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Having Multiples? Five Ways to Save
Author: Kirsten Weiss
Many of us have seen the TV ad by now: the husband comes home from work, and his eyes pop when he finds three new baby carriages waiting. It’s triplets! But, don’t worry – we have a credit card! You knew life would change when you had a baby, and multiples are exciting. Below are five ways to control costs when you’ve got multiples.
- Make your own baby food. There are some great websites such as WholesomeBabyFood.com devoted to this topic. Making your own food is easy – you basically just cook it, puree it, and store it. It can also save tons of money, and you can even freeze leftovers. DO, however, consult with your pediatrician before introducing new food to your infant.
- Buy diapers in bulk. Diapers are another big parenting expense, especially with multiple births. However, you can save by buying in bulk from places, like CostCo and Sam’s Club. Some diaper companies also offer twin discounts – before buying, be sure to ask!
- Share! Just because you’re having twins, it doesn’t mean you have to buy two of everything. Clothing and toys can be shared. In the first few months, twins can even share a crib.
- Join a twins club. Twins clubs not only make great support groups, they can also save you money. Most have regular sales of used toys, clothing, and equipment at terrific savings. Twins clubs are everywhere… if you know where to look. Fortunately, if you’re reading this article you probably have Internet access, and that is source #1. In the US, check out NOMTC, for Australia: AMBA, the UK: TAMBA, New Zealand: NZMBA, and Canada: MBC.
- Use hand-me-downs. When I was a kid, I hated hand-me-down day. This was the day I’d have to go through big bags of decades-old clothing from my older cousins and try to explain to my unsympathetic mother why I did not want to wear a perfectly good, 70’s-era pair of lime green pants with orange flowers. My mom couldn’t understand why I balked – after all, I didn’t mind the clothing when I was a toddler. And this is, of course, the point. You will not do your infant or toddler irreparable, social damage by dressing them in clothes handed down from elder relatives. Little kids won’t know where the clothing came from, and they won’t care. So do yourself a favor, and let your friends and family know you would be happy to accept any serviceable toys and clothing their kids have outgrown. You’ll probably be doing them a favor by taking it off their hands.
With a bit of planning, multiples can, in many ways, be the ultimate two (or more) for the price of one deal.
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