. My little girl actually prefers me to splash water on her face and dry her off than scrub her face with a wipe. 

4. Shop Places that Fit Tight Baby Budgets

Where you shop will have a big effect on how much you spend. If you are okay not getting a particular item brand new, then shop at thrift stores (we love Deseret Industries), Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, or Ross (for new but still cheap items).

5. Don’t Buy What You Don’t Need

If you are expecting your first baby and wanting to save money, then please don’t buy everything before your little one comes. There are too many items that you don’t know if you will use until your baby arrives. For instance, my husband and I bought a pair of shoes before birth that our daughter wore only a few times. 

I recommend having the basics:

• diapers
• wipes
• a place for them to sleep (like a bassinet or a pack ‘n play)
• blankets
• a few outfits (I recommend sleeper gowns and onesies for newborns)
• necessary feeding supplies (lots of insurance companies provide breast pumps for free)

That is really all a newborn needs. Anything else you think you’ll need can wait until after they are born.  

Let Go of Money Stress and Have Faith!

While you do need to be somewhat financially stable to have a baby, you don’t need to be rolling in money. Do your best and trust God that He will take care of you and your family. He cares about your well-being and the well-being of your baby more than anyone else.

Let me know money-saving tips you have in the comments below to help new parents feel better about having a baby on a budget!