When I am out and about, and around other couples with young children, it seems to be a re-0ccuring topic about how much it cost to raise children. I am always tempted to butt in and let them know that with a little extra planning (and really it’s not that much extra) children are relatively affordable. *giggles*
When me and my husband had our son, we were shocked at the price of raising children, also. The costs of disposable diapers, baby food, equipment, clothing, etc really add up. But, after being fed up with blowing our money on the little details of having a baby, I’d had enough.
First off, the majority of my son’s wardrobe is from Goodwill and secondhand shops. I do not see the point in spending $5 per shirt or pants when he will outgrow them in a couple of months. The second frugal choice I made was to begin cloth diapering. I will be explaining my journey in cloth diapers later on in this blog, as I know so many women don’t realize just how EASY it is to cloth diaper.
Another one of the most money saving things I do is making homemade baby food. It is so rediculous to me to go to the store and buy jar after jar of baby food at outrageous prices, when all it consists of is pureed fruits/veggies/meats. If you have time to throw a pot of water on the stove with some fresh fruits/veggies to boil, you have time to make baby food!
What you will need:
A pot to boil in, a blender, a strainer, ice cube trays, freezer bags, and fruit/veggie of choice.
It’s this simple:
Cut up your fruit/veggie of choice to boil. Be sure to cut off skins and cut out the core/seeds if needed. Boil in a pot of water until cooked through (You don’t have to worry too much about overcooking.) Strain. Put in your blender and use the puree setting on your blender. Puree until smooth and make sure their are no chunks left behind (You will probably need to add some water if it is too thick.) You can puree the foods less and less as your baby gets older and more adapted to more textured foods. Poor puree into ice cube trays. Set in freezer until frozen solid. Label freezer bags with food/date and store frozen baby food cubes in freezer bags.
Things to Remember:
Some good first food choices are apples, pears, carrots, peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, squash, etc. When making carrots, do not use leftover boiling liquid to thin them when blending. Thaw baby food in the microwave until it is a safe heat for baby.
