If you’re an expecting mom or have just given birth to your bundle of joy, you most likely already know the cost of baby essentials. Prices of diapers, wipes, milk, and clothes have increased over the past years, and you may end up worrying about them even before your little one arrives.
Because of that, it’s a good idea to rack up discounts and promotions on such items. Fortunately, it’s also possible for you to get baby freebies from various sources. Yes, you read that right: they’re free. You might be required to register for rewards programs and offers, but that should be fine because you’ll be saving money on your child’s needs. Here are some tips to get free essentials for your baby:
- Set Up A Baby Registry
One of the best and easiest ways to get freebies is to make a baby registry during your pregnancy. Doing so will not only allow you to get information on the things you need from the baby registry website’s blog, but it’ll also help you gather free stuff for babies. Some stores will send a gift card or baby gift to mothers who have just created a baby registry. What’s more, you may be able to receive coupons for future purchases.
Although many companies are happy to send you a box of goodies for free, it’ll be helpful for you to carefully review their guidelines. This is because you might have to comply with some of their terms regarding freebies. Furthermore, you can get creative with the type of baby registry you create, for example you could try to do a minimalist baby registry, which could make it simpler for people to get what you need and still be quite stylish, and above all cover your needs.
You can potentially get the following items when you make a baby registry with some companies:
- Welcome Box: Some popular baby registries send a welcome box to moms at no additional cost. However, there may be no way for you to know the contents of the box beforehand. This means there’s a small chance you might not find some of the items you receive particularly useful.
- Free Gift Bag: Similar to a welcome box, you may get a free gift bag loaded with various baby items. A lot of mothers who have received one found diapers, baby lotion, and baby wipes in their bag.
- Check With Your Family And Friends
You must learn to utilize every possible resource available to you, including your family and friends. They may have baby essentials that their children have outgrown. A number of parents tend to keep their babies’ old things and are only waiting for another child to use them.
Consider asking your family and friends if they have baby essentials they no longer have any use for. These could be cribs, clothes, toys, and strollers to name a few. This will be a win-win situation for you and the previous owner. You’ll save money since you won’t be paying for anything, and they can free up space in their home.
However, if you’re hesitant to approach your friends and relatives because you think you might be bothering them, then offer to purchase their stuff at prices you can afford. This is still much better than buying new, expensive baby products.
Just make sure to thoroughly check the quality of secondhand goods in order to keep your baby out of harm’s way. Furthermore, see to it that the items comply with safety guidelines, which you should easily find online.
- Take Advantage Of Diaper Bank Distribution Centers
Another pricey item that’s quickly used up are baby diapers. These should never go missing in your list of nursery items to get before your delivery date. Thus, you may want to check if there’s a diaper bank distribution center in your area. You can browse some websites to obtain a list of local organizations offering free diapers for babies.
If you know anyone who has some free time on their hands, you can suggest for them to help out at a diaper bank. Such places often welcome volunteers to help them sort, pack, and stock diapers.
- Get Samples From Diaper Companies
Aside from diaper banks, you may also be able to get free samples from various diaper manufacturers. Sometimes, these companies also send coupons for discounted baby diapers.
You may find it worth your time to reach out to some diaper companies because you’ll get the chance to determine what suits your child’s skin. Some babies get diaper rash from certain brands, and if that happens to your little one, you’ll have no choice but to switch to a different product until the issue no longer comes up. This will force you to shell out even more money for the sake of your baby’s health and comfort.
If you have free diapers to try, you’ll know which brand is best for your little one without going beyond your budget. There are companies that will send you samples when you register on their website. Some have rewards programs that will allow you to get baby diapers for free once you’re a member.
Those companies will ask you to do the following in exchange for free diapers:
- Share their posts on social media
- Read their articles
- Take surveys
After earning enough points, you can swap them for free diapers. Depending on the rules of the company, you may also have the option to use gift cards to get other baby items.
Some diaper companies and mommy bloggers give away as much as a year’s supply of diapers. Any new mother would want to win that, so it’s worth giving those kinds of contests a shot.
Conclusion
Given that moms have to go through pregnancy and deliver their baby, it would help for them not to worry too much about the expenses related to baby essentials. Nowadays, mothers have more resources they can tap into if they want to be practical about caring for their children. They don’t have to spend a lot of money to give their babies everything they need.
If you’re a mom with a tight budget and you know you have other options, take advantage of every resource available. It doesn’t matter if those will require some effort and time on your end. What’s important is that you’ll be able to save money and see to the proper upbringing of your child at the same time.