How to Save Hundreds of Dollars Buying All that Baby Stuff

For most of us, parenthood delivers a financial sucker-punch. Our once ample paychecks suddenly feel constricted, and our savings accounts become a memory. We start trimming former "must-haves" from the budget - things like double mochas, take-out Chinese, satellite TV, and magazine subscriptions.

Now we don duct-taped sneakers and outdated mom jeans, eat rice and beans, and spend our hard-earned cash to feed, clothe, educate, and outfit our diaper-wetting, Elmo-loving, stroller-riding sweet peas.

Here's how our family has learned to cope - and leave some money in the pocketbook for emergencies, college, and yes, the occasional dinner out.

Shop for Gently Used Items: Young kids, especially babies, often outgrow their clothes and their toys far sooner than they wear them out. You can find gently used items in a number of places:

• Consignment Stores: They're popping up everywhere and many offer great bargains on gently used kids clothes, toys, and gear. I've even found new items with original sales tags intact. Plus, if your child's outgrown her gently used clothes and toys, you can consign them for cash or store credit.

• Garage Sales: Homes across America open their garage store fronts on weekends to sell unwanted treasures taking up space in their homes. You'll often find clothes, books, toys, strollers and other kid gear for mere pennies. Find the right sale and you could walk away with an entire wardrobe for your two-year-old. Tip: Find advertised garage sales in your local paper and then map out where you want to go the night before. Grab a friend and a latte and start early - expert garage-salers hit the sales as early as 7 AM for the best bargains.

• Craigslist and e-bay: Find an online bargain while sipping your morning coffee. People like you and me post their gently used items on sites like e-Bay and Craigslist. And you can get some really great deals. Our friend found a Brio train set for just pennies on the dollar at Craigslist.

• Goodwill: Not-for-profit organizations like Goodwill accept used items and resell them in their stores. You can find great bargains for a fraction of the cost of new items. Plus, you're supporting programs that help others in your community.

Swap or Borrow Stuff: Find another family with kids and either borrow or swap toys and clothes. We borrowed a crib from one family. We regularly swap toys with another family with two boys. Every few months we pull together a bag of age-appropriate toys and clothes and swap. You can get really creative and pull together a swap schedule with your play group. Just make sure you label items and put together a quick tracking system (an Excel spreadsheet will do). Worried about germs? You can sanitize most toys with a number of commercial or homemade cleaners. Some toys are even dishwasher safe. Tip: When you get your original items back, take them to the consignment shop or sell them on Craigslist or e-bay. Or pay it forward and take the items to your local charity.

Swap Babysitting: Find another parent you trust and swap babysitting. I know a mom who swaps babysitting with her friend every week, giving each mom a morning to work, run errands, or meet a friend. Other parents I know joined a pool of parents and tracked babysitting credits. The more babysitting you do, the more time you earn. Bonus: Your child gets extra playtime with a friend.

Buying New? Shop Online Deals: Shop around and clip online coupons. Compare prices of different sites. Find stores that offer free shipping. Get on e-mail lists for stores you love to hear about their latest sales. Stock up on end-of-season bargains for the following year.

And never buy anything without looking for a coupon. The internet offers a variety of sites that provide links to valuable coupons. You need to watch for expiration dates and know that not all the coupons work all of the time. But when they do, you can find great deals. I regularly save $10, $25, even $50 with online coupons. Keep the coupon code handy and redeem the coupon at checkout. Tip: You can even print some coupons to take into the shopping mall. Here are a few coupon sites that I've used: www.morecouponcodes.com, www.couponcabin.com, www.momsview.com, and www.couponmountain.com.

While bargain-hunting takes a bit of time and planning, it's a great way to ease the strain on your pocketbook. Have fun and happy saving! Got additional ideas? Please post your comments and share the savings with other parents.